The word “remodel” usually sparks a discussion about aesthetics. “How can this building become prettier?” But when the Cleveland Sight Center, a local non-profit serving the visually impaired community, began construction in 2011, the approach had to change; some of the clients simply couldn’t see the changes. But the center planned to make $8 million worth of renovations nonetheless. Rearranging and altering 75,000 square feet of the original structure, the changes benefited both clients and employees—many of whom have problems with their sight.
Government and public relations manager Kent Smith sums up the changes as “floors, doors, and colors,” which basically covers everything. The bathrooms, for example, incorporate all three. The women’s restroom door is orange; men’s—blue. The carpeting also switches texture in front of each, and clients push a flat panel to enter (instead of pulling a handle for an office). These differences, incorporated throughout the entire building, mark various places or services that clients can then identify. And the layout (which used to be a “maze,” as executive director Steve Friedman describes it) now has straight lines for easier navigation.
This article appears in Jun 20-26, 2012.