Florida
Atlantic University
and the
Office for Students with Disabilities
is proud to present
"The FAU Accessible
Kitchen"
http://www.fau.edu/projects/OSD/
This facility fully incorporates the innovative concept
of Universal Design, providing access to the widest
population of people. It not only serves as a teaching
resource, but also as a demonstration site for FAU
students and the entire community.
Of all the rooms in a domestic environment, the kitchen
is one of the most essential. However, along with
the bathroom, the kitchen generally has the most barriers
to ease of access and use.
Our objective was to create a kitchen with as few
barriers as possible. With new and innovative products
and creative thinking, an exemplary, barrier reduced,
affordable kitchen was designed.
We encourage the viewing of this facility by many
groups both within and outside of the FAU community.
The Office for Students with Disabilities continually
strives to be on the leading edge of options and opportunities
for FAU students, staff, and faculty with disabilities.
We would like to highlight some of the outstanding
features of the kitchen and the companies who created
these innovative designs.
The kitchen was designed and installed by Kitchen
and Bath Design Center, Inc. of West Palm Beach http://www.kitchen
and bath.com/.
UPPER CABINETS
The upper cabinets are most useful when they are positioned
12 to 15 inches above the counter, or 48 inches above
the floor. Since we have several people of different
stature sharing the kitchen, Kitchen and Bath Design
Center, Inc. designed the upper cabinets with adjustable
heights to satisfy everyone's physical needs. By pushing
the button on the lower corner of the cabinet, it
will raise or lower automatically. The kitchen cabinetry
is manufactured and supplied by LesCare Kitchens,
Inc. http://www.lescarekitchens.com.
Upper cabinets can also be accessed with a pull down
mechanism that will allow the shelves to be lowered
to countertop height and return automatically. The
shelf mechanism is manufactured by Häfele
http://www.haef.com/welcome.html and distributed by
Florida Builder Appliances, Inc.
COUNTERTOP
Kitchen and Bath Design Center, Inc. designed the countertops
with rounded edges to reduce the risk of injury as persons
move around the kitchen. All countertops also have contrasting
color defining their edges. This simple addition reduces
spills and related problems encountered by people with
impaired vision who often have trouble distinguishing
counter edges. The countertop is made of Corian. This
Dupont material is fabricated by Nora Custom Countertops,
Inc. http://www.corian.com/CorianPublic/corian/index.html.
COOKTOP
The cooktop was installed on a variable height platform
which enables it to be adjusted to accommodate any height.
By pushing the button on the cooktop front, it will
raise or lower automatically. Below the countertop there
is enough knee space for the cook to be seated.
Other features of the cooktop include:
- Four
level electric burners
- Front
controls
- Staggered
burners
- Residual
heat indicator lights
The cooktop is designed and manufactured
by Gaggenau http://www.gaggenau usa.com/US_en/Home.do
and distributed by Florida Builder Appliances, Inc.
REFRIGERATOR
AND FREEZER
The refrigerator and freezer space is accessible to
all users, including those who are short in stature,
use a wheelchair, or have limited reach. Lower shelves
of the refrigerator and the freezer can easily be
stocked for the person who cannot reach the upper
shelves. The freezer is set up in the form of a drawer
below the refrigerator. An automatic ice dispenser
eliminates the need for people to carry trays of water
to the freezer or struggle while removing ice from
trays. Both these tasks can present problems for those
with poor balance or weak hands. The refrigerator
and freezer are designed and manufactured by Sub Zero
http://www.subzero.com/ and distributed by Florida
Builders Appliances, Inc.
SINK
Kitchen and Bath Design Center, Inc. installed the
sink on a variable height platform which enables it
to be adjusted to accommodate any height. By pushing
a button on the sink front, it will raise or lower
automatically. This platform also allows for adequate
knee space under the sink. This under the sink area
is 36 inches wide and can be set for between 24 and
48 inches in height. The sink is made of Corian. This
Dupont material is fabricated by Nora Custom Countertops
Inc.
http://www.corian.com/CorianPublic/corian/index.html.
OVEN
The oven is designed so that the door opens from the
right rather than down. This provides easier access
to the contents of the oven. The oven is designed
and manufactured by
Gaggenau
http://www.gaggenau usa.com/US_en/Home.do and distributed
by Florida Builder Appliances, Inc.
FAUCET
The efficient pull-out spray faucet is designed with
an extendable sprayer end so that pots and bowls can
be filled on the counter and do not need to be lifted
out of the sink. This could be difficult for a person
with limited upper body strength. The faucet is designed
and manufactured by Kohler http://www.kohlerco.com/
and distributed by Ferguson Enterprises, Inc.
DISHWASHER
This two drawer unit stacks one drawer on top of another,
equaling the traditional capacity of a standard dishwasher.
Besides providing easier access, this allows for smaller
loads and can be run more often, more efficiently
and each unit can be run independently. The dishwasher
is designed and manufactured by Fisher & Paykel
http://www.fisherpaykel.com/ and distributed by Florida
Builder Appliances, Inc.
Rev 04/06
The FAU Accessible Kitchen
The
Office for Students with Disabilities
Located
on the Boca Campus
777 Glades Road, SU Room 133
Boca Raton, FL 33431
Phone (561) 297-3880
Fax (561) 297-2184
TTY (561) 297-0358
Website address: http://osd.fau.edu
Alternate
format available upon request
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