AN ANALYSIS of the SAKARYA KARAMAN BARRIER-FREE NATION'S GARDEN BASED ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

Individuals with disabilities experience limitations in their physical, mental, emotional, or sensory capacities, often necessitating support or specific accommodations to navigate daily activities and interactions. These challenges may encompass mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, or communication. From a design perspective, it is imperative to ensure that environments, products, and services are accessible and usable, addressing the diverse needs and challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. To foster inclusion and promote social equality, designers must prioritize universal design principles and accessibility standards. This study evaluates the accessibility of the Sakarya Karaman Barrier-Free Nation's Garden through the lens of universal design principles. Although the park was designed as a barrier-free environment adhering to these principles, several significant deficiencies were identified. The evaluation revealed that the park fails to fully meet key principles such as equitable use, safety and security, minimized physical effort, and appropriate dimensions and spaces for pathways. These shortcomings underscore the necessity for a comprehensive reassessment of the park to implement requisite modifications, ensuring it accommodates the needs of individuals with disabilities effectively.