Why Designating a Street Historic in the US Can Make It Less Accessible for People With Disabilities

09/17/23

“Why can designating a street as historic in the U.S. make it less traversable for people with disabilities?”

Streets in the US were created at a wide variety of different times. Some were built before the Americans with Disabilities Act was created. These streets may use materials such as brick that are less accessible for many people with disabilities. While historic landmark streets are allowed to keep their brocks, if any major upgrade is done they have to swap them out with a more compliant material. This can be prohibitively expensive, so many municipal governments opt to not modify the street. This can lead to severe deterioration, making accessibility even worse. This is Why Designating a Street Historic in the US Can Make It Less Accessible for People With Disabilities.