Supplementing the ADA Design Standards: Addressing Mental Health and Illness through Standards of Design Adopted from the WELL Building Standard
Abstract
The 2010 ADA Design Standards were originally crafted to allow people with disabilities access to the built environment, including public accommodations, commercial facilities, and state and local government facilities. Familiar to architects, engineers, and interior
designers, these standards focus primarily on physical disability and well-being of those that are disabled - yet pay no attention to the impact in which the built environment has on occupant's mental health. Various sources argue that mental health goes hand-in-hand with physical health. In fact, mental health is a facet physical health essential to achieving prosperity when functioning in society. With that, can the ADA Design Standards be supplemented by an additional set of architectural-related standards designed specifically to mitigate mental health and illness amongst occupants in various building types?