The series of pictures following is meant to highlight various features of some of the accessible spaces that I lived in during my time as an undergrad at the University of Richmond. For the most part, each of these spaces was tailor-made or modified to meet my needs. At University of Richmond, the VP of Student Development and University Facilities work with every student with a physical disability on a case by case basis, in order to make sure their particular living accommodations are met. Rather than simply meet the bare minimum, complying with ADA code, the University of Richmond makes accessible spaces to meet the needs of disabled students. They’re not going to just shoehorn you into a room that only halfway works. Furthermore, U of R is well aware that the needs of physically disabled students can and do change during the course of the school year. Thus students are encouraged to coordinate directly with Facilities throughout the year (though I must admit that well before senior year, the staff at Facilities became quite good at anticipating my needs. In a way they began to think universal architecture without thinking it to be particularly special. They began to think accessible.) One could say U of R goes above and beyond what is necessary to accommodate the living needs of disabled students. But I think it would perhaps be better to say, and U of R would most certainly agree, they are doing things right. Their goal is to minimize the obstacles for disabled students so that they can devote their energies to academics and college life, not how to get into bed or turn off the light. #1/#2: Front door to my senior "apartment". It appears to be an ordinary door, but as you can see in #2, an electronic opening mechanism has been installed. Because I have trouble turning keys to open doors, an infrared sensor was connected to the electronic opener so that the door could be opened and unlocked via remote control. #4: A lower hanger rod (roughly four feet high) was installed, giving me the option to store some of my clothes in the closet. #5: Lower sinks and countertops in the kitchen, designed with a lot of space underneath to allow chair users easy access. #6: Lower light switches and sockets, again to allow chair users easy access.