Accessibility is often viewed as a product of modernity and progress, and certainly as we progress we do expect that our environments will be built with a greater focus on usability for everyone; however, to think that accessibility as a concept is new to humankind may be misguided. Research published in the journal Antiquity and reported by Smithsonian Magazine suggests that at least some ancient Greek temples were built with ramps to improve access for people with impaired mobility.
The research specifically identifies healing sanctuaries as being more likely to feature accessible entrances and spaces with ramps or ground-level construction.
There is some scholarly debate about the true origins and intentions of such ramps, and whether we can be certain they were specifically designed for individuals with disabilities or simply to make access easier for everyone. If the latter is the case, that wouldn't be evidence to contradict the former, necessarily; but rather, could suggest a fairly mature application of universal design. As is often the case, more-accessible spaces work better for everyone and don't benefit only smaller segments of the population.
"Despite their culture's emphasis on the aesthetics of idealized beauty and symmetry, the ancient Greeks didn't treat impaired individuals like outcasts," says Smithsonian Magazine. "Wounded warriors were treated especially well, as vulnerability was considered a virtue. And, during the fourth century B.C., Athens offered government assistance programs for disabled individuals."
In the Antiquity report, Debby Sneed provides information about specific temples and their expected uses to decipher the evidence available in a way that teaches us why certain locations may have featured longer ramps, shorter ramps, or no ramps at all. Sneed also writes that even though social programs as we know them today were uncommon back then, there is mounting evidence that the Greeks "provided various social safety nets" and included accessibility as a consideration in architecture.
Sneed concludes:
The concentration of ramps at sites frequented by individuals with mobility (and other) impairments appears to suggest that the ancient Greeks consciously provided for the needs of the users of these spaces. In much the same way that sites associated with athletics were provisioned with stadia and gymnasia, healing sanctuaries were provided with the buildings and features necessary for the successful inclusion of its intended visitors in ritual activities.
Without laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requiring such practices, that we're aware of, several locations in at least some ancient Greek cities seem to have been built with a common-sense approach: people need to access these spaces, and some of those people may not be able to climb stairs as easily, so accessible entrances are beneficial and worthwhile.
"While not all cultures accommodated individuals with impairments, or accommodated them in the same ways, if the ancient Greeks gave thought to their disabled community members, it is important that we do, too," writes Sneed.
Comments