Art Gallery of Ontario accessibility fail

[firecat]

http://sabotabby.livejournal.com/643833.html

Comments

[jadey]

A Google turned up this little gem... Accessibility a Priority in the Transformed AGO. Maybe someone needs to sit down with Gehry, the AGO board, and the funders from the federal and provincial government and give them a more detailed concept of "accessibility".

I've been seeing the exuberant commercials for this all over the place, but for shame, dammit. Gehry just lost major points, and so does AGO for not standing up to him.

[jadey]

I sent a comment to AGO mentioning the issues raised in this post and stating that I was not interested in attending or recommending any of its exhibits while its accessibility-unfriendly design remains. For once I live close enough to feel like I can do something!

I also turned this up while Googling; an article about an architect whose own acquired mobility impairment has become an inspiration to his design. The Re-Education of Michael Graves. FWIW, the reporter is also mobility-impaired. Seems like nothing ever gets done until people can do it for themselves, but it's so hard to get the chance. :(

[jesse_the_k]

So sad, too true. I've never heard architects whining about fenestration requirements (how much light a building needs) or fire safety constraints (placement of plumbing vents and noncombustible wallboard) but somehow artistes like Gehry think it's acceptable to dismiss access concerns in their designs. He's done plenty of stuff in the USA for Disney, who is generally a very good corporate citizen when it comes to accessible design, so he can't claim he doesn't know how.

[sukee]

I haven't been to the AGO since it was "improved". A friend who volunteers there told me how inaccessible it was.