Editor’s Note: This is the first of two reflections by Digital Documentation Fellows of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. All three of the fellows are architecture students at three partner Historically Black College and Universities; the fellows spent six weeks working with the company Existing Conditions, the National Park Service–including their Heritage Documentation Programs—and the National Trust to understand preservation and utilize point-cloud data to document a historic home in New York City. This program is a partnership between HOPE Crew and the African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund.

Growing up in the history-rich state of Virginia, I developed a love for historic places at a young age. It was that love that led me to major in history and anthropology in my early 20s, but it was another love, the love of my husband, who is a bilateral above-the-knee amputee and in a wheelchair, that led me to develop another passion: one for accessibility.

Over the course of many years, I have attempted to share my passion for historic places with my husband, only to find that many times accessibility was a major barrier for him—though it has been more than 30 years since the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) passed, requiring public buildings to be accessible for those with disabilities.

Documenting a Historic House

One such property that has challenges related to ADA compliance is the home we worked on with Existing Conditions. It was built as a residence in 1869, long before anyone considered the accessibility of disabled persons to be a fundamental societal responsibility. Now that this historic home is being documented and preserved, we must consider how we can meet the accessibility standards put forth by the ADA.

Located on East 127th Street in New York City, this rowhouse has an extremely high rise—the distance from the ground—at 8 feet to overcome just to be able to access the front door. And then once inside, the rooms and hallways are small—not to mention the beautiful and ornate winding staircase, which would make it nearly impossible to navigate for a person in a wheelchair.

The point cloud data collected from the 3D laser scan done on the historic house by Existing Conditions—the company we were observing—can be used to create a realistic virtual walk-through experience of the home, which can then be used to allow persons with mobility issues to access the property that they would otherwise be denied given the current challenges of complying with ADA requirements at this property.

In a perfect world, every property would be accessible to every person regardless of disability, however, sometimes we must find best case scenario solutions when we are unable to alter a historic property.

I believe a virtual experience could be just as impactful not only for those with disabilities, but for those who cannot travel to specific locations due to other barriers—such as socioeconomics and even the safety of a particular location as a live experience. Having virtual reality tours available is also another way to reduce the natural wear and tear on a property that normally occurs when high volumes of people visit a location.