Accessibility codes should be treated as just the beginning, argues landscape designer and academic, Alexa Vaughn. The real work is designing with disabled people as partners.

More than three decades after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), landscape architects often rely on the ADA Standards for Accessible Design as a catchall. However, Vaughn argues these standards represent only a starting point. “Complying with the ADA is just the bare minimum, a foundation for us to build upon,” she says. “We need to bring people into the process to contribute their lived experience and expertise.”

Beyond DeafSpace

Central to Vaughn’s research is DeafSpace, a concept that emerged from the Deaf community at Gallaudet in 2005. She has taken on translating and expanding these principles for exterior landscapes, coining the term “DeafScape.” Her principles aim to create spaces that support 360-degree visual awareness, including wider pathways, flexible seating and visual cues at busy intersections.

“When I looked at the ADA standards in grad school, I realized we only have about three provisions for deaf and hard of hearing people,” Vaughn points out. “It doesn’t have anything to do with exterior space.”

In 2020, Vaughn launched “Design with Disabled People Now,” an online resource hub. More recently, she co-founded the Disabled Designer Network to address isolation and systemic barriers disabled professionals face. “We want to make sure the younger generation coming into the field has people to look up to,” she shares.

For firms uncertain about how to proceed, Vaughn offers straightforward advice. “Be open to different forms of communication and different access needs,” she advises. “A lot of it is really just respect and patience. Be open and flexible.” She also recommends transparency about accommodations during hiring. “If they already know accommodations are available by request, they’re more likely to apply.”

This article was originally published in the July issue of Pro Landscaper USA. Read the full article, here.