The handbook focuses on the accessibility of facilities to handicapped individuals. General information on accessibility requirements mandated by law is provided. Information on state and local legislation on architectural barriers gives suggestions for where to write to find out what laws apply where. Definitions of terms such as accessible,…

The booklet considers ways of developing new playground areas that are accessible to all children and adapting existing areas to make them suitable for use by handicapped and nonhandicapped children alike. Criteria for selecting equipment includes the interests and needs of the users; the movement needs of children (including movement involving…

With a new round of school construction on the horizon, planners must consider such energy conservation measures as placing energy consumption limitations in design specifications, retaining experienced engineers, using staff expertise, considering boilers offering fuel options, seeking outside assistance, resisting use of existing plans, and…

Discusses microcomputer network benefits; points out their current shortcomings in the areas of software availability and legal use, required equipment, and vendor reliability; describes how to set up a worthwhile specialized network despite these shortcomings; and outlines reasons for expecting networks to play a larger future role in education.…

This guide provides practical suggestions and tips for authors of learning objects (defined as any grouping of materials that is structured in a meaningful way and is tied to an educational objective), offering advice for design, usability, and reusability; for keeping learning objects learner-centered and learner-driven; for aligning with current…

A handbook, created for both designers and users of food service facilities in schools, provides reference information and guidance for making sure schools can provide quality food service. The handbook's first six chapters include explanations on how to start a school food service design project; required space, including kitchen work flow and…

An Educational Specification Committee was convened to determine the design specifications required for a new middle school in Roseville, California's Dry Creek District. This report presents revisions to an earlier document that examined school room specifications for each grade level and administrative area. Specification considerations are…

Design guidelines that help deaf and hearing impaired students communicate. (Author)

Tornadoes are a very real threat to many schools. Planners should be aware of a number of design and construction considerations that will help to insure safe spaces for school children and other occupants. (Author/MLF)

Technology available to schools includes a broad spectrum of voice, data and video equipment. Planners need to consider the following subsystems individually and collectively: (1) technology-based products; (2) communications and power distribution to support the equipment; and (3) ergonomics, lighting, acoustics, environmental controls, and…

Adaptive aids which can help individuals with disabilities to get around more easily are described, including ramps, portable ramps, lifts, doors, and doorways. The use of professional assistance in selecting adaptive aids and use of the ABLEDATA database are noted. Appended is a list of companies which manufacture adaptive equipment. (JDD)

This paper outlines housing modification issues for both the housing consumer with visual impairments and the builder/remodeler, with emphasis on single-family housing. Suggested modifications are listed for the exterior, entrance, elevator, doors, floors, lighting and the electrical system, windows, room layout and shape, kitchen, and stairs and…

The National Art Education Association (NAEA) began work on this general planning reference for school art facilities in 1989, basing its initial draft on a survey of over 90 different groups, including school districts and state education agencies. The final publication represents the views of a broad-based constituency. Photographs of existing…

Playgrounds, being a fundamental part of the childhood experience, should be safe havens for children. This handbook includes technical safety guidelines for designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining public playgrounds. It also includes a "Public Playground Safety Checklist" to highlight some of the most important safety issues…

Drawing from the conclusions of research studies by linguists and psychologists, this paper describes four classes of principles for constructing readable prose for both print materials and computer screens: (1) global principles dealing with a schema-theory approach to discourse type, with topical focus, and with parallelism; (2) sentence-level…