The Lewis River Hydroelectric Projects - PacifiCorp

Lewis River Interpretive & Education Plan
Physical accessibility is only part of the accessibility issue—programmatic or
intellectual accessibility must also be considered. It does little good to provide
physical access to a facility, if displays, brochures, artworks and other aspects of
the interpretive program preclude participation. By considering the following
categories of persons with disabilities, it is possible to accommodate a very broad
range of people:
• People with impaired vision. Visitors, whose impairments may range
from myopia to blindness, may be accommodated by presenting
displays and other printed materials in larger print—fonts should be
sans-serif or simple-serif. Appropriate color contrast is also important.
In addition, tactile displays, Braille, and audio programs should be
considered where appropriate.
• People with hearing and speech impairments. Accommodating this
group of site users involves the presentation of printed materials.
• People with mobility impairments. Although wheelchair users are the
most obvious mobility impaired group, it is important to recognize
other mobility impairments—many people are elderly or overweight,
may have difficulty breathing, or are simply not in good physical shape.
Accommodating this group of visitors generally requires ensuring
physical accessibility in compliance with ADAAG standards. Exhibits
and other displays must allow physical access within appropriate space
requirements and accepted reach ranges.
• People with learning impairments. People with learning impairments
are the most difficult to accommodate. The range of learning
disabilities is vast—from severe mental retardation to dyslexia.
It may be impossible to accommodate all individuals with learning impairments,
but it is possible to serve a broad range of individuals by providing programs
that cater to what many professional educators recognize as the four basic
learning styles:
1. Innovative learners—people who want to know why; who need the
“big picture, and who learn by observation and intuition
2. Analytical learners—people who want to know what; who need to
analyze information, and who think through concepts in an organized
fashion
3. Common sense learners—people who want to know how; who need
practical applications of the information presented (how one thing
influences another), and who need to use the information
Sea Reach Ltd • 146 NE yamhill Street • Sheridan, OR draft 3 • November 2008 • page 14