For anyone in a role that takes in diversity, equity and inclusion it helps to know if your company or organisation’s website is meeting accessibility standards. The long-awaited update to the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) has finally arrived. But as with all standards they focus on minimum requirements.
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) released the WCAG 2.2 with updates for web designers and web developers. An article on the CANAXESS websitegives a good overview. There are 7 new criteria for designers and 3 for developers. If you are responsible for finding a web developer or designer, it is useful to know if they are up to date with the latest even though it is not yet a requirement,
It’s important for designers and developers to start thinking about WCAG 2.2. Internal accessibility policy in organisations and governments tends to lag behind the WCAG version changes. Adopting the new 2.2 criterial will future proof digital content when policy changes catch up.
“Web accessibility (inclusive or universal design) is the degree to which a website is available to as many people as possible. Accessibility is most often used to describe how people with disabilities can access the web.” Laura Kalbag.
CANAXESS lists the new criteria in their article and goes into some detail. There is increased support for cognitive impairments and conditions and alternative input interactions.
Websites need to be accessible from the ground up. Otherwise it defeats the object of creating accessible content in the form of documents, blog posts and videos.
CANAXESS offer a course to help designers and developers.
DIY – IT Accessibility
University of Maryland has a neat one page with the six essential steps for accessible online content. None of it is rocket science or geeky. This ready reference just has reminders to be a bit more thoughtful about how you go about it.
The aim of the six steps is to give everyone equal access to information and services. It’s simple things such as colour contrast, alt-text for pictures, and appropriately placed links to other pages – not “click here”, for example. It’s a handy reference to print out and pin up at your desk. Good for designing online-learning and adding content to an organisation’s website.
Co-creation and co-design processes are gaining traction in urban regeneration projects across the globe. A study of three different urban regeneration projects in three countries shows the flexibility and value of this method. Successful implementation of equitable and inclusive public space also depends on a multi-sectorial approach.
The three cities in the study were Dhaka in Bangladesh, Maputo in Mozambique, and Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The research group consisted of an architectural firm, and academics from three universities in the relevant countries.
Seven challenges emerged: inclusive mobility, housing, climate change, local economy, governance, gender and participatory planning. The one thing the case studies have in common is the value of engaging local communities.
The case studies offer different situations for learning and are explained in detail. The participative process revealed a stark imbalance in the inclusion of girls, women and marginalised groups in planning processes. The researchers repeat the call by others to include a diversity of user groups in co-creation methods.
Rapid urbanisation and inadequate public transport in the Global South has lead to half the people having their mobility restricted. This means they are less likely to access employment, education and recreational facilities.
Public space is often a place for trade and commerce in the Global South. Informal economies sustain livelihoods where there is little demand for labour. While this type of economic activity can revive public space, it can also foster unjust distribution of public space.
Inclusive and sustainable design is crucial for creating equitable and climate-resilient urban environments. This paper presents a research project that involved case studies in three cities on three continents – Dhaka, Maputo, and Santo Domingo.
The researchers used a participatory design process during the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic urban living labs in partner cities generated urban design solutions for co-designing public space.
This approach aimed to ensure that the proposals were holistic and responsive to the specific needs and aspirations of the local communities. The case studies encompassed sites reflecting diverse urban contexts. The urban lake of Shahjahanpur Jheel in Dhaka, public spaces surrounding the centre of Maputo, and a central expressway in Santo Domingo.
Researchers identified the needs and aspirations of local populations for these places. Co-creation opportunities and place-making events empowered residents and local entrepreneurs to take an active role in the transformation of their neighbourhoods.
Established participation tools were adapted to each local context and new techniques were developed for specific user groups. Young professionals were included in the design process through cooperation with local universities. Academic partnerships and the cooperation with local city administrations also supported capacity building and knowledge exchange.
The results of the process included integrated urban strategies, urban designs, architectural solutions, and cost estimates for implementation. We identified seven overarching challenges for action. They were, inclusive mobility, housing, climate change adaptation, local economy, governance, and gender-sensitive and participatory planning.
Healthy and inclusive neighbourhoods in Florence
Participatory action research was at the centre of a project for the Municipality of Florence in Italy. The focus was on green and public spaces and involved several different stakeholder groups. The outcome was the creation of a “health map” with design ideas to enhance the neighbourhood. Co-planning activities involved citizens and researchers used different methods and tools at different times.
Health has a place-based dimension that needs addressing at the neighbourhood scale. The contribution is based on the Quartieri Sani Hub (Healthy Neighbourhoods Hub) ongoing research. The aim is to investigate the issue of health and wellbeing based on spatial and social knowledge to define strategies and design scenarios for an inclusive and healthy neighborhood.
Co-design in Toronto’s Chinatown
“Planting Imagination” is a case study of a two year project to establish and design a community garden. It brought together a group of Chinatown community organisations and university researchers. 60 diverse Chinatown Activators and 6 Community Facilitators used virtual reality technology to co-design a community garden.
This project aims to promote community resilience, reduce stress and stigma, and support the affected groups in Chinatown during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Image from Toronto Metropolitan University.
They used virtual reality visioning within a co-design process. The Chinatown community was provided with the tools to envision the future of their own community in a collaborative way. They explored ways to transform built environments and reconstruct community identities and strengthen resilience. The end goal was to promote social justice and equity.
The process strengthened community solidarity for enabling local residents to steer the future of the built environment. Bringing diverse disciplines an practices together, Planting Imagination developed models of VR co-design using online and in-person. The multi-lingual community co-design session prioritised communities disproportionately impacted by COVID-19.
The paper lists the key challenges and provides recommendations for future projects.
Pocket parks are often an afterthought by developers, architects and councils. Typically, they are bits of left over space that can’t be used for a building or a road. With increased population density, this public space needs to be planned. And it needs to be accessible and inclusive.
“These pocket parks are a terrific opportunity to answer that problem and to provide public space for the local community where previously there may not have been any.” Mike Harris, UNSW.
Pocket parks are being created in spaces not previously considered for green space in Sydney. Large parks such as Centennial Park in Sydney are planned, but master plans need to plan smaller parks in subdivisions as well.
Pocket parks are not all the same. A town centre might have more seating whereas a residential one could feature play equipment. They can also be part of mitigating heat effects. In existing developments, creating a pocket park might mean reclaiming portions of the street.
“We must consider public spaces as social infrastructure and value them in terms of their wellbeing benefits,” Ela Glogowska, UNSW.
Larger parks are still a must, but smaller places within easy walking distance are also essential. It is worth applying the three basic principles of the Everyone Can Play guide. Can I get there, Can I play, Can I stay. Connection to Country is another factor often forgotten.
Is your new kitchen gadget or appliance intuitive to use? How about the instructions on the device? Every model of microwave, even within the same brand, has a different operating system. This doesn’t help. And some of the icons that are meant to guide the user don’t make sense to everyone in the same way. So what can industrial designers do about creating inclusive instructions for domestic appliances? A human-centred design approach provides some answers.
Three researchers looked at how this problem can be solved because kitchen appliances are an essential part of life now. Their study took the perspective of older adults, which implies they are the only group with cognition and mental processing issues. Once again, what might be good for some, not all, older adults, will of course, be good for many others.
The researchers came up with a coding system to help designers and used a microwave as the case study. The coding system considers four aspects of users’ interactions with a microwave. Briefly they are:
Information processing – gathering and interpreting information
Interactions with the microwave’s user interface and control panel
Listening to the users as they use the device
Impediments to the user’s workflow
The study describes their process for developing the coding system for designers, and the details each of the four elements of the code. While other studies use a series of personas, this study used real people and their negative experiences. The researchers also linked the microwave use with ready meal packaging. This allowed them to see the difficulties in interpreting the cooking information and relating it to the device.
Getting it right for users
Simple turning knobs and switches with numbered dials are a thing of the past. So anyone who has difficulty transitioning to a digital display is going to be disadvantaged. Microwaves are an essential tool for people who have difficulty preparing a meal because they can heat ready-made meals.
Poor organisation of information appeared to be a powerful factor in influencing users’ information processing and interactions. The key appears to be getting both sequencing information together as well as activity grouping information. This poses further challenges.
Involving real people and not personas is the key to resolving design issues for users. The researchers acknowledge that getting it right for older people means benefits for many other users.
Is gender inclusive design the same as unisex design? If it is, does it work for all genders? Companies producing wearable technology interpret universal design as unisex design. But is this the best way to interpret it? When it comes to diversity and wearables some nuances are needed.
Companies making wearables are interpreting and implementing the concept of universal design in different ways. That’s according to some recent research by Jenni Hokka.
Wearable technology sits between fashion, design and technology. The concept of wearables covers many kinds of devices. Intelligent textiles to medical devices, and shoe sensors to fitness trackers are all wearables. As the technology changes so do the users. Sports watches were originally designed for male amateur athletes, but now they are used by all genders.
As niche wearables become everyday items, the designs need to change and adapt as well. That is, if you want to capture a wider market – and be more inclusive with designs. Being inclusive is what Hokka wanted to discover in her research. The first step is to find out what designers think universal design is and how they practice it.
Hokka discusses the history of design practice and the way design culture varies across nationalities. She took the approach of sociology of design in the research. Many companies want to be socially responsible and provide benefits to users, but are they capturing all potential users?
Some objects have a gendered user history
Design language reflects gendered thinking and needs to overcome this
Companies want to approach new user groups with inclusive design
Economic imperatives drive the need to appeal to the widest range of users
Inclusive design is more than a goodwill gesture
Case studies
Four Finnish wearable products, two different rings, a watch, and shirt and shorts were the subject of the case studies. Suunto Sport Watch was not designed explicitly for men, but the size and shape indicate the imagined user would be male. Products designed to attract female users is usually done through stereotypical colours (“pinking”).
When male users are envisioned, the product is promoted with the most advanced technology. When female users are envisioned, the product is promoted as having style. But now Suunoto wanted to design a watch suitable for every situation. That means it had to look stylish and comfortable to wear night and day. The design language also had to change from unisex to gender-neutral.
The decision to design a unisex ring was based on the two companies in the study being small and therefore cost of production was a major factor. The Moodmetric stress management ring was originally targeted at the yoga market. Eventually it included the health care research institutions. The ring needed to be small and comfortably used in any environment.
Sportswear with digital sensors was considered mainly for women because of the fabric, But wearing lycra has become non-gendered. Myontec sportswear is more focused on scientific data than fashion. However fashion played a part in the development of the product. That’s because the sensors needed to hit the right muscles. Consequently, the placement of the sensors is the starting point for the whole design,
Solving the design problems
All the companies interpreted inclusive design as unisex design. However, their reasoning for implementing these ideals varied. Suunoto modified the size and colours of the products based on user feedback. User feedback lead to more inclusive products that are financially worth making. Inclusive design is therefore more than a goodwill gesture.
The rings were redesigned to be smaller because they are meant to be worn all the time. Designers believed men would not want to wear a large ring, which culturally is something women usually do. Consumer behaviour for these products don’t necessarily act on gendered social norms anyway. The lesson for designers is not to presume an gender-related user expectations.
The shorts and shirt clothing faced the dilemma of combing inclusivity and human diversity in the same product in practical ways. The design challenge involved more than gender – it had to accommodate different body sizes. However, there is more funding for men’s sportswear, which is creating a gender bias.
Wearable technology products that need to be in close contact with the user’s skin to function must be a good fit for the user’s body. As wearable technology has transitioned to a widespread, everyday item, these products compete to appeal to ever-larger user groups.
This study investigates how designers of wearable technology a interpret the idea of inclusive design when developing their products for a diverse population. Four case studies, show how the diversity of the human body poses practical challenges for inclusive design. In addition inclusive design is also influenced by cultural understandings of gender.
It’s not a case of difficulty or lack of knowledge about how to make places and spaces inclusive and accessible. It has to be something else. Whatever it is, can a universal design approach make a difference? And what are the policy and political barriers to inclusion? That’s what Lilian Müller wanted to find out.
Müller’s thesis explores the complexity of why a universal design approach gets lost in planning processes. Paradoxically, solutions are not only exclusionary and stigmatising, they also add cost to projects. We have normalised “accessible/disabled” toilets, ramps and parking places dedicated to wheelchair users. These are viewed as normal add-ons for compliance with legislation. This is not a universal design approach, and it’s not inclusive.
Updating heritage buildings for tourists has lead to more inclusive places. But new buildings are not getting the same treatment.
Five ways to look at it
The thesis explores five different aspects and perspectives. Briefly they are:
One: “Young mobile and highly educated cyclists: How urban planning and policy disables users”. Older people and people with disability are made invisible, but youth, health and mobility are put to the foreground as the norm.
Two: “Planning for human diversity – patterns of universal design”. Where this worked well in projects the focus was on people and function. Universal design goals failed to materialise where projects categorised users and high demands were put on their abilities. Interestingly, universal design seemed easier to implement in existing buildings than new constructions.
Three: “Visions of a city for all – resources, choices and universal design in urban development”. Conflicting visions and goals, and resources, support and tools to implement universal design were critical aspects in the process. The challenge is to maintain an early vision and goals throughout the process.
Four: “Citizens’ experiences of inclusion, exclusion and unequal living conditions in the built environment.” Go-along interviews revealed the essential elements in being able to visit the city centre. And also, what made them welcoming and inclusive.
Five: “Who are we building for? Tracing universal design in urban development”. This study is builds on studies one and two. There are competing and conflicting interests inside the city’s organisation and between society interests and profit interests. There is also a distorted conception of user’s conditions and abilities.
When will the barriers drop?
The thesis covers all the relevant literature on the topic. When it comes to the built environment, good policy intentions fall away and a universal design approach remains elusive. Müller deals with the complexities of this dilemma in a practical way. Her findings mirror those in Australia and elsewhere.
We continue to wait for the paradigm shift from special arrangements to designs for all. A policy for an inclusive society is one thing – politically enforcing it is another.
The ongoing exclusion of persons with disabilities from the built environment does not result from a lack of knowledge on how to remedy existing obstacles nor of how to avoid creating new ones. There must be other reasons.
This thesis explores how to achieve more equal and inclusive environments by using universal design to incorporate human diversity in all stages of planning and construction. The thesis consists of three studies which are the bases of five articles.
The first is the theoretical framework that involves planning and construction processes and forms of governance. The second is the view of the users of the built environment and how they are categorised, and choices and priorities in the planning process. The third is theories of universal design.
The studies included a document study, a multiple case study, semi-structured interviews, workshops and go-along interviews in three cities. The findings show numerous factors that influence the conditions for how human diversity is included or not in urban development processes.
These factors include the norms and categorisations of the users, current urban building trends, and planning practices. Examples show how universal design can be implemented in the entire process – from idea to finished construction. The findings show the need for several changes.
All studies demonstrate the importance of protecting significant societal goals throughout planning and construction processes. This indicates that public actors must take greater responsibility to lead planning processes and follow up on the results.
The municipalities are at the forefront of defending social goals and operationalising conventions that Sweden has undertaken to follow. Being able to access and use the built environment is a fundamental human right.
Making public transport attractive is an important aspect of encouraging people not to take the car. But it’s not all about making public transport better. A person’s life situation, family make-up, and age can also influence car use. So it’s not just about the infrastructure or service quality as a Nordic study found out.
The car is the preferred mode of transport by many older people. Unsuitable routes and times, having to stand, crowding and long walking distances are some of their reasons.
Younger people are more likely to use different modes for the one journey. They use a mix of cycling, driving and public transport. However, if they have a drivers licence they will use the car more than those without.
Families with young children also prefer the car especially if the transpsort mode is not physically accessible. Older children are subject to parent preferences for driving them to school. This is particularly the case if the distance to school is significant. However, as children grow older, they are more encouraged to walk to school if they feel safe and the area is “walkable”.
Distance
Distance between home and workplace or the city centre impacts travel choice. The probability of using public transport increases when living five minutes or less from a public transport stop. But this was when the frequency was no more than 20 minutes between departures.
Travellers dislike walking, waiting, and transferring more than spending time in their car. This is especially the case if the wait takes place in an unpleasant environment. Having to transfer more than once was also unattractive.
Station facilities were more important than on-board comfort for shorter trips. Unexpected and unpredictable delays were not viewed well, which means reliability is a key factor. Overall, travellers should be seen in their sub groups because their preferences are decided by different factors. This should be reflected in any marketing campaigns for active travel.
In essence, reliability and frequency are important attributes for making public transport attractive. After all, the car gives both. Car users need to be persuaded that there are benefits for them.
For people unable to afford a car, or physically unable to drive a car, public transport is essential. Norway has made considerable efforts to make their public transport system accessible.
Background: Many regions worldwide are struggling to shift from private cars to more sustainable transport modes. There is a lack of a comprehensive overview of the factors that make public transport systems attractive.
Aim: This review aims to offer insights into factors influencing travel behaviour and demand for public transport. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first review with a Nordic focus regarding public transport preferences and travel mode choices. The focus on these countries is because they have ambitious policies for reducing emissions in the transport sector.
Methods: The literature review encompassed international literature reviews and included an examination of results from the Nordic countries.
Findings: Reliability and frequency are important factors for creating an attractive public transport supply. However, there is only limited evidence about the impact of improvements in these attributes on public transport demand. This needs more research. This review highlights the importance of understanding the underlying motivations for choosing travel modes. Recommendations include further investigation to understand the attractiveness of public transport supply.
Do footpaths have an economic value to the public? Are pedestrians all the same? These questions are worth asking policy makers when it comes to inclusive pedestrian mobility. There is a tendency to treat pedestrians as one group with some exceptions such as outside schools and aged care facilities. This is not helped by various definitions of inclusive mobility in the literature.
An area that is accessible to and usable by everyone can be described as an inclusive pedestrian area. Because pedestrian space does not have a strict status or economic value, and is a place that quickly adapts to different purposes, special attention is needed to preserve pedestrian areas.
Noa Hamacher’s Masters thesis delves into this topic academically and practically. She looks at human-oriented spaces, pedestrian-friendly areas, and a definition of pedestrian inclusion. The case studies take a national and local context in Norway and The Netherlands.
Given the diversity of pedestrians, designs should consider a wide range of user needs. Fair processes and procedures for decision-making is therefore required.
Pedestrian areas are sometimes used for community activities, which are a good thing. However, these activities, such as markets and other events, should take care not to create barriers to accessing this space.
In terms of evaluation, the study found no useful evaluation tools for inclusive pedestrian spaces. This allows the more powerful voices to claim priority. Consequently, involving marginalised groups in decision-making processes is required.
Walking is the most basic form of mobility. It is used as a mode of transportation in every journey, whether it involves a vehicle or not. Therefore, everyone depends on walking to meet their transportation needs. However, policymakers often assume all pedestrians have a productive age and have the same level of capability.
Additionally, there are a variety of definitions of inclusive mobility found in literature and policy. Because of this, inclusivity of pedestrian areas cannot be standardized. On one hand, mobility policy should consider the various demands of individuals. On the other, there is a desire for a uniform approach in practice.
Finding a balance between these topics is the main goal of this research. This study sought a deeper understanding of the definition of inclusive pedestrian areas and factors that influence the level of inclusivity.
The questions regarding inclusivity; “of what”, “for whom, “by whom and “how much’’ are studied. Two cases are examined namely Oslo, Norway and Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
The results show that an inclusive pedestrian area is defined as an area accessible to and usable by everyone. Further, it is an area that quickly adapts to different purposes in comparison to space for other travel modes. Therefore, pedestrian space often comes under strain.
Participation varies greatly by type of project and evaluation is poor. A strong national goal and a strategy is needed to raise awareness and provide binding rules and funding.
The UK organisation for accessible housing, Habinteg, has released new research on the social and economic value of wheelchair users homes. The research was carried out by the London School of Economics. They did a cost-benefit analysis of wheelchair user housing and a qualitative analysis of how their home impacts wheelchair users in everyday life. Together they showed benefits, particularly to government, outweighed the costs.
“… it’s not just the quality of accommodation and its suitableness for living, but it’s affecting everything else to do with my life.”
“I was living a life that I chose to live, not one that was chosen for me.”
The UK already has a mandated standard of basic access features in new housing called Visitable dwellings. This covers door widths and corridors. However, it fails to guarantee true visitability to everyone and is not adaptable for households over time. There are two other standards which are not mandatory: accessible and adaptable dwellings, and wheelchair user dwellings.
People in later life who use wheelchairs (aged 65+)
They found that a working age wheelchair user, the benefit was £94,000 over a ten year period. A later years household was £101,000 over a ten year period, and for a child, the benefit was £67,000 over ten years. The financial value was divided between health, local government and the national government.
Benefits of wheelchair housing
The interviews with wheelchair users revealed the personal benefits of improved quality of life. Of being able to work, to come and go independently, and have peace of mind. Being able to work provides additional disposable income and tax revenue for the government. It also means less welfare payments and hours of home care services.
These four words, planning, diversity, inequity and justice all belong in the same sentence. Being excluded from places and spaces means walking, public transport, work, education, and seeing friends are out of reach. But good design can fix it.
The way we plan and design for human diversity requires serious rethinking if we genuinely want to address inequity and injustices in our suburbs and cities.
Image from the inclusive communities workshop.
Lisa Stafford is a planner and researcher and she urges the planning fraternity to be change agents. Her short article in Urbanet neatly spells out the reasons why and what needs to change. Stafford is leading a research project with people aged 9 to 92 years to identify the details of the changes we need.
The changes needed
To address the injustices we must adapt and retrofit our suburbs and cities for sustainable inclusive futures. People with disability have a right to access everyday spaces, housing, transport and social infrastructure.
Stafford’s article discusses changing the narrative and confronting ableism and adopting inclusive urban governance. Treating people with disability as equals in planning processes requires a universal design approach. Stafford points out that the New Urban Agenda and SDG 11 are about disability justice. Adopting inclusive urban governance, planning, and leadership are a good start.
Stafford concludes the article with a call to action:
“Planning for equity and inclusion is an essential approach. We simply will not have sustainable suburbs and cities if they are not inclusive and just. The message for our profession is simple – we must do better. Be a change agent by considering your ways of working and what it means to plan better for equity and inclusion.”
Diversity is more than disability and urban planners also have to consider many other groups including gender, ages, and cultural background. This is the era of intersectionality – we can be more than one identity.
