The Importance of Accessible Window TreatmentS in Healthcare: A Case for Inclusive Design
How can motorized window treatments be used to create an inclusive environment in healthcare facilities and improve patient outcomes by promoting accessibility, comfort, and energy efficiency?
By embracing accessible design, architects can design healthcare facilities that empower patients, promote healing, and create spaces that support the wellbeing of all patients, regardless of their abilities.
Window treatments are often overlooked in the design of healthcare facilities, yet they play a crucial role in optimizing the built environment. This is particularly relevant in healthcare settings, where access to natural light and exterior views can have a significant impact on patient outcomes, including improved sleep and reduced anxiety. While various types of window treatments, such as roller shades, blackout shades, and horizontal and vertical blinds, are commonly used to regulate daylight and improve patient comfort, there is another aspect to consider: accessibility.
Designing for Accessibility – How?
Designing for accessibility is crucial in healthcare settings, as it ensures that patients with disabilities have the same level of access as those without disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires that shade and blind controls intended for patient and visitor use be accessible in common areas and patient rooms. Accessible blinds, shades, and shutters must meet three main standards set forth by the ADA, including easy-to-operate controls that do not require tight grasping, pinching, or twisting of the wrist, controls placed within reach, and an approachable and easily controlled design for guests who use mobility aids.
To comply with these standards, an accessible route must be provided with a 36-inch minimum wide route to the clear floor space adjacent to the window shade controls. A 30x48 inch space must also be provided adjacent to the controls, with larger spaces required if maneuvering is necessary between the bed and the window shade controls. The controls must be fully mounted between 15 and 48 inches above the floor.
In addition to compliance, providing accessible window treatment controls can empower patients and family members to take an active role in their recovery. Motorized window treatments can be an effective solution for creating inclusive design in healthcare settings, as they provide an accessible option for patients with limited mobility or dexterity to control their environment. Motorized shades, blinds, and shutters can be easily controlled with a remote, a switch on the wall, or even a smartphone or tablet app, making them an ideal solution for those who may have difficulty reaching or operating traditional window treatment controls.
Powering Recovery with Motorized Window Treatments
Motorized window treatments offer a practical and effective solution for creating inclusive design in healthcare settings. They improve accessibility, patient comfort, energy efficiency, and can reduce costs for healthcare facilities.
Motorized window treatments can create a more comfortable and calming environment for patients. By allowing patients to adjust their window coverings with ease, they can control the amount of natural light entering the room and improve their level of comfort. This can have a positive impact on their overall mood and wellbeing during their stay.
As an added benefit for healthcare facilities, motorized window treatments can also improve their energy efficiency by regulating the amount of natural light entering a room, reducing the need for artificial lighting and HVAC systems and, ultimately, saving energy and reducing costs.
Inclusive design is not only a legal requirement but a moral imperative that healthcare facilities must embrace to create spaces that promote recovery and healing. Accessible window treatment controls are an essential aspect of inclusive design, as they empower patients with disabilities to take an active role in their recovery and provide an opportunity for all patients to enjoy the benefits of natural light and exterior views. The use of motorized window treatments offers a practical and effective solution to creating an inclusive healthcare environment that promotes patient comfort, energy efficiency, and cost savings. By embracing accessible design, architects, as well as the healthcare facilities they design, can empower patients, promote healing, and create spaces that support the wellbeing of all patients, regardless of their abilities.
A&I proudly offers motorized and automated options for the majority of our product lines. Visit our MOTORIZATION page to learn more, or reach out to our sales representative David Keegan at dkeegan@a-imanufacturing.net for additional product info.
