Jane Bringolf, Author at - Page 36 of 109

Colour blindness not just genetic

Colour blindness is an eye condition that changes the way people see colours. It doesn’t seem like a big thing to people who have normal colour vision. But when it comes to reading things like maps, it matters a lot. Graphs, maps, diagrams and other graphic information types often rely on colour to differentiate between elements and features.

With genetic colour blindness, men are about 16 times more likely to be affected than women. Injury or disease can also affect the ability to see certain colours.

A pile of brightly coloured squares sit untidily on top of each other. The colours are very bright.

Apart from genetic reasons, some health conditions increase the risk of developing colour blindness later in life. Macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetes, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease can all affect colour vision. Because it happens later in life it often gets unnoticed and undiagnosed. Some medications might affect colour vision too. For more, see My Vision guides.

You are at greater risk of colour blindness if you are a white male and have family members with colour blindness.

Red-green colour vision deficiency occurs in 1 in 12 males with Northern European ancestry. For women it’s 1 in 200.

The Axess Lab website has some great tips for making graphics more inclusive. For example, putting text into pie charts, and labelling goods with colours not just showing them. Colour contrast matters too as you can see in the picture below.

Pie chart with different colours and their respective labels. — A pie chart with labels

A group of people standing holding a pink banner with the words You are Not Alone, but you can't see the word NOT because it is in pale red and blends into the background colour — A serious colour contrast fail in real life

Colours that are accessible

Colour diagram showing the three different types of colour vision deficiency

Colour is an important part of designers’ creative work. When it comes to colour accessibility the creative path takes a few twists and turns. That’s because people who say they are ‘colour blind’ are not all the same. Most can see some colours, but not all of them. So how can designers choose colours that are accessible, especially in digital communications?

Adobe has a blog page that explains the importance of choosing colours. Four images show the three different versions of colour vision deficiency, which are:

Protanopia: Referred to as “red weakness,” this variation of red/green color blindness results in individuals being unable to perceive red light.
Deuteranopia: Also known as “green weakness,” this type of red/green color blindness renders people unable to perceive any green light.
Tritanopia: People who suffer from blue/yellow color blindness have difficulty distinguishing between blue and yellow colors. This form of color blindness is far less common than its red and green counterparts.

Graphic designers will appreciate the colour wheels and ways to avoid a conflict of colours. Examples of good colour choices show that designs can still be attractive as well as functional. You can try out the online Material Design accessible colour tool that provides information on colour contrasts for visual material.

Readability and colour choice

Colour choice is also a factor in readability. The video below shows how easily we can be deceived by our eyes. It shows how two different shades of grey are actually the same. That’s why you can’t rely on judging contrast by eye.

Barriers to shopping not good for business

The Business Disability Forum in the UK has an interesting report on the barriers people with disability face as shoppers and consumers. Whether online, by phone or in person, these barriers are not good for business or consumers. And it’s likely it’s difficult for almost everyone if the process is not universally designed.

A small cardboard box sits across a keyboard. The words on the box say online shopping.

The Business Disability Forum asked survey participants about specific barriers to shopping for products and services.

They asked respondents if they have any difficulties with access or engaging in the buying process. The key areas were going to restaurants, cafes and pubs; buying clothes or shoes, and personal and online banking. These were followed by pursuing a hobby, buying insurance and dealing with utility suppliers.

A restaurnt table laid with breakfast foods. It looks out to a water view with small boats.

An online survey and focus groups (around 650 people with disabilities and conditions) found almost everyone was impacted in some way.

The next most challenging activities were booking a holiday, booking tickets, buying large electrical appliances, and buying new devices.

Limitation of design – products, service or venues not being inclusive or lacking accessibility features.
Limitations in available information.
The way in which information was presented.

More than half the respondents said their choice of products or services was limited by design, and by the availability of information. It was also limited by the way it was presented.

A significant number (43%) abandoned the shopping task early or just didn’t buy. It was the same for going into shops in person.

The title of the resource is, What disabled consumers choose to buy and why – Barriers to buying. Forbes online magazine also has an article on the report.

Also have a look at See here: I want to go shopping for the shopping experience of people who are blind.

Design for shopping: a holistic approach

overhead picture of the fresh food section of a supermarket. Shopping - a holistic approach.

The recent pandemic curtailed shopping in the high street and in malls. When the lockdowns were lifted the rush to the shops shows how much people enjoy shopping. Younger people talk of retail therapy, but for older people it is an important social activity, particularly those who live alone. So every part of “design for shopping” needs to be inclusive.

Elnaz Davoudi from the San Francisco State University conducted an in-depth study of older people and their shopping habits. This included shadowing them as they made their way around a supermarket. The whole experience is documented and their are several design conclusions to be drawn from this work.

Shopping carts, check outs, product packaging and much more are open for improved designs. The findings can also be generalised to other design disciplines. It is good to see a holistic approach in this research, not just the design of, say, a shopping trolley, or the product packaging.

The article is titled, Designing a Better Shopping Experience with a Holistic Approach to Ageing in Place. It is on page 21 in the Design for All newsletter from 2016.

Museum design with equity and dignity

The spiral design concept of Guggenheim Art Museum remains one of the most inclusive design concepts. That’s because everyone experiences the museum in the same way. It delivers equity and dignity, and of course accessibility for everyone. It’s universal design.

View of exterior of the museum showing a giant box shape cantilevered over the building's ground level glass facade.

Designers of the new Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs re-imagined the spiral theme. And they involved Paralympic athletes in the design process.

Similarly to the Guggenheim, all visitors enter the museum on the ground floor. They take an elevator to the top of the building, and gradually wind their way down the spiral. The architects say that connectivity was the biggest architectural idea of the project.

Their initial idea was to have the spiral at the centre. The early design concept evolved after consultation with Paralympians and the spiral moved towards the outer edge of the building. This was so the ramps are more gradual and more circulation space was included. And it’s not just about wheelchair users.

The Museum website has a Plan Your Visit page that gives information about accessible media, audio descriptions, wheelchair access, tactile information, open captioning and American Sign Language. There are more personalised services available. The website has a great video giving an overview of the building design and the museum experience.

The title of the article in FastCompany is, The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum, celebrates all athletes – and was deigned for all visitors. Perhaps we need more public buildings designed on the spiral theme. And more public buildings involving users at the design concept stage.

Universal Design for Museums

Many museums and historic buildings were built before anyone thought about accessibility and universal design. So, what’s the best way to keep the heritage values? A group of researchers decided a universal design approach would work.

In their paper, the researchers discuss universal design in the context of historic buildings and evaluation checklists. Each of the 7 Principles of Universal Design are discussed in the museum context and applied as if they are a checklist.

A view of the historic museum showing single story buildings.

The origins of museums are linked to one of the basic human activities – collecting.

The Graz Museum Schlossberg is used as a case study and exemplar of universal design. The researchers claim that universal design principles are incorporated well. This is largely due to recent renovations where architects would have current knowledge of access and inclusion. The short video below gives an overview of the building.

The article, Universal Design Principles Applied in Museums’ Historic Buildings has several photographs to illustrate points. There is a chart with the 7 Principles showing what aligns with each of the Principles and what doesn’t.

“This article demonstrates theoretically, and practically, through the case study, that it is possible to apply UD principles even in a difficult terrain and historic environment, and combine it with the effort to preserve the historical value of the place in a very aesthetic way.

Editor’s note: The concepts of the 7 Principles of Universal Design were devised in the 1990s and the concepts have evolved. The Principles are a good beginning, but applying them as a checklist defeats the objects of learning through iteration and co-designing with users.

Netflix has taken captioning to the next level

Subtitling and captioning are often used interchangeably when reproducing the spoken word in written form. Subtitles usually mean a language translation for films and television. However, it is often used to mean closed captioning. Whether it’s captioning or subtitling, it now provides an opportunity to describe the sound effects as well as the words. Sound effects and music are a major part of the movie experience, especially the horror and action genres. So Netflix has taken captioning (or subtitles as they call them) to the next level.

A horror scene in shades of blue with a human figure with wrinkled skin and no proper flesh. From Netflix series, Stranger Things.

Netflix’s subtitling gives deaf and hard of hearing viewers the same immersive experience of tentacles squelching and roiling wetly as hearing audiences.
Photo Netflix

An article in Vulture online blog explains how Netflix are keeping up with the ever-changing rules for subtitlers. The subject of the article is the Netflix series, Stranger Things. Apparently the subtitles “became a sensation among fans”.

People writing captions and subtitles are usually in the background working away quietly. The Netflix subtitling team relies on audio but sometimes gets a shooting script which helps with character and location names. What ends up on screen is often different to the script.

A young man is holding a large box of popcorn and has a frightened look on his face.

I didn’t understand the care and diligence that a good subtitler makes and the difference they make within a whole community.
Photo from Pixabay

The subtitlers try to stick to genre-appropriate language as well. “Squelching” in a horror movie is meant to evoke disgust. The sound would be described differently in a Regency-era picture or comedy. It’s all about creating atmosphere.

The title of the Vulture article is, Wet Writhing and Eldritch Gurgling: A Chat With the Stranger Things Subtitles Team. It has more background information on how the team works and thinks.

Editor’s comment. For hearing people, there is a bonus. It’s like reading the book and viewing the story at the same time. It will be good if all subtitlers and captioners follow suit. Audio describers have the task of matching the vision to those sounds to create the same atmosphere.

User perspectives of a theatre

Older adults are often excluded from participating in social and cultural activities and that includes going to the theatre. Some theatres recognise this and include productions with closed captioning, audio descriptions and sign language. But what are user perspectives?

Universal design principles go beyond physical access to the theatre. People with hearing loss use extra cognitive effort to understand speech and this detracts from the enjoyment of the performance. Many give up going because of this.

Two women are on stage. One is lying down and looks dead. The other leans over her with grief.

According to the United Nations everyone must have access to the performing arts as a basic human right (2006).

An article on the user perspective of a performing arts theatre cites three principles of universal design for hearing.

The first is to optimise the hearing environment by paying attention to reverberation time and background noise.
The second is to optimise the distance between speaker and listener such as optimal seating and use of hearing assistive technology. Making sure the technology is maintained and fully functioning is also important.
The third is to optimise opportunities for people to choose the type of interaction they need.

A universal design approach is about including as many people as possible. People who cannot be included will need assistive services or devices. This is the case for live performances. Physical access is just the beginning, being included takes additional thought and technology.

Principles of universal design

The researchers used the classic 7 Principles of Universal Design to analyse the results of a questionnaire about their theatre experience. All participants attended the same theatre performance. Although the theatre staff were aware of the study, they were unaware of the chosen performance.

According to user feedback theatre employees contributed significantly to the access and use of the theatre. Availability of an elevator, accessible bathrooms and easy-to-open doors were all positives. The barriers related to external walkways, noisy lobby, crowded hallways, and steep staircases with no handrails.

The hearing assistive technology was not functioning and it was also difficult to hear ushers and oral announcements. Other issues were the size of the font on the playbill, and poor signage from the carpark. Lack of sufficient bathrooms during intermissions is probably common in all theatres.

A graphic of the theatre masks of comedy and tragedy.

For everyone to enjoy a theatre experience, mobility, vision and hearing must be considered especially for older theatre patrons.

In this study the feedback was given to the theatre manager. Several issues were addressed in recent renovations and ongoing staff training. Asking users for their experiences and feedback is a great way to maintain customers and improve cultural experiences.

The title of the article is, User Perspectives of Accessibility and Usability of a Performing Arts Theatre.

A related article from the Design Council reports similar results.

Inclusive Theatres as Boosters of Well-Being: Concepts and Practices, discusses social wellbeing by being able to enjoy performances and focusing on people rather than barriers.

Also see another article on captioning for live theatre.

Abstract

Older adults often have limitations due to normal ageing, which interfere with their ability to attend theatre performances. Mobility, visual, and hearing impairments can limit the experience older adults have as they engage in these cultural offerings.

In this study, 20 older adults (age range 65-78 years; 15 females, 5 males) perspective of the usability and accessibility of the physical environment before and during a musical performance was studied for one urban performing arts theatre.

Participants completed a self-assessment questionnaire, identified accessible features, barriers to access, and made suggestions for improvements.

Results showed that the participants had mixed experiences, some participants mentioned accessibility limitations in the built environment, and others regarding communication access.

Most participants would recommend the theatre to others. Following up on the recommendations will improve theatre access for any individual with mobility, visual, and/or hearing limitations.

Using technology to plan travel

Transport services are only useful for people who can access and use them effectively. Groups who benefit most from improved physical access to transport are more likely to lack access to technology to plan travel. This was a finding by the Inclusive Design Team at the University of Cambridge.

Older people, people with disability, and people with low education had lower levels of access and understanding of technology.

Two hands of an older person are poised above the keyboard of a laptop computer.

A survey carried out in Germany asked questions about access to technology, ability to use the technology, and using it for transport planning. Vulnerable and excluded groups included women, older people, people with low education, and people with low incomes. Older people and people with disability were the least likely to use a device to access information about transport.

Owning a smartphone does not guarantee the ability to operate complex digital services.

A pair of hands belonging to an older man hold a mobile phone.

Three groups – people with low education, older people and people with disability had the lowest level of interaction with technology. For people who have low incomes, acquiring devices and being able to afford internet connections is also a barrier.

Older people and people with disability are limited in regular travel because they can’t plan travel or use transport.

A man stands on a train platform looking at his smartphone. He is wearing a hat and has a bright yellow backpack.

The title of the article is Toward Inclusive Digital Mobility Services: a Population Perspective. This research project is one of four similar projects conducted in Europe and UK. The reference list is useful for further reading.

From the abstract

Digital mobility services have great potential to increase passengers’ transportation options, improve their experiences and reduce exclusion. However, these advantages are only available to those who can access and use these services effectively.

We needed to find out the range of potential users’ technology access, use, attitudes and capabilities. In 2020, a survey examining these characteristics was carried out with 1010 participants in Germany.

The results showed that older people, people with disabilities and people with low education levels had particularly low levels of all technology variables.

Rolling out digital mobility services requires caution and planning. Non-digital alternatives should be provided to ensure an inclusive service. Digital interfaces must be designed carefully to be usable by and reassuring to digital novices.

Accessible cities and public transport

Public transport is the focus of the latest quarterly magazine from the Association of Consultants in Access. The articles cover streetscapes, buses and trains, and the personal experiences of a wheelchair user.

The upgrade to the Como Rail Station showing the long flight of steps and the level pathway to the elevator.

Como Railway Station has received a significant upgrade for accessibility

The opening article is by Kiersten Fishburn who is Deputy Secretary, Cities and Active Transport at Transport for NSW. She covers a lot of ground: improvements to infrastructure, micro-mobility, on-demand service and the taxi subsidy scheme.

Julie Sawchuk is Chair of the Ontario Standards Development Committee in Canada. She discusses her experiences as a traveller using a wheelchair. She makes an important point:

You’ll have noticed that my tales have addressed only my own experiences as a wheelchair user: that is, after all, my area of expertise. We need to listen to all users.
Julie Sawchuk

Jane Bryce’s topic is accessible streetscapes and public transport for people who are blind or vision impaired. Silent e-vehicles are an obvious issue for this group, as are shared pathways.

Toe bone connected to the foot bone, Foot bone connected to the heel bone, Heel bone connected to the ankle bone…
Dem Bones

The song “Dem Bones” is a good analogy of the needs of people who are blind or vision impaired who wants to leave their house, to be independent. Everything needs to fit together; each part is essential. Each element that makes up a part of a journey, whether on public transport or not, in a city or elsewhere, needs to be accessible for people who are blind or vision impaired.

Francis Lenny talks about his view of accessible bus travel. He reiterates the need for passengers to be at the centre of design decision-making processes. Confusion with the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport (DSAPT) is a key issue.

Inter-city train design and the outcomes achieved is the topic of Jen Barling’s article. Designers and operators are encouraged to go beyond the DSAPT. Indeed, DSAPT encourages alternative means of access to public transport, not just the specified standards:

…using methods, equipment and facilities that provide alternative means of access to the public transport service concerned (but not using separate or parallel services) with equivalence of amenity, availability, comfort, convenience, dignity, price and safety.
DSAPT 33.3 Equivalent Access

Howard Moutrie discusses handrail height and Cathryn Grant covers off the Smart Cities for All Toolkit.

You can access the online version of the magazine or download the 8MB PDF version.

Inclusive energy efficient home renovations

A case study from the Netherlands describes an inclusive process for designing energy-efficient home renovations. A neighbourhood of 280 apartments is the subject of the study. With a mix of homeowners, renters and social housing tenants, it was essential to involve residents in the renovation process.

Several tall apartment buildings situated next to a canal. Energy efficient home renovations.

Involving residents in major renovations is essential for bringing together the technical and social aspects of design.

The principles of civic and energy justice underpinned the approach to the project. Given that the resulting designs will largely be the same for every home, they need to be inclusive and considerate of ongoing energy costs for everyone. That means an inclusive design process is required.

Participatory action research

Expert stakeholders and six residents were interviewed and 50 residents were observed and interviewed during a tour of the demonstration apartment. Mutual learning was a key part of the iterative process involving prototypes.

Attention was paid to diversity, accessibility of research materials and interview materials were both verbal and visual. Technical design features were part of the results, but values emerged from the process. These values were health, sustainability, property value, cost of living and comfort.

The paper goes into more detail on the findings and the process. As part of the process, researchers developed a renovation guide to help residents understand what the proposed changes mean for them. They acknowledged time constraints which meant residents did not have time to experience the apartment. Rather, they only had time to view it.

Recommendations

Recommendations for improving the process include:

Location. Any sessions should be in the neighbourhood and in an accessible venue.
Time. Different meeting and interview times will suit different people.
Invitations. The guide acts as an invitation but might not work for everyone.
Language. Dutch is a second language for some people so a session in English might be necessary.
Other options. Apart from meetings, phone and email should be available. Not everyone feels comfortable in a group.

The lessons from the paper could be applied in housing situations such as social housing and co-housing. It also adds to the literature on inclusive design and co-design, and participatory action research.

The title of the article is, Values arising from participatory inclusive design in a complex process . There are diagrams to illustrate the complexity of designing an entire home and it’s technical systems, indoor climate, the lives and values of residents, and connection to systems and services.

From the abstract

This paper addresses inclusive design in a situation of complexity and how to improve it. The focus is on the inclusive design of a complex process and its tools, which is increasingly an issue in systemic design challenges. The current situation of climate change means we need to work on sustainability and inclusion at the same time.

The paper presents a case study of an energetic renovation process and the stakeholders’ activities and views in it. In a research-through-design process, the paper traces the possibilities to intervene in the process with communication tools to increase inclusivity of both process and outcomes.

Energy efficiency and universal design

Are energy efficiency and universal design incompatible? Potentially. Energy efficiency has an engineering approach and universal design has a sociological approach. This is what makes them incompatible according to researchers in Belgium. Energy efficiency is a measurable product whereas universal design is a process. So how can they both be addressed in home renovations? This was the topic of a conference paper in 2016.

Thinking has moved on and we now talk about sustainability from both perspectives and the importance of having both. However, this paper brings the concepts into the same conversation and highlights areas of potential conflict. The paper has some interesting and explanatory graphs and comparisons that are worth a look especially for academics and theorists.

The title of the paper is, Energy Efficiency and Universal Design in Home Renovations – A Comparative Review

Inclusive visual art

How can we include people without vision in the visual arts? A collaboration between the Queensland University of Technology’s Design Lab and Art Museum decided to find out. The result was a co-designed inclusive visual art project titled Vis-ability.

Co-researcher Megan Strickfadden audio-describing a painting.

The Vis-ability project pushed the boundaries of universal design to discover multi-sensory experiences.

Equal access to art and cultural heritage remains limited. As a consequence, it privileges people with sight. Cultural institutions are a draw for tourists, but few are considering equitable access to exhibits.

A team of 35 researchers and people with lived experience of blindness or low vision, co-designed 12 outputs. The process proposed alternative ways of engaging with the art collection and expanding understanding of visual art.

Front view of the tube shaped tactile model with two hand shapes indicating it can be touched. — Front view of a tactile model

A tube shaped tactile model with raised portions inside the tube. Someone has their hand at the opening touching the mode. — Side view of a tactile model

The project emerged from Janice Rieger’s conversations with people who are blind. They found it was pointless going to an art gallery or museum because they were told that “art is only for the sighted”.

The Vis-ability exhibition opened in April 2019 at the QUT Art Museum. Visitors had the opportunity to experience tactile models and audio descriptions of selected works on display. Visitors were encouraged to think about senses other than sight when engaging with the artwork. More in-depth understanding of the works added a new dimension to the experience of art. Audio pods concealed the paintings so that all visitors would have to ‘hear the painting‘ before seeing it.

When you went into the exhibition you could see the paintings, you could touch the paintings, and you could hear the paintings. Even people who consider themselves able bodied appreciated that.
Prof Janice Rieger

The Vis-ability exhibition was co-designed with people with disability and reached an audience of 4 million globally. Funding for the project came from the EU Commission and in-kind support from institutions in Canada and Australia.

The title of the short paper by Janice Rieger is, Vis-ability: Design Cultures of Inclusion in Australia and Globally.

Editor’s comment

I was lucky to be involved in the early stages of this project. I joined a workshop where different groups attempted to interpret a painting by creating a tactile model using paper, glue and an any other materials available. The process of creating the model was a learning exercise for everyone involved.

Touching artworks in regular art galleries is forbidden, but in this instance, tactile experiences were encouraged. This added another dimension for people who are sighted. As with many things designed for a particular disability, it turned out good for everyone – yes, universal design!

The top picture was taken during a workshop session. It shows Prof Megan Strickfadden, a co-researcher, audio describing a painting.

Literature review of playspace guides

There’s lots of different terminology covering the topic of inclusion and diversity, but they all generally mean the same thing. On one hand, the very nature of inclusion and diversity should allow for different ways of understanding the concepts. On the other hand, researchers who are seeking clarity on the topic find mixed terminology difficult to work with. A literature review of playspace guides is a case in point.

Two small boys are crouched by the side of a pond and are reaching into the water.

Inclusive playspace guides have different ways of explaining how to be inclusive.

The United Nations and other international organisations use the term “universal design” but it’s not universally used. Many other organisations use inclusive design and accessible design. A research team in Ireland decided to look at playspace guidelines to find out more.

Playspace guides often use the term “universal design” but they don’t always mean the same thing. A scoping review found 27 guideline documents where 13 of them referred to universal design approach for inclusive playspaces. While they referred to a universal design, they used this term interchangeably with accessible design and inclusive design.

Playspace aims are the same

The 13 guidelines referring to universal design described the general aims as:

Moving beyond minimum accessibility to maximise varied play opportunities and social integration
Creating a space where everyone feels welcome
Providing the same or equivalent experiences and activities
Designing a space with accessible, inclusive routes and infrastructure, and relevant ground and elevated level activities.

Of the remaining fourteen guideline documents not referring explicitly to universal design, 10 utilised inclusive design in combination with accessible design. However, the explanations of inclusive design were the same as those for universal design. Two documents used accessible design exclusively, with a greater focus on children with disability.

A play area showing brightly coloured poles and a boardwalk leading to equipment.

The core concept of inclusion underpinned all the guideline documents.

The researchers found that less than half the guideline documents referred to the classic seven principles of universal design. Instead, they articulated their own principles. They lament that this is problematic claiming it adds further confusion about what an inclusive playground is or should be.

The researchers conclude that creating inclusive playgrounds likely needs a tailored version of universal design. Their conclusion suggests they believe there is one ‘correct’ way of applying universal design – that is, using the 7 principles. It also assumes that the principles of universal design have not evolved since their inception more than 25 years ago.

The title of the review is, “Designing public playgrounds for inclusion: a scoping review of grey literature guidelines for Universal Design. The extensive reference list is good for finding playspace guides from the English-speaking world. It includes well-known Australian guides, but not the landmark Everyone Can Play guide.

Author: Jane Bringolf