It’s all very well being able to physically access the built environment, but access doesn’t guarantee social participation. Just considering how the shapes, sizes and ages of different bodies physically interact with the built environment is not enough. If universal design is about increasing access as well as physical and mental wellbeing then there is more work to do. This is the summation of a literature review that found social participation aspects of universal design are under researched.
Including non-professionals and users of the built environment is key to creating an accessible and inclusive built environment. The final sentence in the literature review sums up a good call to action. Universal design straddles multiple boundaries. So the amount of collective universal design knowledge should be available and accessible to everyone.
The literature review’s key question was “How is social participation represented in recent discourse around universal design in the built environment”. Studies from around the world were examined from 52 databases. The article includes the methodology and results.
It is easier to measure whether a person can use a building (accessibility) than it is to measure what they are using it for (participation). The Australian Standards cover accessibility and this is why the story often ends here.
The title of the article is, An integrated literature review of the current discourse around universal design in the built environment – is occupation the missing link? The term “occupation” is from the occupational therapy field and means “doing things”. Full text available on ResearchGate or via institutional access to a free read. By Valerie Watchorn and Danielle Hitch at Deakin University.
From the abstract
Purpose: To synthesise current literature about universal design for built environments that promote social participation. These need to be personally meaningful activities, which people need, want or must do as part of their daily life.
Methods: 33 peer reviewed journal articles published January 2011–December 2017.
Results: The current discourse is driven more by description, discussion, and commentary than empirical approaches. Much of the current discourse focuses on the person and the environment, but social participation isn’t a focus.
Conclusions: Including different perspectives would enable universal design to reach its full potential as a medium for social justice.
Achieving full participation through universal design
A European report sets the scene for promoting universal design and setting an action plan in motion. It promotes a universal design approach as a strategy to ensure equal and democratic rights in society for all individuals. It covers participation in: political and public life; cultural life; information and communication; education; employment; the built environment; transport; community living; legal protection; research and development; and awareness raising.
Examples of good practice are also included. It links well with the eight domains of life outlined in the WHO Age Friendly Cities and Communities program.
The title of the report is Achieving full participation through Universal Design.
Nordic Charter for Universal Design
Policy makers and anyone else interested in furthering universal design principles across all aspects of society will find this useful. Nordic countries worked together to create a common strategy for meeting the challenges of an ageing population as well as their obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. The article is informative in the way it covers the built environment, products, services and ICT. This is published as an academic article in the Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
You will need institutional access for a free read, or request a copy from the author on ResearchGate.