Steven Winter Associates launches Accessible Product Guide

by Brianna Crandall — August 17, 2016 — Steven Winter Associates, provider of research, consulting, and advisory services to improve public- and private-sector built environments, just announced the launch of the Accessible Product Guide, an innovative online tool to help architects, builders, developers, and homeowners find products that enhance the accessibility and usability of spaces.

The Accessible Product Guide contains products for commercial, residential and retail projects, and features a wide range of categories, including door hardware, drinking fountains, faucets, pools, ramps, lavatories and more.

Victoria Lanteigne, senior accessibility consultant with Steven Winter Associates, explained:

Past experience has shown that it can be difficult for our clients to locate products that meet compliance with federal laws, state and local buildings codes, or Universal Design principles. SWA’s Accessible Product Guide will help to address this challenge by connecting individual users and project teams with products that are not only accessible, but also contemporary, elegant and sleek.

The guide currently features 11 vendors, including: Access-Able Designs, Accurate Lock and Hardware, American Standard, Aqua Creek Products, Bobrick, Elkay, Hafele, Niagara Conservation, Safepath Products, TOTO, and Trending Accessibility. The interactive platform is free to the public, and allows users to sign up, track interests, review products, and inquire about products directly from vendor sites.

SWA’s consultants are veterans in the accessible product arena, dating back to 1995 when SWA founded and led the Association for Safe and Accessible Products. The company specializes in energy, sustainability and accessibility consulting as well as certification, research and development, and compliance services. Its engineers and architects have led the way since 1972 in the development of best practices to achieve high-performance buildings.

In the coming months, SWA will begin to expand the Accessible Product Guide by recruiting additional vendors, increasing the number and scope of products, and building the site’s user base. Vendors who are interested in featuring products can contact the company via the Web site for participation options.