Chabot College
March, 1993
Course Outline for Interior Design 66
SPECIAL NEEDS DESIGN
Catalog Description:
66 - Special Needs Design
3 units
Design of interior space which encourages self-esteem and independence for the elderly or physically
impaired. American Disabilities Act and its requirements for commercial buildings. Residential
housing that satisfies the special needs of its inhabitants and improvement of existing interiors through
barrier-free retrofitting. 3 hours.
Expected Outcomes for Students:
Upon completion of the course, the student should be able to:
1. evaluate a building and make concrete suggestions about how it can be retrofitted to provide
access for a physically disabled or elderly person;
2. design a dwelling for a person with limited access, such as a wheelchair bound or in some way
physically impaired person;
3. be aware of public and private agencies which help the designer retrofit or design a facility for a
disabled, elderly person;
4. work with a client to design a dwelling which enables an individual to live independently who is
elderly, physically impaired.
Course Content:
1. How to obtain better physical accessibility to an existing facility
2. How light and color can be used in interiors to help the visually impaired or elderly person
3. How design solutions including hardware, appliances, texture and color affect task performance
and orientation
4. How wheelchair access can be provided in a facility
5. Space planning specifications for a kitchen and a bathroom for a person with limited access
6. How to design a residence which does not look like a hospital room, thus giving its inhabitant
dignity and an ability to live as independently as possible.
7. How to design a residence with a limited budget
8. How to meet the new criteria set up by the Americans with Disability Act when designing interiors
Methods of Presentation:
Lectures and slides; field trips; guest speakers
Methods of Evaluating Student Progress:
Quiz; one research paper; drawings; final examination
Textbook(s) (Typical):
Complete Guide to Barrier Free Housing, Branson, Betterway Put; Accessibility Standards, State of
California
Special Student Materials:
Drafting materials
mk INTDES66.out Revised 3/93