Author: Jane Bringolf

Better architecture with universal design

Numerous guidelines exist on adherence to standards, but what is designed will be used by people with diverse bodies, abilities. There is no typical user, only what is in the designer’s mind. But it isn’t just about access, it is about being inclusive. That’s where better architecture with universal design comes in.

“When thinking about accessibility in architecture, codes set the baseline, while design defines the ceiling.” Enrique Tovar

A parkland area with walking paths and grass in a city. People are walking and sitting on the grass in groups. It's better architecture.

Tovar writes in Archdaily about the application of universal design principles to create spaces that work for everyone. She discusses how to apply them to all projects – integrated and intrinsic features.

Tovar takes each of the seven classic principles of universal design and discusses them in detail. The article has lots of photos, some of which might pose some questions for dedicated followers of universal design. Nevertheless it is good to have such articles in mainstream professional magazines.

The title of the article is, How Do the 7 Principles of Universal Design Help Us Create Better Architecture?

From the summary

“While each of the principles of universal design is compelling and necessary in its own right, the real challenge for architects is to integrate them seamlessly and simultaneously into the overall design. The maxim that “the best accessibility is the one that goes unnoticed” resonates strongly in this context. Furthermore, since good architecture embodies inclusivity, it is crucial to acknowledge that accessibility is essential to this inclusiveness. If we aspire to create a society and built environment that are universally welcoming and inclusive, why not recognize that designing for everyone is a fundamental aspect of architecture?”

Good colour contrast for websites

How did you choose the colours for your last website update? Did you choose colours based on your brand logo and text or did you use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) algorithm? But can the WCAG algorithm guarantee good legible colour contrasts for websites? Research by The University of Cambridge says it doesn’t. So they have developed an alternative algorithm for good colour contrast for websites. 

Five different coloured ovals with both black and white text for comparison. Human perception is better for good colour contrast for websites.
Examples of black and white text for comparison

The Accessible Perceptual Contrast Algorithm proposes that legibility of text on websites is better with perceived difference than a mathematical contrast ratio. White text on strong coloured backgrounds are preferred over black text in almost all cases in the study. 

In the examples above, the black text passes the WCAG contrast ratio but fails the white text. The Accessible Perceptual Contrast Algorithm passes the white text and fails the black text. 

Sam Waller explains this more fully in his article, Does the contrast ratio actually predict the legibility of website text? 

As a result of this work, an early working draft of WCAG 3 proposes using the new method for calculating contrast. 

This is important information for choosing brand logos and text so it isn’t just something web designers should know. Many website designs are guided by brand colours so choose carefully. This information is also important for product labelling especially for online shopping. 

Colour contrast enhances usability

Using eye tracking and similar software, researchers investigated the way users read and access information on websites. They chose a travel website and a banking website for the research. The study found that the positioning of information and increased contrast enhanced the ability to find key elements on the website.

The article takes a universal design approach to the study, and uses eye tracking technology. The study found that regardless of website context, universal design principles are key to creating effective and accessible interfaces.

The title of the article is Usability analysis of graphical interfaces of travel websites according to the universal design principles.

Colour perception can vary across cultures

 

Three smart phones showing the colour game.Anyone interested in optimal colours for web and phone might be interested in a project that came out of a colour matching game app. The game is based on colour perception. Feedback data showed designers how people perceive colour. With the help of academics they began to analyse the data in meaningful ways.

Preliminary analysis indicates there is a variation across countries. For example, Norwegians were better at colour matching than Saudi Arabians. Singaporeans struggled to identify greens, and Scandinavians did best with red-purple hues. Research papers are to follow which could lead to more inclusive colour choices. The article concludes, 

“But the fruits of the project live on in open source. A generic version of Jose’s tools to query the Specimen dataset are hosted here on github. My greatest hope is other researchers find and make use of what was gathered, and that other designers and engineers consider leveraging play in unexpected ways”.

The title of the article on FastCompany website is, Our viral app made less than $1,000. We’d still do it again.

Picture courtesy FastCompany.

8th principle of universal design?

The classic and often quoted 7 Principles of Universal Design were devised in the 1990s. The world has moved on, but many academics and practitioners remain committed to these principles. Steinfeld and Maisel updated them in 2012 to include cultural awareness as an 8th principle. In the 2020s we need to think more broadly again. A new paper proposes safety as the 8th principle, but maybe it should be the 9th.

The 7 Principles of Universal Design were devised at a time when designers were considered responsible for creating accessible designs. Now we know the benefits of involving users in the design process as well. Of course safety should be automatically considered in all designs, but are all designs safe for everyone? A group of researchers from Ireland make the links between universal design and safety.

Now we understand diversity better, perhaps 7, 8 or 9 principles are insufficient to cover all aspects of our lives and design. The concept of universal design is much broader than just accessibility. Image is a photo taken in 2004 at Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access.

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 things

Feeling safe gives confidence

What do we mean by ‘safe’. Being safe and feeling safe are two different but related concepts. Not feeling safe can be just as limiting and exclusionary as lack of physical access. A conference paper from Ireland looks at this issue from a fear of falling perspective. Accessibility and safety don’t always go together.

Fear is a natural and essential reaction. Some people might limit or avoid activities outside the home because of the fear of falling. Others at an actual risk of falling might not consider falling as a risk. Neither condition is ideal.

The authors of the paper use examples of how design can make people feel safer. An obvious one is a handrail on a stairway. Having confidence to participate in everyday activities is good for health. Maintaining and restoring that confidence is another element of universal design.

The title of the paper is Widening the Circle: Is There an Eighth Principle for Universal Design?

From the abstract

The advantage of universal design over barrier-free design is it benefits everyone, regardless of age or ability. However design for personal safety outranks accessibility as a design The imperative to include design for personal safety even outranks accessibility as a requirement of a design.

The Seven Principles of Universal Design did not anticipate advanced standards of safety in today’s world. Whilst Principle Five – ‘Tolerance for Error’ gets close, it implies the user who is at fault not the designer. The very fear of falling, inability to find a public toilet, or feeling incapable erodes confidence.

We discuss the design of facilities that lead to lack of confidence. Fear of falling is one of the most limiting when it comes to getting out and about. We propose an additional principle: Reduction of Fear.

By joining forces with health and safety issues, universal design becomes more inclusive, desirable to client bodies, and attractive to everyone. There are areas where improvement in design is urgently required.

Is software design gender biased?

How much does software design impact the way women and men perform tasks? Seems there is a gender bias. A study found the amount of thinking required (cognitive load), aesthetics, and emotional design could affect task performance. The level of usability, however, has little significance when it comes to gender.

Gender is not factored into the design for usability or performing tasks. Female users are poorly represented in software development which means males are designing for themselves.

A woman is sitting in front of a computer screen which is displaying code. Other computer hardware is on the desk.

Language processing and visual perception are notably different in females and males. Technology applications usually need additional cognitive processing determined by emotional perception. They also need retained working and memory details. So if men are the ones designing software, they will build in a bias towards their cognitive strengths. Consequently, women deal with increased cognitive load when using software applications.

Reducing gender bias in software design

The study introduces the key theories and the study design. Twenty-three females and seventeen males were participants in the study. Statistical analyses support the findings. Cognitive load and emotional design was found to have more of an impact than aesthetics for females. Consequently, software design should aim to reduce cognitive load. Men were not significantly impacted on either variable indicating the design suited their them – hence the bias.

Stereotypes have a major role to play so particular colour schemes, icons and language are ineffective. Minimalist design principles are recommended to minimise distraction to keep attention on the task. Another recommendation is to make it clear what the next step in the task is the sequence. The key point is to integrate psychological and biological differences into technology applications.

Most software designers are men, while women are usually linked with the aesthetic aspect of software design.

Rows of computer code are laid over the face of a woman. representing accessible software.

The title of the paper is, Is software design gender biased? A study on software-design effect on task performance. This study is a step toward debunking previous assumptions that explain female task performance. The author makes a note about gender diversity.

From the abstract

Software design is critical to the development of software, but literature suggests a gender bias. This bias might be causing differences in task performance between males and females.  Applying cognitive load theory, emotional design theory and Aesthetic-Usability Effect we explore the differences between women and men.

The study was performed on two groups that possessed comparable educational backgrounds and professional experiences. The investigation encompassed two tasks aimed at evaluating performance in both professional and domestic contexts.

The study identified disparities among females, including high perception of cognitive load and lack of emotional design. It emphasizes the importance of incorporating phycological cognitive differences in design and ensuring inclusive design personas in software development.

Addressing the cognitive and emotional aspects of software design will reduce task performance discrepancies. It shifts the misbelief that task performance discrepancies are attributable to gender-based intellectual differences, rather than deficiencies in software design.

Overcoming bias in AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is entering our everyday lives with increased speed and sometimes without our knowledge. But it is only as good as the data it is fed, and the worry about bias is a concern for marginalised groups. AI has the potential to enhance life for everyone, but that requires overcoming bias in AI development. In his article, Christopher Land argues for more advocacy and transparency in AI.

The power of machine learning comes from pattern recognition within vast quantities of data. Using statistics, AI reveals new patterns and associations that human developers might miss or lack the processing power to uncover.

A background of computer code with a female face overlaid. Overcoming AI bias.

Designing for the average is fraught with problems. Statistical averages do not translate to some kind of human average. That’s because statistics don’t measure human diversity. That’s why AI processes are at risk of leaving some people behind. But in gathering useful data there are some privacy issues.

AI shows great promise with robot assistants to assist people with disability and older people with everyday tasks. AI imaging and recognition tools help nonvisual users understand video and pictures.

Christopher Land outlines how AI and machine learning work and how bias is introduced into AI systems if not prevented. He also has some recommendations on strengthening legal protections for people with disability. The paper is not technical. Rather it explains clearly how it works, where it’s used, and what needs to be done.

The title of the article is, Disability Bias & New Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence. The “Black Box” issue is explained and the need for a “Glass Box” is presented.

From the abstract

Bias in artificial intelligence (AI) systems can cause discrimination against marginalized groups, including people with disabilities. This discrimination is most often unintentional and due to a lack of training and awareness of how to build inclusive systems.

This paper has two main objectives: 1) provide an overview of AI systems and machine learning, including disability bias, for accessibility professionals and related non-development roles; and 2) discuss methods for building accessible AI systems inclusively to mitigate bias.

Worldwide progress on establishing legal protection against AI bias is provided, with recommendations on strengthening laws to protect people with disabilities from discrimination by AI systems. When built accessibly, AI systems can promote fairness and enhance the lives of everyone, in unprecedented ways.

Diversity and inclusion in AI

An Australian book chapter takes a comprehensive and practical approach to how equity and inclusion should be considered throughout development. This should be done at both governance and development levels by applying inclusive design and human-centred design to the AI ‘ecosystem’.

The title of the chapter is Diversity and Inclusion in Artificial Intelligence.

Applying UDL without knowing it

Seems you don’t have to know about UDL (Universal Design for Learning) in order to practice it. A study in the USA found that many instructors were applying UDL concepts without having actually heard of it. They call it serendipitous because it is accidentally beneficial.

Being able to take complex information and make it understandable is a key skill for instructors. The authors refer to this as sensemaking.

Image of a laptop computer in which an online learning lesson is taking place with a teacher standing in front of a chalkboard.

Instructors in higher education are often content matter experts but not trained in instructional design or inclusive practices. However, the researchers found that instructors were serendipitously implementing UDL without full knowledge of the framework.

The authors argue that this contradicts the belief that courses must be intentionally designed using UDL. They say this is explained with ‘sensemaking bridges’ of divergent viewpoints. This allows scholars to uphold both positions as well as supporting practitioners.

UDL and CAST

In the 1990s the nonprofit organisation CAST developed the UDL framework to account for learner diversity and variability. The three pillars are about multiple means of representation, action and expression, and engagement. The framework is one strategy that helps institutions carry out their commitment to accessibility.

To find out more about UDL, go to the Universal Design for Learning section of this website.

The title of the paper is, Signs of Serendipitous Universal Design for Learning in Online Courses.

From the abstract

Instructors in higher education are oftentimes content matter experts, but they may not have received training on instructional design or inclusive practices. However, instructors may serendipitously implement aspects of UDL without full knowledge of the framework.

This qualitative study used sensemaking theory to explore interview data from 33 online instructors with ten or more years of experience in online education.

First, analysis indicated that instructors used aspects of all three principles of UDL when designing and teaching their courses. Second, analysis found aspects of sensemaking—Noticing, Bracketing, Labeling, and Acting.

We suggest that sensemaking explains how instructors might incorporate parts of UDL into their course design without knowing about the framework. Further, we suggest that sensemaking could ease instructor transitions from serendipitously implementing strategies aligned with UDL to deliberately designing a course using a robust understanding of UDL as a framework.

Guests with disability: tourism employee attitudes

The right to enjoy leisure and travel is an important aspect of participating in everyday life. Most research on inclusive tourism is focused on user experiences, but little is known about tourism employee attitudes to guests with disability. So what do employees need to know and be able to do? A study from Norway explores the issues from the perspectives of employees and guests with disability.

Employee attitudes that were perceived by guests with disability as discriminatory are paradoxically caused by the fear of doing something wrong. Consequently, they often do nothing.

An older man in a suit sits in a wheelchair and is admiring flowers in the garden. An older woman leans forward from behind the wheelchair to look at what the man is holding.

The researchers held a collaborative stakeholder workshop to devise the questions for the two surveys – one for guests, and one for employees. The questions were designed to gain maximum information, and ensured correct language was used. The also checked they were universally designed, understandable, and precise.

Guests with disability said…

There were unhelpful or disrespectful employees, they felt neglected and that fellow travellers were sometimes more helpful. Some responses, such as rolling eyes and saying sick people should stay home, were also recorded. Travel processes, such as check in and ticketing are frustrating despite the best planning. Discrimination is particularly difficult for people with invisible disabilities.

Digital information is a problem when you need to use several digital tools at the same time. It takes digital competence to negotiate the apps. Special solutions are expected because there are few integrated universal solutions.

Tourism employees said…

The way they know they are dealing with a guest with disability is because it is visible or were told prior to arrival. Almost half the respondents said their company did not have guidelines for receiving guests with disabilities. Most said they felt comfortable interacting with guests, but others were worried they would say something wrong.

Most employees said they try to act just the same as they do with other clients. Others admitted to improvising because of their fear of doing something wrong. However, this often led to inaction. Most employees said they were interested in more training, but management doesn’t give the time. They also said ‘back office’ staff also needed the training.

The title of the paper is, Attitudes of Employees in Tourism Towards Guests with Disabilities in Norway” A Survey Study. The paper was presented at UD2024 in Norway.

The findings also relate to any service-driven business. It’s not just tourism.

From the abstract

Associations for people with disability in Norway receive much feedback about negative experiences with travel. There is little knowledge about what can be done to improve these experiences. With two digital surveys we mapped travel experiences of people with disability and attitudes of employees in the tourism industry.

A collaborative workshop with researchers, user representatives from a national disability organisation, and tourism employees formed the questions.

The results show that some of the employees’ discriminatory attitudes are paradoxically caused by fear of doing something wrong. They need more knowledge about invisible disabilities, and a company-level strategy for implementation of universal design in customer service.

Building capacity for engaged research

Talking about co-design and stakeholder engagement is one thing. Knowing how to do it is another. While organisations and universities like to make engagement central to their work, institutional practices are not keeping pace. Institutional policies, publishing pressures, and additional time needed stand in the way. Building capacity for engaged research is more than knowing how to run a focus group.

Engaged research embeds stakeholder views throughout the life of the research project. It encourages creation, and active collaboration with policy makers, practitioners and communities.

Graphic of seven human figures wearing casual clothing standing up from their chairs and looking upwards to the camera. Building research capacity.

A workshop was held mid 2024 to bring together research leaders with hands-on experiences. These are people who are keen to see their research improve things for society and individuals. They see this as a timely opportunity for key people to coordinate their efforts. The result is a large volume published by the National Academies Press containing the workshop discussions and ideas.

Partnering with communities, policy makers and others is challenging. Measuring the impact of such research requires a suitable evaluation system.

graphic of a bar graph with columns of different colours at different heights.

The book of proceedings has 8 chapters:

  • Introduction
  • Importance of engaged researach
  • Challenges and solutions: synthesising two landscape reviews
  • Promising approaches for addressing key tensions in community engaged research
  • Aligning mission and incentives: valuing and prioritizing engaged research
  • Valuing diverse forms of expertise
  • Aligning core values and measurements
  • Next steps for action

The title of the publication is, Building Institutional Capacity for Engaged Research. You can read free online. Note this is an academic text with long sentences.

From the introduction

The complex challenges facing society today call for new ways of doing research that bring researchers, policy makers, community leaders and members, industry stakeholders, and others together. The aim is to identify evidence needs, contribute different kinds of knowledge and expertise, and use evidence to accomplish shared goals.

Although momentum is building toward a research enterprise that more routinely enables and rewards this type of collaboration, the development of institutional capacities to support diverse forms of engaged research have not kept pace with the need for them.

Obstacles to accessible tourism

Why do hotels make their accessible rooms with bathrooms that look like a hospital? No wonder people don’t want to use them – even wheelchair users! That was one of the findings from a study of stakeholders’ perspectives. The study found many instances of outright discrimination, as well as misunderstandings about universal design. Clearly there are many obstacles to accessible tourism

While a diverse range of people can benefit from a more accessible environment, people with disability and older people are the primary beneficiaries of accessible tourism.

A person's hand is opening the door to a hotel room.

“At the time, we adapted to the regulations. What’s going on? You say “wow, how demanding the regulations are! It won’t be that bad”, but then, once you start working and the years go by, you realize that at the time, the regulations were not so demanding.” (Hotel manager)

26 people with disability and 57 tourism and public administration organisations were interviewed for the study. While some operators were in favour of accommodating people with disability, others were not supportive.

“A major obstacle for firms specializing in accessible tourism is discrimination of tourists with disabilities by some suppliers. “A receptionist sent an email to the hotel director but made a mistake and, instead, sent it to me. The email said: ‘Do I raise the price to this group to get rid of them?'” (Accessible travel agency manager)

From the conclusions

In the conclusions the authors say that despite the literature’s consensus on the importance of stakeholder collaboration, many questions regarding barriers remain unanswered. Lack of stakeholder cooperation is a major obstacle to expanding accessible tourism. Hoteliers are influenced by non-disabled guests complaining about disabled guests.

Companies adhere to minimum regulatory requirements which stems from a lack of knowledge underpinned by lack of research. Culturally ingrained misconceptions lead to perceptions that investment in accessibility is a liability rather than an asset.

Discrimination is prevalent in the case of people with intellectual disability. Many tourists and entrepreneurs perceive accessible design as aesthetically unappealing. This is likely due to sticking to design regulations that are best suited for the public domain, not an hotel.

The research paper concludes with recommendations which include standardising universal design and enhancing aesthetic appeal. Enhancing market awareness and sharing success stories is another strategy. Improving legal regulations and addressing discriminatory attitudes are also essential.

The title of the paper is, What is stopping the process? Analysis of obstacles to accessible tourism from a stakeholders’ perspective. Also published by Journal of Destination Marketing and Management under the same title

From the abstract

People with disability still encounter many hurdles when travelling. This study aims at identifying the factors hindering the development of accessibility in tourist destinations. To this end, we developed a stakeholder analysis using the Spanish Costa Blanca as a case study.

Employing a qualitative approach, insights from accessible tourism stakeholders were gathered. Data was collected through 83 semi-structured interviews. The research revealed instances of non-collaborative relationships and conflicts among stakeholders, which are acting as obstacles to accessible tourism.

We found firms, and customers without disability, discriminated against tourists with disability. There are inconsistencies in legislation, or challenges associated with the implementation of universal design.

Scandic hotels know the benefits

Scandic has embraced the principles of universal design throughout its hotel chain for more than ten years. This makes for an interesting case study because it goes deep into hotel operations. So it is not all about wheelchair accessible rooms – it is much more. It’s the little details such as reaching for the coffee cups at the breakfast bar.

The case study on DOGA, the Norwegian Inclusive Design website, shows how all hotels can benefit from small but effective changes to practices. The video below shows how they took a universal design approach. The architect said it was more about use of materials than wheelchair circulation space.

“The best evidence on that we are doing something right came from a guest. She told me that when she is staying at Scandic she is treated like a regular guest, not a disabled one”.  Magnus Berglund, Scandic. 

Distance view of the hotel which is three storeys high.

Key features on Scandic’s checklist

  • Height-adjustable bed*
  • Telephone on the bedside table along with the remote control
  • A space of at least 80 cm around the bed
  • Vibrating alarm clock and fire alarm available on request
  • Hooks placed at different heights so they can be reached from a wheelchair
  • Mirror at a suitable height for wheelchair users as well as standing guests
  • Handrail on the inside of doors at a height that can be closed from a wheelchair
  • No or low thresholds at doorways
  • Single-grip mixer tap or automatic tap*
  • Washbasin placed at a minimum height of 78 cm* so a wheelchair will fit under it. The hook, soap and hand towels are also easy to reach
  • Toilet paper holder on the armrest of the toilet
  • Hearing loop available for meeting rooms
  • The doors are at least 80 cm wide, so that guests can get through with a wheelchair, crutches or a walking frame*
  • The stage is accessible for wheelchair users*

*Only applies to some hotels

This is what is needed

Joined up thinking on accessibility for a seamless chain of services is good for everyone, locals and tourists alike. They make great places to live in as well. See video below from Ireland’s National Tourism Development Authority, Fáilte Ireland.

Urban density: not the answer to everything

Picure of very high rise buildings on the waterfront at Dubai UAEPoliticians and planners make frequent calls for older Australians to give up their three bedroom homes to make way for “working families”. They expect them to move into apartments. But is urban density the answer? Regardless of the ageist inference that older people are “hogging all the houses”, with the political focus on working families, little room is left to discuss the housing needs of older cohorts. 

Research by Bruce Judd on downsizing found the majority of older people want to stay put, not move into apartments. But there still remains the question, will these homes support them in their latter years?  Within the older cohorts the number of people with dementia is expected to rise significantly, but not much thought has been given to their housing needs.

An article, Housing and age friendly communities policies for future direction – A stepped approach puts the spotlight on this issue. Participants in the study were representatives from peak housing organisations, including strata managers, and advocacy organisations to assess how well their membership were prepared for this group. 

The article comes from the International Research Forum on Multi-owned Properties Deakin University, Melbourne 9-10th February 2017.

The picture was taken in Dubai, UAE. 

Older home-owners need their space

Dwelling Land and Neighbourhood use older homeownersThis is a major work by Bruce Judd, Diana Olsberg, Joanne Quinn and Oya Demirbilek (2010). It challenges the often held assumption that older people are “taking up space” in big houses that they no longer need – assumptions that their homes are “underoccupied”.

This qualitative research shows a very different picture. When people retire, they typically spend more time at home (about 85% of their time), so it makes sense to have “spare” space for home activities, including accommodating family members who live away and come to visit. So downsizing isn’t the answer for everyone.

Download the full report, Dwelling, land and neighbourhood use by older home owners, or the slideshow presentation from a NSW AHURI seminar.  

Housing aspirations of older Australians

An armchair is by a big window in a high rise building. Through the window you can see the tops of other buildings in the distance.Three bedrooms and urban living are what most older people want. These are two of the key findings in a new Australian report from AHURI. Age specific housing is not a preference. So researchers suggest more innovation to attract the older cohort so they can age in place after all.

There was no mention of universally designed homes so that age-specific housing doesn’t become the only option. There was only a brief mention of homes being adaptable. 

The title of the research paper is, Older Australians and the housing aspirations gap. There are three separate documents: an Executive Summary and a Policy Evidence Summary. The full report is also available from the AHURI website.

 

Government perspectives on accessible housing

Brightly coloured graphic of little houses clustered together. Government perspectives on accessible housing.What do government representatives think is the best way to supply homes suitable for people with disability? Mandating accessible features in all new mainstream housing is the way to go. That means both owners and renters would benefit. Plus accessible housing would suit ageing in place and not be detrimental to the rest of the population.

This 2017 research is one of many studies that found that universally designed homes is good for everyone. While government representatives support the evidence, politicians might have other ideas. The 2022 National Construction Code incorporated basic access standards for all new builds. However, states have either been against the features entirely, delayed adoption, or watered them down when adopting them. 

This research was specific to Australia’s National Disability Strategy, but the findings on housing design share similar responses found in other research. There is little benefit in segregated “disability housing”, but much to gain from housing that also suits people with disability.

The title of the article is, Government perspectives on housing, technology and support design within Australia’s National Disability Strategy. It is also available on ResearchGate or the Wiley online library.  

There is much more to this study which includes inclusive communities, integrated technology and transportation.

From the abstract

Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a significant disability reform and part of a 10‐year National Disability Strategy. The new Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) framework, aims to deliver housing responses that positively influence NDIS participant outcomes.

This study gathered perspectives of government disability and housing representatives about opportunities for Australians with disability. Four  research questions related to to built design; integrated technologies; the relationship between housing and support provision; and community precinct design.

Nineteen government representatives from seven of the eight Australian jurisdictions participated in a focus group in Melbourne, in March 2017.  Twelve themes were identified in response to the research questions. Key policy and practice implications were highlighted.

This research offers insights from government that can contribute to strategic housing, technology, support and community design decisions. 

2022 Update: The 2022 NCC Livable Housing Design Standard is freely available.

Home Coming? Yes it’s possible 

A graphic in shades of green showing various types of dwellings. Home Coming? Yes it's possible.This article was written when the Australian Building Codes Board called for responses to their Options Paper on Accessible Housing in 2017. Using facts and figures, she challenges the many false assumptions that the industry and others hold about the need for universal design in housing. She also covers assumptions about costs. So yes, it’s possible.

The title of Penny’s paper presented at the recent UD Conference in Ireland is, Home Coming? A Story of Reassurance, Opportunity and Hope for Universally Designed Housing in Australia.

From the abstract

Housing is complex yet it is the lynch-pin for achieving economic, social and human rights imperatives. In October 2017, a regulatory impact assessment was commissioned to consider Livable Housing Australia’s Silver and Gold standards, for inclusion in the National Construction Code.

A substantial research project provided a knowledge and evidence base of the policy perspective; an expanded statistical context; and detailed analyses of Silver, Gold and Platinum design levels.

The policy perspective included greater economic focus. The effect on productivity, directly attributable to housing, is significant. If acceptable standards of housing could solve or mitigate 34 policy ‘problems’.

It is reassuring that universal design has permeated all levels of government policy. Detailed analyses challenged many common assumptions and re-framed accessible housing into a mainstream problem. 

Opportunities for universally design-led mainstream solutions are evident. Some design features might cost more. Others can be designed out, or are cost neutral. 

As there is a minimal gap between universal design standards and current housing, there is hope that all Australians will, one day, live in a universally designed home.

The the paper is one of many from the UDHEIT 2018 conference held in Dublin, Ireland. The conference proceedings are open access.