The McIntosh Group gets The Center Experience

McIntosh employee Kimberly Murray intently watches the hitter during a game of wheelchair softball at The Center Experience

Kimberly Murray intently watches  the ball during a game of wheelchair softball.

October 10, 2016 (Tulsa, Okla.) –The McIntosh Group sent team members to participate in this year’s The Center Experience at The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges.

“I was really impacted by the trust walk activity,” Bhree Barrett, a McIntosh Group accessibility surveyor said about The Center Experience, “For my job, I often measure the slopes of paths or the sizes of cracks, but this really made me understand how important it is that we get it right. I now understand why width and depth of the cracks are critical and how a change in level affects someone.  Experiencing the built environment without the benefit of utilizing all my senses helped me better understand why ADA standards are in place.  It was hard.  It was scary. Using accessible design and abiding by the ADA Standards, we help people navigate the built environment much easier.”

The Center Experience is an annual event created to help build a culture of inclusion in the workplace and in the Tulsa community.

ADA Surveyor Bhree Barrett tries her hand at an art project with her non-dominant hand at The Center Experience. (It still looks pretty darn good to us!)

Bhree Barrett tries her (non-dominant) hand at an art project. (It still looks pretty darn good to us!)

Teams participate in adaptive sports and educational activities that illustrate the daily challenges those with physical disabilities face. Because The McIntosh Group specializes in consulting on accessible design and the Americans with Disabilities Act Design Standards, this event is integral to helping employees understand the value of what we do from the perspective of the end-user.

This year, teams participated in several activities including art projects, fitness rowing machine races, seated volleyball, trust walks, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair softball, and power wheelchair slalom. More than a dozen corporate teams spent the day team building, having fun, and most importantly gaining a glimpse into the world of living with a disability.

To join The McIntosh Group as an event sponsor next year or to find out more about The Center Experience, go to http://thecenterexperience.org/.

About The McIntosh Group

The McIntosh Group is a nationwide design firm specializing in accessibility, brand management and program management solutions. Based in Tulsa, Oklahoma, McIntosh is a leader in ADA compliant design, and is the only professional accessibility consultant licensed in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. For more information, visit www.mcintoshtransforms.com/service/accessibility.