Accessibility Assignment

Zikeya Hickman
Chavin Hall
LEI 3707 UO1
Florida International University
10 March 2015

Accessibility Assignment

1
Advantages and Barriers

For the most part, Strike Bowling Alley does accommodate for those who have a
disability. Being that the facility is located on the second floor of Dolphin Mall, an advantage
upon entering the facility is having an accessible elevator to eliminate use of staircase. With the
exception of requesting smaller couches, the facility is spacious enough for those who are
wheelchair/walker assisted. If a person is blind, in case of an emergency the emergency intercom
identified by braille letters. Signs are posted throughout the facility providing assistance to
restrooms, counter, exit, etc. Restrooms are all accessible and meet the standard requirements
from the Americans with Disabilities Act.
One of the few barriers within the facility would be the tables next to the couches. The
table being so low to the ground forces a person who is in a wheelchair to be dependent on
another person to help them reach for their food or drink placed on the table. This barrier effects
the persons independence. Also, the couches should be smaller because it hinders a person who
is using a wheelchair to sit comfortably and interact with others. Soap dispensers in the restroom
should be lowered and made more accessible as well as the pay phones.
Accessibility Recommendations
Specific recommendations on how to improve the facility to accommodate the Americans
with Disabilities Act would be to make sure all ramps are slip resistant to eliminate the
possibility of one slipping/falling. Also, all inaccessible entrances should have signs pointing to
the nearest accessible entrance. Upon entering the facility, an automatic door could be useful to
those who are using wheelchairs, crutches, walkers, etc. Included with this should be a threeseconded door closer. Within the facility, having smaller couches increases space. Not only will
smaller couches expand the mobility of wheelchair use if needed, all parties will be included and

Accessibility Assignment

not apart. The tables could be replaced or raised to at least twenty-eight to thirty four inches.
When sitting, the table stands no higher than the average persons knee, which would make it
difficult for one who uses a wheelchair causing them to have to reach. Facility countertops and
soap/sanitizer dispensers should also be replaced or lowered so they can be accessible.
To make sure everyone is accommodated, all emergency systems should have audible
signals additionally modifying the communication system. Lowering the pay phones and having
a volume control added along with signage to the pay phones within the facility are
recommended.
Global Review of Disability and Accessibility
The Americans with Disabilities Act has impacted society greatly by granting the right of
persons with disabilities to be treated like the person they are instead of being isolated or
segregated from society. In the movie Music Within, one of the characters by the name of Art had
Cerebral Palsy. He went to a restaurant with his friend (the main character), Richard Pimental,
who had to help Art up the stairs with his wheelchair because they did not have a ramp to get to
the restaurant. They were refused service because of the way Art spoke and the way he looked.
The waitress did not want to serve him mentioning that he does not look normal. The
Americans with Disabilities Act gave people with disabilities a voice. Persons with disabilities
should not be treated as though they are not just like anyone else in the world. Having a
disabilities or a slight imperfection is what makes people normal in the first place. There is no
such thing as perfect.
The Americans with Disabilities Act made sure that locations of service were wheelchair
accessible. Everyone should be able to enter a place of establishment without the struggle of

Accessibility Assignment

trying to make it to the entrance. Persons with disabilities want to go grocery shopping, go out to
eat, and do anything else they want without the struggle of being able to fit in aisles or sit at the
table with their family and/or friends. The Americans with Disabilities Act impacted society in
this aspect dramatically because persons with disabilities should not be judged or refused access
due to a disability that they could not prevent. Facilities and people who consider themselves
normal should be aware of that.
China has the Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, which is somewhat similar to
the Americans with Disabilities Act in the U.S. The Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons
mentions general provisions, inclusion, rehabilitation, education, and employment. Inclusion is a
key concept for both the U.S. and China. Chinas law states that it is required to make sure
disabled persons have equal rights. A part of equal rights is to make each individual feel like the
person that they are using the person-first philosophy. The U.S. uses the person-first philosophy
by saying, Americans with Disabilities instead of Disabled Persons like China. In each
article stated in their Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, China uses disabled before
person instead of a person with a disability. China seems to pinpoint the disability of the person.
Other than the person-first philosophy issue, China and the U.S. have big similarities in
their law for persons with disabilities. Both state that appropriate accommodations should be
made in order for persons with disabilities to participate if they want. No person with a disability
should be refused employment, education, or service because of their disability. Both China and
the U.S. have extensive laws for inclusion. There are many differences between the U.S. and
China as well. China stated that they give pensions specifically to persons with disabilities who
are veterans, whereas the U.S. gives benefits such as pensions to mostly all persons with
disabilities. China also makes sure to mention that persons with disabilities are not excused from

Accessibility Assignment

the law, that guardians should protect persons with disabilities, disabilities should try and be
prevented with certain precautions before and during pregnancy, awards should be given to
persons with disabilities for making achievements, and persons with disabilities should
participate in rehabilitation to improve. China made sure to include all of these articles in The
Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons to support inclusion, but as mentioned above it more
so points out the disability instead of the individual themselves.
Not only does the U.S. and China compare on their laws for persons with disabilities, but
they have been competing historically for a substantial amount of time. They are both economic
powerhouses trying to control GDP, GDP growth, revenue, expenditures, deficit, exports,
percentage in poverty, unemployment rates, and the labor force. Both try to protect civil liberties
by controlling press freedom, economic freedom, and citizens incarcerated. The U.S. is 10th
worldwide in press freedom, way ahead of the 139th place that China is in. The U.S. is also 4th
worldwide in economic freedom and China is 118th worldwide. There are 730 citizens out of
100,000 incarcerated placing the U.S. ahead of China yet again by being 1st place worldwide.
These facts are just to name a few, but the booming population rate of China is slowly putting the
U.S. behind in education. U.S. citizens may go to school longer, but they do not come close to
the #1 ranking that China has in education. The U.S. and China are head to head in development.
Where one country is behind the other country excels. In this case China excels in its education,
but according to statistics the score is U.S 3, China 2 (U.S. vs CHINA: Superpower
Showdown, n.d.).
The outcome of the ADA accessible design survey of Strikes Bowling Center in China
would basically be the same outcome as the results in the U.S. because they have similar rules

Accessibility Assignment

and laws. They both want facilities to be fit for persons with or without disabilities. In Chinas
Law on the Protection of Disabled Persons, Article 4, it states:
The state shall provide disabled persons with special assistance by adopting
supplementary methods and supportive measures with a view to alleviating or eliminating
the effects of their disabilities and external barriers and ensuring the realization of their
rights. (Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund, 2015)
This includes any way that could assist a person with disabilities (i.e. facilities such as
schools, gyms, recreation centers, etc.).
Society as a whole has worked on the inclusion of persons with disabilities and has done
a great job so far. However, there still needs to be more education on how to treat persons with
disabilities. It should be made required for everyone to take a class in high school or college on
the inclusion/treatment aspect of persons with disabilities because everyone around the world
will encounter a person with disability. It does not matter what field a person pursues they will
interact with people with a variety of differences, a person with a disability is one.
Recreation and sport services help persons with disabilities overcome barriers such as
enhancing rights, independence, and inclusion by helping them mentally and emotionally. When
you give a person the support system that they need that helps them to gain the confidence and
the independence to overcome any obstacle thrown at them. Recreation services help support as
well by tweaking some aspects of a recreational activity to better suit the needs of a person with
a disability, so that they can still enjoy their usual activities without their disability harboring
them.

Accessibility Assignment
References
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund. (2015, ). Retrieved from dredf.org:
http://dredf.org/legal-advocacy/international-disability-rights/international-laws/chinalaw-on-the-protection-of-disabled-persons/
U.S. vs CHINA: Superpower Showdown. (n.d.). Retrieved from Master of Finance:
http://www.master-of-finance.org/us-vs-china/