Designing Garden Buildings With Accessibility in Mind
All gardens require some level of maintenance, from weeding and watering to mowing and beyond – this applies even more so for gardens designed with accessibility in mind.
Regular rest stops throughout the garden can reduce sedentary time and offer opportunities to engage with its landscape through all senses. Multisensory navigation markers can jog memory of those with dementia while helping prevent trips on uneven ground.
Level access
Level access gardening is a design principle that encourages all individuals to participate in garden activities, with special consideration given to those with mobility challenges or limited physical ability. Level access gardening also serves as a means of connecting with nature and lifelong learning; it can even help those with visual or cognitive disabilities engage their senses through growing flowers, vegetables, herbs and other plants – something great for all ages and abilities – though special care must be given for those with physical limitations or cognitive challenges.
Layout of a garden is central to level access and can make all the difference for people with mobility challenges to enjoy it fully. In an accessible garden, paths must be wide enough for wheelchairs to pass comfortably along paths, and landscape designs take into account height differences of planting areas and walkways as well as providing comfortable resting spots within it. Additionally, seating areas throughout provide restful respites for individuals experiencing mobility challenges.
There are various ways that garden designers can incorporate sensory engagement into their garden designs, including water features, fragrant plants, and textural surfaces. These elements can enhance enjoyment for individuals with sensory impairments while simultaneously contributing to group socialization – particularly important for individuals living with mental or emotional disabilities as they foster a sense of belonging in the community.
Designing a level access garden takes careful planning to meet building regulations. These requirements cover width and slope of paths, steps, handrails and other landscape features in your garden design. An experienced professional can assist you in understanding these regulations to ensure your garden remains accessible for all.
No matter the body size or mobility level of its users, level access gardens should require minimal physical effort from its visitors. This includes wide paths suitable for wheeled equipment to move freely along, automatic doors that open automatically with just the touch of a button, and various planting options which can be grown either in containers or trellis walls.
As well as physical accessibility, level access gardens should also be designed with assistance from experts familiar with adaptive gardening practices. This might involve encouraging the use of adaptive tools like long-handled trowels and ergonomic grips for shovels as well as teaching gardeners how to modify traditional gardening techniques. Furthermore, workshops and events dedicated to inclusive gardening practices may help foster collaboration among gardeners of different abilities.
Accessible parking
Gardening can be challenging for people with limited mobility, including traveling over uneven soil, crouching down to care for plants or using tools requiring fine motor control and grip strength. Garden buildings designed with accessibility in mind aim to minimize these difficulties so everyone can enjoy gardening experiences equally. Accessible parking facilities are essential features that enable those using wheelchairs or other mobility devices to access their vehicles easily.
To make your garden accessible, consider these design ideas:
Create a working area. This could be anything from a table where you build soil or plant seeds to a raised bed with climbing plants to even just a simple trellis to support climbing plants. Make sure it fits comfortably within your body size and abilities – choose an easy-to-clean surface and include access to water for irrigation purposes.
Install paths and walkways that are safe to navigate; at least 4′ wide is ideal. Incorporate shade, contrasting textures, and shade trees for optimal accessibility. Shade can help protect from sun exposure while heat issues arise – an especially helpful feature if someone suffers from temperature regulation issues related to spinal injuries. Be sure to include seating areas throughout your garden so everyone can rest when necessary.
Make your gardens accessible by installing ramps. Ramps can help compensate for slopes that cannot be avoided or allow wheelchair users or walkers under structures, making sure that the ramps have an appropriate incline and are well lit for safety.
Christa’s Universal Garden at Shoreline Plaza serves as an inspiring demonstration of how accessibility principles can be applied to any garden design. She created it using as her starting point the 2010 ADA Standards and Guidelines for Accessible Design; these provide minimum standards that designers can exceed when eliminating barriers in the garden design. As a result, everyone can now enjoy this wonderful space; additionally it serves as an inspiring demonstration of disability advocates making a positive difference in their communities.
Pathways
Paths are essential in getting around any garden, while simultaneously adding structure and cohesion by connecting garden spaces together. How a path is designed affects how visitors experience it; creating anticipation of what lies ahead or drawing attention to particular features. Accessible gardens often include paths constructed out of materials that don’t require too much physical exertion to traverse, with stable surfaces that are free from glare; they should also be level, without slopes that create trip hazards and no blind spots preventing users from reaching specific features of interest.
Horatio’s Gardens utilize resin-bound gravel pathways that are joint-free and painless for wheelchair users, and more durable than standard gravel in terms of not shifting as easily. Furthermore, they make standing or kneeling easier, and reduce movement needed between beds, making life simpler for anyone facing mobility challenges.
Path design includes another element – its shape – which adds character and interest to a garden. For instance, this path’s zigzag pattern, inspired by Japan’s traditional eight bridged paths (yatsuhashi), can add character and interest while simultaneously offering relaxation for those experiencing anxiety or depression. Slowing the person down helps them feel at peace while walking through their garden.
Pathways can have a soothing and familiarizing effect on users by creating a sense of familiarity and safety for themselves and those walking nearby. Some designs also incorporate an underside that has been specially made recessed so someone in a wheelchair can work on plants without twisting their bodies too far.
As part of designing accessible gardens, the best approach is to consult those who will use it on what works and doesn’t work. When creating any garden – be it personal or community/commercial – with accessibility in mind, users are the ultimate experts on what will and won’t work. At Horatio’s Gardens we have spoken with hundreds of patients, loved ones, NHS staff members, head gardeners, volunteers and others about what makes a successful garden for them, which has informed how we have designed our gardens.
Lighting
Gardening can be challenging for many people, especially those with mobility issues. Common challenges include traveling on uneven soil, crouching or bending over tools requiring fine motor control or grip strength and using tools that require fine motor control or grip strength to use effectively. A well-designed accessible garden can reduce these difficulties; simply consider who will be using it; those most affected will provide insight on how best to make their garden work for them.
As part of our design process for Horatio’s Garden at Salisbury, we consulted patients, family members, NHS staff and head gardeners in order to gain an understanding of which features would most benefit them. Their feedback helped direct its design and details.
One simple and highly effective feature is a grass path designed to allow wheelchairs to pass over it with minimal pressure put on their wheels. Furthermore, resin-bound gravel provides a stable surface without shifting or shifting like standard gravel would, making it safer option for learning how to use a wheelchair.
Lighting is another essential element of creating a safe and comfortable garden environment, and can take many forms ranging from up lighting to highlighting key structures with recessed lights. Uplighting creates warm glow on tree canopies while downlighting illuminates pathways or increases visibility of planting beds.
Garden spaces should provide visual and sensory landmarks to assist people with navigation. These landmarks could take the form of loops or figures of eight that mark routes around the garden; such guiding devices can especially aid people living with dementia who may find it hard to identify boundaries of an outdoor space.
Accessibility in gardens comes in various forms, depending on who will use them. A home garden might be more accommodating for someone with mild disability while community gardens could accommodate people with more severe mobility issues. No matter who the users are, it’s essential that each garden offers easy access and requires minimal physical effort from users.