@dgar this is actually often used as an example of bad design. The 180 degree turns are very difficult for wheelchair folks, and the edges without handrails make it a danger of tripping/rolling off the side and falling all the way down. Plus a lack of benches forces people to do it all in one go, which can be difficult for some.
@clacke@dgar
I was wondering if I'd be safe coming down those steps - I often can't see or judge where steps are and the lack of consistent steps could be really hazardous.
@MikeFromLFE@clacke@dgar I imagine one would get used to walking on these steps, but the handful of times I’ve done it it’s always been super awkward with the ramp cutting through repeatedly and making the steps irregular. At least it looks cool I guess! lol
@Timdmackey@clacke@MikeFromLFE
It looks like walkers could go up the sides with a rail and only a flat platform to cross. Waking down the middle of the stairs would be awkward.
@clacke@dgar Yeah, I immediately thought about how it would be to navigate this as a wheelchair user. No guard rails, potential of crossing pedestrians plus potentially hitting the steps with your tires? Ugh, doesn't look too comfortable to navigate there.
It has an appealing aesthetic though. Also some symbolic power of having the same infrastructure including different needs. It just ... doesn't seem very practicable. 😄
@clacke@dgar@Sven even as a sighted able bodied person I have to say this looks like it could be disorienting in some situations, e.g. when inebriated, inattentive or in certain lighting conditions
@dgar Except that that design isn't. For moderately-capable people who need a little support, there are insufficient handrails, and the one in the middle comes to an end in mid-air. For visually-impaired people, they are very likely to fall down and hurt themselves, as there is no straightforward easy way with predictable steps. Wheelchair users: that slope looks a bit steep. For the rest of us (and especially those with toddlers or young children), there are many sharp edges (trip hazards).
@dgar Sunderland civic centre had a similar access design. Too many people walked down the thin edge of the steps and many a broken bone was had. Demolished now.
@dgar This looks fucking sick, but also I wonder if a wheel chair bound person might be slightly concerned about their right sound being kind of a precipice.
@dgar
My brain is split between how terrible and impractical and dangerous these look, both as an unguarded ramp and an uneven stairs, and how interesting it'd look as part of some fantasy piece.
There are no railings, barriers or anything to slow down the wheelchairdrivers... The stairs are ramps to flip the wheelchair on the side or let them falling down the stairs... WTF 🤔
@dgar Having had to walk up and down one of these: They look smart, but are terrible tripping hazards. Combined with anyone using the ramp having to cross the entire stair and thus everyone walking... No. Looks cool, but is nearly impossible to use safely for all of us. Revise and resubmit.
@dgar Lovely as it looks I have a feeling I've read wheelchair users have been less supportive of this design. I think it may be a bit steep and pedestrian behaviour isn't always ideal on it.
@dgar As a wheelchair user, I think this is largely going to come down to width as far as safety and ease to navigate. But for unstable ambulatory people, yeah…definitely missing some stuff. It does look cool though.
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