Enter

Door handles, a thing of the past? This item is a press-pad which allows for access in to the public library in Kirkwall. There are no handles on the doors, so there is no other way in which to gain access other than by the use of the pad itself. Society, or more specifically, the immediate members of society that dwell in the vicinity of the library, are well aware of the function of this object. Not all people in society understand this concept; on many occasions there have been Europeans looking at the doors attempting to work out how to get inside the building, but this does not mean that these objects cannot be found within their own countries, it just means that people expect to find a door handle when looking for access and that they are still not fully accustomed to searching for a press-pad. The word 'Open' can be seen, but the word press is represented by a single remaining letter 'P', indicating heavy usage of the pad. The fact that there is a symbol depicting a disabled person, not necessarily a person in a wheelchair, indicates that this may be specifically aimed at disabled people. However, since there is no other means whereby to gain access, the symbol of the disabled person is slightly misleading to everyone concerned, because this is by default the 'door handle'.