DIVERSITY OF CUSTOMER BASE/ACCESSIBILITY
Public lands provide outdoor recreation
opportunities for an increasingly diverse
customer base. This reflects demographic
changes within the American population, including
an increase in the number of ethnic groups,
recognition of nontraditional family structures,
and the increased mobility of persons with
disabilities. Locally, such factors may require
new design responses for different group sizes,
different types of amenities, and different
language needs, although they generally do not
affect overall architectural character on a
regional scale.
Under the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
and other mandates, universal design requires
complete integration of accessibility within our
facilities. As with sustainable design elements,
universal design principles applied to a site or
facility design from the outset seldom, if ever,
have any obvious effect on architectural
character. When skillfully executed, universally
designed facilities fit seamlessly within the
natural and social environments.
As population increases near national forests,
facilities must also be made more resistant to
vandalism. In addition, offices must be made
secure for Forest Service employees who
sometimes work in communities where tensions
arise over forest resource issues.