Jane Bringolf, Author at - Page 48 of 100

Understanding typefaces for accessibility

Example of typefaces images. — Image courtesy Medium

More people have difficulty reading than most people think. Low vision, dyslexia, low literacy, and learning disabilities are some of the reasons. Previous posts have covered the topic of plain language and Easy Read. But choosing the right typeface is also important for communicating successfully. Without understanding typefaces, things like colour contrast will make little difference.

Gareth Ford Williams explains key elements in his article. He says claims of some typefaces being more accessible than others are not backed up by evidence.

lower case 'i' and upper case 'L' and '1' look the same. — Gill Sans upper case ‘i’, lower case ‘L’ and ‘1’

Different typefaces provide different styles in how letters are formed. For example, Gill Sans upper case ‘i’ and lower case ”l’ and ‘1’ look the same. However, in Verdana they are distinct from each other.

Mirroring is something than young children do. For example, muddling ‘b’ and ‘d’ and ‘p’ and ‘q’. However, the letter flipping effect can be lifelong.

Spacing or ‘visual crowding’ is another consideration. Some typefaces have the same space between letters regardless of letter width. Helvetica is one example. Calibri has different spacing between letters. A wide letter like m has more space around it than an i or a t. In some cases the letters can look joined up such as ‘ol’ or ‘vv’. Tight letter spacing is not great for people with good vision either.

The article has several good examples to illustrate points made. The title is, A Gu ide to Understanding What Makes a Typeface Accessibl e. Williams makes the point that there is no one right typeface. As always, it depends on your audience. However, this article provides great insights into yet another aspect of communicating accessibly. The article is technical in some places.

Thanks to Dawn Campbell on Linked In for alerting me to this article.

Audio Describing for TV and Movies

The art of audio describing has improved considerably since it was first trialled some sixteen or so years ago. Australian produced television programs signal when a program is audio described with a distinct sound. And more movies and stage shows are offering this option. Audio describing (AD) is designed for people with vision impairment, but could sighted people benefit too?

A group of researchers looked at two questions – the quality of the AD, and the additional benefit to people who are sighted. Currently, the AD process sits outside the creative process. It’s added later in a similar way to captions and subtitles. However, lack of integration can cause misunderstandings about the plot and the characters.

The research group carried out an experiment with people with vision impairment and sighted people. A short film was shown with enhanced sound effects. For example, bed spring sounds for someone sitting on a bed. Their article explains in more detail and applies the seven principles of universal design to their method.

In conclusion, the study showed that sound design – that is, non-verbal cues – can replace verbal cues in some films. The enhanced audio description was accepted by both vision impaired and sighted audiences. One sighted participant said that because the AD was integrated into the film it didn’t feel like they were listening to AD.

It’s universal design!

The article shows the potential for everyone to have an enhanced experience at the cinema and in their lounge rooms. It indicates a strong case for considering AD in the creative process and not leaving it as an afterthought. Integration of AD into the design process is another example of universal design.

The tile of the article is, Enhancing Audio Description: Inclusive Cinematic Experiences Through Sound Design. The introductory page has both and abstract and a lay summary. Be prepared for a long but easy read.

Lay summary

Audio Description (AD) is a third person commentary added to film and television productions to make them accessible for visually impaired audiences. Traditionally, AD is added to productions after they have been completed, meaning that the creative and accessibility teams do not work together to produce the accessible version of the production.

This paper explores an alternative to traditional AD, called Enhanced Audio Description (EAD), whose methods are integrated to filmmaking workflows. EAD moves away from a focus on verbal descriptions and instead focuses on sound design strategies. In EAD the traditional third person commentary is replaced by the combination of three techniques.

The first is the addition of sound effects to provide information on actions, convey abstract scenes as well as indicate time, place, and the presence of characters. The second is the use of binaural audio (3D audio over headphones) to convey the position of characters and objects portrayed on the screen. Finally, first-person narration is used to portray feelings, gestures, colours as well as certain actions.

The application of EAD methods results in a form of accessibility that can cater for both visually impaired and sighted audiences, championing inclusive cinematic experiences. Focus groups with audiences of visually impaired and sighted people demonstrated the potential of the format to be widely enjoyed, and to be offered alongside traditional Audio Description (AD) in order to provide accessible experiences which cater for different aesthetic preferences.

Compliance, heritage and accessibility: A case study

War damages buildings and transport systems. It causes them to fall into disrepair and become inaccessible. Sri Lanka is one such example. But what to do? Sri Lanka is committed to disability access in their re-building process. However, they have a complex web of building compliance, heritage and accessibility to navigate. A universal design training program for built environment practitioners is a good start.

Penny Galbraith summarises the training process and the historical context in an article. She explains how the technical training was devised and delivered. Workshop scenarios were key to the success of the project.

More than 80 delegates attended the three day training. They comprised technical staff responsible for compliance with regulations, architects, engineers, town planners, transport operators and civil society organisations. The aim was for participants to understand the concept of universal design as a means of problem-solving the issues. This is because a strict compliance approach was not going to ensure accessibility. Consequently, the emphasis of the training was on design not regulation.

War also increases the level of disability in the population. Many injured people are excluded from work and education. Superstition about disability as a form of punishment for wrongdoing in a previous life exacerbates the discrimination and stigma. While an accessible built environment can’t change attitudes, it can minimise barriers to work, a social life, and education.

The intent of Sri Lanka’s accessibility regulations is commendable. However, in practical terms, the regulations and regulatory process make this difficult to achieve and compliance levels are low. Universal design thinking encourages creative problem-solving which involves users in the design process.

Playing catch-up with investment also allows an opportunity to avoid mistakes and to learn from the journey travelled by other countries towards removing barriers in the built environment.

The title of the article is, A universal design approach to addressing the inaccessibility and disrepair of the built environment in Sri Lanka. It is downloadable from the Design for All India Newsletter, October 2021 (article 3). Note that this publication uses a large bold font which is not easy on the eye.

Abstract

The combination of accessibility regulations, a rich architectural and cultural history, and recent civil war poses considerable challenges for remedying a damaged and run-down built environment. Sri Lanka has a commitment to removing barriers in the built environment for people with disability and as such has a set of robust regulations that are prescriptive and retrospective. However, drafting and translation errors have made it difficult to achieve these objectives. Consequently, there is a poor level of understanding and compliance with regulations leading to a seemingly intractable combination of difficulties.

A project funded through the aid program of the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs sought to overcome these difficulties through a training program. It was decided that a robust understanding of universal design principles would provide participants with different ways of thinking about the problems and solutions. Lessons from Australia were shared including whole-of-journey transport planning. Community and industry engagement was a central theme to taking more strategic and universal design approach to solving complex problems.

Penny Galbraith is a director of CUDA.

Museums, exhibitions and universal design

Museums and exhibitions help us understand the world we live in and give context to our lives. Making the content of museums available to everyone is an important part of the work of exhibition designers.

The Helen Hamlyn Centre conducted research to assist with this. Their findings and conclusions are reported in their article, Using Design Thinking to Develop New Methods of Inclusive Exhibition Making.

The project identified clear guidelines as a necessary factor in a universal approach to exhibition design. The key factor is encouraging designers to be creative and experimental with their designs. Making designers feel like they obliged to follow what they consider stifling requirements is counterproductive. It’s also about co-design and a dialogue between users, the institution and the design team.

The article is from the proceedings of the UDHEIT 2018 conference held in Dublin, Ireland, an open access publication.

Arts Access Australia also commissioned a report in 2011, Access and Audience Development in Australia: Museums and Galleries research project.

Neurodiversity and exhibition design

This article is a call to action for exhibition designers and museum professionals to prioritize the needs of neurodivergent audiences by incorporating these key tools and features into their designs, programs, and institutions:

1. Heightened awareness of sensory needs
2. Emphasis on breathing practices and regulation areas
3. Opportunities for health-awareness exhibits
4. De-stigmatisation of the need for regulation
5. Integration of art therapy practices and PTSD programs
6. Engagement with local community groups
7. Creation of safe centers of belonging and healing

The title of the article is, Neurodiversity & Placemaking in Exhibition Design. Photographs are informative.

Inclusive Historic Houses

Some good advice from a Masters dissertation on how to create inclusive Historic House stories and exhibits. The emphasis is on overcoming the practice of relating the dominant white male narrative. The dissertation discusses issues of diversity of ethnicity, socio-economic status and belief systems.

Seeking stories of forgotten or overlooked people who occupied the house is one way to address the prevailing white male narrative. Gaston advises:

- Include diverse perspectives and narratives
- Connect the past to the present
- Build with shared authority
- Make the human connection

The title of the dissertation is, If These Walls Could Talk: Best Practices for Storytelling in Historic House Museums, by Hannah M Gaston.

Museum has integrated universal design

Integrating universal design was a priority in the redesigning of the Gateway Arch Museum in St Louis. A gently sloping plaza, architecturally integrated ramps, and engaging exhibitions. An article in the St Louis online news gives a good run-down of the features.

The universal design concepts allow people to interact with exhibits rather than just look at them. The touchable exhibits are a great success, and there are other enhancements for people with disability. The arch and the park are now easier to access by foot or bike as well. The Archinet website features a brief overview by the architects, and pictures of the museum. The timelapse video of the construction is interesting because of the landscaping of the parkland around it.

Examples of universal design policy

Model Position Statement

Here are three articles on universal design policy at national, state and local levels, and CUDA’s model statement. In 2016 the Victorian Government decided to incorporate universal design principles into government procurement processes. New schools were the first examples of Victoria’s universal design policy.

The Victorian Government updated their universal design policy in 2022. There’s also a summary version. The policy documents are intended for use in procurement processes. They are based on the 7 principles of universal design. Embedding universal design into procurement processes helps ensure the project maintains an inclusive focus.

Planning Policy at a national level

In 1999 Norway turned the notion of universal design upside down. Gone is the idea that it is just about the design itself or the responsibility of the disability officer. Instead, universal design principles were placed at the heart of the planning process. That means everyone has to take responsibility. Their landmark approach to universal design still holds today.

Olav Rand Bringa’s story on how this was done in Norway is reported in a 2007 publication. The title of the book chapter on page 97 is, “Making universal design work in zoning and regional planning: A Scandinavian approach”. The book is, Universal Design and Visitability: From Accessibility To Zoning.

Bringa’s work is the forerunner to the landmark document “Norway Universally Designed by 2025“. He followed up with another update at a UD Conference in 2018 titled, “From Visions to Practical Policy: The Universal Design Journey in Norway. What Did We Learn? What Did We Gain? and What Now?” The paper is based on almost twenty years of experience and has guidance for others.

Example for local government

Having a universal design policy statement to go beyond access compliance is a relatively new thing. And it is a lot of work to start it from scratch. Fortunately Hobsons Bay Council in Victoria has a good example to refer to. Their Universal Design Policy Statement for council buildings and the public realm is comprehensive and nicely written in 18 pages. It covers cost (or lack thereof), the regulatory framework, applying universal design principles and advocacy with business and governments.

CUDA has a generic universal design position statement as a model for others to use. There’s also a plain language version.

Hospitals with healing design

An article in The Conversation draws our attention to the need to have separate waiting rooms, specifically designed for indigenous patients. This is because they often leave emergency rooms without receiving treatment. But does that mean non-indigenous patients feel comfortable in waiting rooms? Probably not – we all feel uncomfortable and anxious in hospitals. We need hospitals with healing design.

The title of the article is, Making space: how designing hospitals for Indigenous people might benefit everyone. The article explains design features to improve hospital design. The research is by Timothy O’Rourke and Daphne Nash from University of Queensland.

Although the article doesn’t mention universal design specifically, cross cultural awareness to create inclusive spaces and places is synonymous with universal design. There are links to other resources in the article.

Hospital design and dementia

The Dementia Enabling Environment Virtual Information Centre has a section on the design of hospitals. This interactive web tool shows a layout of a typical section of a hospital. Clicking on each room takes you to another page which is illustrated with Before and After features. A slide bar takes you between the Before and After illustrations. Design ideas for the staff station, bed area, patient or family lounge and reception area show how a few tweaks can make the place more dementia friendly. For a more in-depth guide see the guide from Ireland on using a universal design approach.

Patients at the centre of hospital design.

A large reception area with soft seating in the new hospital. — Image courtesy Halkin Mason in FastCompany article

No-one wants to go to hospital, either as a patient or a visitor. This is especially the case in hospital wards where children are very unwell. Putting families and patients at the centre of hospital design makes for a more welcoming place.

An article in FastCompany tells how a design committee made up of families of patients acted as an advisory group. Parents whose babies and children experienced long-term hospital stays were consulted. Useful information emerged such as the distance to bathrooms and the lack of privacy for dying children.

The feedback was instrumental in guiding the final design. For example, the devastating experience of watching child die in an open ICU bay led to having only private rooms. Doctors’ experiences with over-stimulated children guided colour and lighting choices. Natural light and access to outdoor spaces were also essential.

The end result was not perfect, but the participatory design process made the hospital a better place. Clinical staff also informed the design process and made them think about the way they deliver care.

The article is titled, See inside a hospital designed by patients, and has several highlight the design ideas.

A related article is the presentation by Stefano Scalzo at UD2021 Conference.

Inclusive credit card design

The new card design by Mastercard has taken account of people who are blind. It is a classic example of a small design change making a huge difference. And it’s all achieved by cutting a shape on the edge of the card. There are three types of card: credit, debit and prepaid. So there are three different notches. The inclusive credit card design is called the Touch Card.

- - Credit cards have a round notch
  - Debit cards have a broad square notch
  - Prepaid cards have a triangle notch

The design has received the approval of The Royal National Institute of Blind Persons in the UK. Mastercard is also embedding its signature melody at checkout counters. The sound confirms the transaction has gone through – especially handy for people with vision impairment. Mastercard also introduced the True Name card designed to support transgender and non-binary communities. See more on the BusinessWire website.

Inclusive customer to customer experiences in tourism

Roman Colosseum heritage site. Customer to customer experiences in inclusive tourism.

Visits to heritage sites are more than history and the site itself. It’s also about the interactions you have with others. Most inclusive tourism research has focused on the relationship between the operator and customer. But what about the relationship between visitors with and without disability? Shared settings for visitors create value for all customers and therefore the business. So how can operators facilitate inclusive customer to customer experiences? Chiscano and Darcy used a heritage site for a qualitative study on customer to customer interactions. The aim of the research was to find out how people with and without disability share an experience. They also wanted to know how the interactions created value for the customers. Their paper is very academic with lots of theory and methods. It uses the language of “value outcome” and “social practices”. Interactions were observed and participants reported on their interactions throughout the experience. The article reports in detail their findings of interactions that include and exclude. The concluding section has a table of quotes by participants which includes participant feedback on how they felt. The article concludes with advice for heritage and cultural site managers. Operators can facilitate positive outcomes for visitors with and without disability by changing some of their processes. Providing support tools for people with different disability types before the activity is very helpful. People with disability enjoy their experience more if they can share it with other visitors with or without disability.

Everyone wins with inclusion

Bottom line; operators can benefit from customer to customer interactions and shared resources to create value for the business. Simon Darcy wrote a post on Linked In: “Tourism is as much about the interactions you have with others as it is about the sites you are seeing and quite often people with disability have segregated experiences because of the lack of innovative service development that incorporates co-design and universal design principles within all service and product development.” The title of the article is, C2C co-creation of inclusive tourism experiences for customers with disability in a shared heritage context experience.

Sensory gardens: inclusive or segregated?

Sensory gardens are usually associated with people who are blind or partially sighted. But this strategy is not inclusive – everyone should be able to enjoy the experience. Gardens that are fragrant, colourful, create sounds, are nice to touch, and good to taste are for everyone. Together with accessible amenities, sensory gardens can be inclusive rather than segregated.

COVID has raised the importance of trees and gardens for the health and wellbeing of city-dwellers. A study in Poland assessed sensory gardens in the context of urban forests. Trees in urban settings: street trees home garden trees, and trees in parks make an urban forest. The aim of the study was to show that sensory gardens are just one element of urban forests that everyone can enjoy.

The study assessed fifteen gardens and one sensory path. The sense of smell was given priority, but other amenities were lacking in these gardens. The authors concluded that a universal design approach would make these gardens more inclusive.

The title of the article is, Recreation and Therapy in Urban Forests—The Potential Use of Sensory Garden Solutions.

Find out the basics of a sensory garden from Houz website – Please Touch and More: 5 Elements of a Sensory Garden.

Accessible tourism organisations

Should we call it ‘inclusive tourism’ or ‘accessible tourism?’ Well that depends. If it is a destination or activity specifically designed for people with disability then it’s accessible. If it is a mainstream service AND it is fully accessible for everyone then it’s inclusive. There is a place for both. However, inclusive in this context is not to be confused with “all inclusive” products and services where the price includes everything.

Specialist organisations

Here is a list of some accessible tourism organisations that are specifically for people with disability.

Accessible Accommodation is a find and book website with good visual and video information about the properties. You can subscribe to their newsletter.

Getaboutable is a social enterprise and consultancy focused on access and inclusion in the tourism industry. The website has a section on planning your next accessible and inclusive trip as well as other useful information.

Have Wheelchair Will Travel is a website where a family shares their travel experiences to help others. They also share day-to-day tips and other activities in between. They produce a magazine titled, Travel Without Limits.

Distinctive Options Travel (DO Travel) has a focus on disability specific holidays, stays and tours. This is an extension of their NDIS services. They have group tours.

Travability provides accessible travel information.The Destinations section of the website has plenty to offer travellers. There is also a news and resource section for the traveller and the tourism sector.

iSCREAM Travel provides tailored travel adventures from booking the holiday, hiring equipment, and connecting with care assistance. They say “you shouldn’t have to travel with the kitchen sink”.

Go Wheel the World is an international travel organisation that will find and book holiday experiences.

The Access Agency has a travel blog, Freewheel Weekends with stories and a directory of places and venues in Melbourne.

In New Zealand

Grab Your Wheels Let’s Travel is a blog site for travellers. It has a list of activities and accommodation. The site has a good example of how to describe a wheelchair accessible hotel and room.

Making Trax is an adventure tourism site for travellers and operators.

Ability Adventures is a specialist travel company providing tailored itineraries.

More on travel and tourism

There are many research papers and business guides on travel and tourism on this website. The emphasis of the research is on the missed business opportunities for operators. The guides are devised to help operators improve their accessibility.

Lake Macquarie Cabins

The pictures on the Council website show the cabins. This is also a good example of how information should be presented for wheelchair users to know just what is, and what is not, included. Saying something is “fully accessible” is of little use – it might only have a ramp and nothing else.

It should be noted that these are bespoke designs specifically for wheelchair users. However, there is no reason why non-wheelchair users can’t use them.

Author: Jane Bringolf

Understanding typefaces for accessibility

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