Author: Jane Bringolf

Staying connected with “third places”

Two men tending a raised garden bed in a community garden. One is tipping up a wheelbarrow and the other is scraping out the soil. Staying connected with third places.The notion of “third places” is about places in the public domain that encourage informal and casual social interaction. The “first place” is home, and the “second place” is where significant time is spent in a formal sense such as the workplace. Community gardens and town squares are an example of a “third” place. 

The Conversation has an interesting article about being lonely in the city. It brings into focus the idea of creating spaces with the human scale in mind. Loneliness is a growing concern and spoken of as the “new smoking”.  The article, Many people feel lonely in the city but perhaps third places can help with that also has links to relevant papers. 

The Compassionate City

A brick terrace house fronts the footpath and has lots of pot plants in front of it.The Dutch idea of the Woonerf has been picked up again, this time by Jenny Donovan of La Trobe University. Using some graphics, she shows how design can affect our decisions to either walk, drive, use public transport or not, and whether you feel welcome in the environment. She covers the key elements of a Compassionate City where various design elements can meet the needs of a range of people and create more harmonious behaviours. There are several links in the article to other related reports and articles. The article originates from The Conversation.  

Urban design and social responsiveness

A distance pic of a three column building in Singapore with trees and people in the foregroundIt’s one thing to be accessible, but what other features make a place socially responsive? According to a research paper from Singapore, top of the list is footpaths followed by seating for resting. Concerns over the mix of cyclists and pedestrians and good lighting also feature. The article outlines a method for assessing accessibility and useability of environments.  Apart from the method, the results support many other papers on this topic.

The title of the paper is, The Methodology for Evaluating Accessibility as a Tool for Increasing  Social Responsiveness or Urban Landscapes in Singapore. Several photos illustrate the text. 

From the abstract

Creating a more responsive urban environment enables social integration of people into active public life. This is especially the case for people limited physical abilities.

The author presents a research-based methodology for analysing and evaluating accessibility in public areas of a big city. The originality of the method lays in empowering the disabled persons to play the active role of experts in measuring and evaluating accessibility according the developed assessment tool.

The methodology enables evaluation of accessibility on different urban scales: urban landscapes, in buildings, and in their interiors. The case study performed in Singapore explores the quality of access that people have to public spaces, metro stations, hotels and café.

The paper presents recommendations for improving accessibility in the city by improving the architectural design of buildings. Updating building regulations is also required as well as the maintenances of open spaces and buildings.

The results of this research provide the comprehensive action plan for eliminating barriers in the specific Singapore’s environment and in the other cities. Conclusions present a coherent accessibility monitoring tool and improvement programme to create a socially responsive urban environment.

 

A tiny house can be accessible

Inside the Wheel Pad showing the bedroom with a colourful quilt on the bedInhabitat website has a feature about the Wheel Pad. The 200 sq ft (18.5 sqm) residence is designed to be an add-on to an existing home. It comes on a trailer and stays on the wheels. This means it can be taken away again if the “house” isn’t needed any more. The original idea arose out of a need to incorporate someone after an accident and needed a wheelchair for getting around.

The explanatory  video on this website is almost ten minutes long, but well worth the watch. It covers the design process, the features, and finally two wheelchair users who visit and give their feedback about the design. This idea could be adapted in Australia as long as the existing home has a yard big enough to take it. They claim it can be built in a day. A must see for anyone involved in providing home modifications. Also suited to bringing a parent close to home.

Editor’s note: I found the trial by the two wheelchair users at the end very informative. The ramp was a bit steep and long so they used the wooden rails to pull themselves up (splinters were mentioned). One had difficulty coming over the threshold. They discussed what worked and what might not and how things could be changed to suit.

Applying UD principles to street design

busy street scene in Myeongdong South KoreaEver considered wind breaks for street design? Or making all car parking spaces wide enough for everyone to open the door fully? That would be a universal solution! In an observational study from South Korea, streets were evaluated and compared using the seven principles of universal design. Some of the common issues are reported, including the plan to be inclusive and accessible, but lost in translation when it comes to implementation. The paper looks like it has been translated to English, but the key points are evident – including considerations for tourists, which is something many cities are considering now. Also interesting from the point of view that UD is an international concept.

 

UD Principles in Service Design

Top half of the front cover of the plan. The graphic is various shades of blue with a woman operating an automatic teller machineService design is yet to get on board with universal design according to a Norwegian Masters thesis study by Oda Lintho Bue. Norway leads the way with its overarching policy and commitment in their policy document, Norway Universally Designed by 2025. So it is no surprise to see this study undertaken here. Universal design is not a profession in its own right, but many projects need a UD champion on the team. Committing resources on universal design early in the project will most likely ensure that there will be no need for resources used on redesign later. This point is well made in the thesis. Given that Norway has such a strong stance on UD, it is interesting to note that even Norway is struggling with getting implementation across the board. 

Neighbourhood design and older home owners

Front slide of slide show, Neighbourhood Design, Judd et alEver wondered what people get up to in their retirement years? This slideshow, Neighbourhood Design and the Activities of Older Home Owners gives a good idea – visiting family and friends and medical appointments top the list.

The presentation discusses the barriers and facilitators of neighbourhood activity older people encounter in their day to day life. Footpaths, or lack thereof, featured as a key issue. It also covers the other main components of being able to get out and about – public transport, street furniture, wayfinding, public toilets, handrails on stairs, safety and security.

The presentation has lots of explanatory graphs and is based on research by Bruce Judd, Diana Olsberg, Joanne Quinn and Oya Demirbilek from UNSW.  

The Home is for Every Body

Front cover of the thesis showing four pictures of homes and apartments along with the title of the thesis
The Home is for Every Body?

Rachelle Newman‘s Masters thesis provides some valuable insights into some of the issues in creating accessible homes. Although it was written in 2010, the content is still relevant as the 2022 changes to the National Construction Code are still pending in most states. The Home is for Every Body is a great title.

The thesis is well researched, well written and well presented. It discusses the role of Livable Housing Australia, Landcom Guidelines, national standards, state planning instruments, and legislative frameworks. The section covering the relationship between the adaptable housing model and the universal design model is very useful for anyone confused by it. Tables and photographs add to the explanations throughout. The title of the thesis is: The home is for every body? An investigation of the statutory and strategic planning implications of inclusive housing design.

Abstract excerpt: This thesis explores the employment of two types of inclusive design – adaptable and universal – in Australia-wide and NSW contexts. There is a lack of coordination at the national level which has resulted in a divergence of approaches and interpretation between states. This thesis offers an understanding of the planning implications of inclusive housing design so that better policy and legislation may be developed.

Dyslexia and Design

Girl sits with a book flicking pages and looking a little unhappy.In world that values lineal, logical thinking, dyslexia is often viewed as a condition that needs “correcting”. But what if dyslexia is the basis of creative non-linear thinking? Philippa Wyatt interviews two men who say their dyslexia is the key to new ideas and the joining of unrelated ideas. The article begins, “Is Dyslexia a weakness or a strength? Designers Ab Rogers and Jim Rokos discuss how they feel dyslexia enables them to think differently and how, in a moment when the work industry is more threatened than ever by the growing power of the intelligent computer, the non-linear, non-binary mind may be coming into its own.”

Time to re-think and value people who think differently in this world of digital binaries. Perhaps is it not a disorder that children need to overcome. The article was published on the Design Council website.

Beauty: The 8th principle of universal design?

Liz Jackson on stage wearing black and using a purple cane. Beauty - the 8th principle of universal design.Designer Liz Jackson from New York, tells her story in a video talk of how she became known as the woman with the purple cane. Her theory is that when parents tell their children not to stare at someone who looks different they take this behaviour into adulthood.

In a straightforward manner she laments how designs for people with disability are so often ugly. She critiques the seven principles of universal design for not including beauty in the list; focusing only on functionality. And that every design designs for exception because there will always be someone left out. This 15 minute talk is well worth the time. If you can’t access the video there is a full transcript on the site.  

Wall banner saying The essence of universal design lies in its ability to create beauty and mediate extremes without destroying differences in places, experiences and thingsEditor’s note: Aesthetics are mentioned in the fuller length of the seven principles of universal design. This quote from Bill Stumpt and Don Chadwick, points this out: “The essence of universal design lies in its ability to create beauty and mediate extremes without destroying differences in places, experiences, and things”. However, it seems that if designers only ever look at the short list of principles, an eighth principle should be added – Thou shalt make it beautiful!

 

Principles of universal design in practice

Promoting the classic seven principles of universal design is all very well, but how do they materialise in practice? Designing for the mythical average person can limit the quality of life for some people. So what are the key design criteria for the built environment? 

In his article, Arat says designing to the principles of universal design is the answer. In the conclusions he attributes design criteria to each of the 7 principles. The title of the paper is Spatial Requirements for Elderly and Disabled People in the Frame of Universal Design.

Everyone needs universal design

A suburban house in UK. The ramp makes several zig-zags up the front of the house. It looks ugly.

Some people think that accessibility and universal design are the same thing. Explaining the difference isn’t always easy.  An article from the US, 5 Problems with Accessibility (And How Universal Design Fixes Them)” lists these points: 

    1. Accessibility is not always inclusive. Steps plus a ramp to a building means some people have to take a different route to get in.
    2. Accessibility puts burden on the individual. More planning is needed for every trip, even to a restaurant – not to make a reservation – but to find out if you can get in.
    3. Separate accessible features are not equal. Sometimes they create extra hurdles and more effort.
    4. Accessibility provides limited solutions to a broad problem. This is because it is often an “add-on”. 
    5. Accessibility is not designed with style in mind. It is usually just designed to just serve a purpose.  

Note: the picture of the house with the ramp shows four out of the five points. Different route, separate, limited solution, no style. 

For an even more practical approach from an individual’s perspective, Lifemark in New Zealand has a practical blog post.

A chrome lever door handle with the door ajar. The door is timberIt’s about how everyone needs universal design so that everyday tasks could be more convenient for everyone.  Here are a few examples: 

    • Your wide garage will make getting the kids, car seats and buggy in and out of the car easy and risk free – no paint scratches on the walls from opened car doors.
    •  You will be able to open any doors even if both of your hands are full, because of your easy to operate lever door handles. 
    • If your hands are dirty, you’ll still be able to use the lever tap without making a mess. 
    • Plugging in the vacuum cleaner won’t strain your back because the power socket is higher up the wall. 
    • You will access your kitchen utensils/crockery because none of the drawers will be too high or too low and you’ll be able to open every drawer with one little push of your hand/knee.

See Lifemark website for the full blog post.

Make it right – a builder’s view

Mike Holmes stands in work gear with his muscled arms folded, smiling at the camera. A builder's view of UD.Followers of universal design are familiar with the 7 principles of universal design. They were formulated in the 1990s and are still referenced today. It’s interesting to see how different people interpret these  principles. So it was good to see how a builder does it. 

Mike Holmes’ article begins with issues of everyday home maintenance and then applies it to the maintenance of our lives within the home. That is, the home should be design so that it adapts as our lives change. Holmes takes each of the 7 principles and gives practical examples of what it means to him.   

 

WCAG for people who haven’t read them

A young woman sits at a desk with her laptop open. She has her face covered by her hands and is indicating distress. WCAG guidelines for people who haven't read them.WCAG and W3C might be familiar acronyms, but what do they mean? And what, if anything, you should be doing about it? No matter what your role, everyone needs to have a basic understanding. That’s because we are living in a digital age. The article, WCAG for people who haven’t read them, is a good place to start. 

WCAG – Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1, can a bit daunting at first. That’s because this is an international document and doesn’t translate well in all languages. The guidelines are also very long. Alan Dalton has taken away the legalese and provided a simpler and more user-friendly explanation of these guidelines. He covers text, operating the website, understanding content, ensuring the site works on all devices. 

A graphic with logos of popular social media platforms.Web accessibility is becoming increasingly important as we move ever closer to reliance on computers and other internet devices. Web accessibility is not just a matter for people who are blind or have low vision. 

All webpages, blog pages, or uploaded documents or pictures should be accessible. Dalton’s information is good for website managers and others who provide newsfeeds, documents and pictures for their website. Dalton’s article has links to more complex documents such as Understanding WCAG 2.0, and the Techniques for WCAG 2.0  – together they become 1,200 printed pages. The W3C – World Wide Web Consortium, released the next version, WCAG 2.1. in 2018. However, the key information remains current.

There are links to other useful resources, such as Why Bother with Accessibility?

Overview of Web Guidelines 2.1 Update

Set of emoji faces depicting various emotions from happy to sad, and angry to loving.Alan Dalton provides a non-geek look at the WCAG update in his article, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 – for People Who Haven’t Read the Update. The update has 17 success criteria for web accessibility that were added last year by the working group. 

The new criteria make it easier to produce accessible content for people using mobile devices and touchscreens. People with low vision, and people with cognitive and learning disabilities are also covered. Making sure your website can be used in portrait and landscape orientation, colour contrast, graphics and the value of autocomplete are some of the features discussed.

Live captioning and sign language are also included. There are lots of links to other documents for reference. There is also a book list. This article might be non-geek for Alan Dalton, but even with some techo language you can get the gist of what is being updated even if you are not a web designer or technician. As we advance in the digital age this sort of information will be important for everyone who needs to communicate using digital technologies.  

WCAG 2.2

The final recommendation for WCAG 2.2 will be made available towards the end of 2022. According to speculations, it will most likely be out in December 2022. WCAG 2.2 is not entirely a new recommendation but an updated version of WCAG 2.1.

The W3C website has more technical details on WCAG2.1. You can access more information in the ICT and UD section of this website.