EMA's design director Eileen Jones estimated that the time it takes a wheelchair person to do any task is probably tripled. It goes down to the smallest detail of comfort and convenience. It should have a more residential quality than a hospital feel to it. The same with the lighting in the patient room, although additional adequate lighting must also be provided for medical examinations. In the renovated rooms, universal design that empowers the disabled is now the paradigm, establishing new standards of accessibility that promote wellness.
Personal storage is lifted up off the ground to make it easier to reach into.
The top shelves are dedicated to towel storage and other equipment needed in the room, making the nurse's work easier. Night stands now are on castors so that they move easily. The medical providers feel mobile furniture gets in their way, without thinking about its value to the patients. To ensure approval for all the new ideas introduced into the patient rooms, the EMA team created mockups for the staff to review. Seamless, clean and efficient where you can see yourself in a mirror.