Author: Jane Bringolf

Universal design and community-based design studios

A long room with a long table with students sitting both sides. They are working on a design project.What’s the best way to teach the concept of universal design to architecture students? Participatory and co-design methods are inherent in universal design. So this should be the way to do it. That means universally designing the learning experience about universal design. 

Hing-Wah Chau takes us on a journey with his post-grad students in his paper about community-based studios. This is a learning process where real life is brought into the design studio. That includes engaging with other stakeholders during the design process. Urban designers, local councils, other architects and community members all have a stake in a project.

Hing-Wah Chau concludes that problem-based learning, group work and industry engagement are essential elements for gaining a working understanding of universal design.  Site visits and engaging with industry partners allowed students to gain first hand experience.

An interesting paper that has a lot of detail about each design studio, their workshops, conference attendance and site visits. It was run over two semesters.

The title of the paper is Community-based studios for enhancing students’ awareness of universal design principles. 

Abstract: A series of community-based design studios were delivered at the University of Melbourne for postgraduate architectural students from 2017 to 2019 to arouse their awareness of universal design principles and the specific consideration of design for ageing. A design studio is a place of experimentation and exploration. Students are encouraged to propose solutions to respond to our community needs. Bringing real-world issues into design studios enables students to equip themselves with the capabilities to formulate corresponding design strategies for built environment, especially to cater for the specific needs of people with disability and older adults.

Through the engagement with various stakeholders, including practising architects, urban designers, not-for-profit organisations and local councils, students were required to assess the site context and carry out site analysis, prepare precedent case studies, participate in inclusive design workshops and prepare schematic design, leading to their detailed design and final presentations. In this paper, the course structure of these community-based studios is firstly introduced, followed by an analysis illustrating how students’ awareness of universal design principles can be enhanced. Potential areas of improvement are discussed and further guidance for replicating similar studios at other institutions are given.

Spaces for all ages

Urban landscape with shade trees and lots of casual seating with people sitting.We often hear that an ageing population is going to be a burden. Viewing older people through the prism of health and disability ignores their continuing contribution to society.  The 2015 Intergenerational Report talks of the ‘three Ps’ – population, participation and productivity. But where is the fourth P – policy? 

Emily Millane discusses the issues of ageism, employment and social participation in a percapita report. She asks, where is the fourth P, policy, and argues we need policies to overcome age discrimination in all its forms. This includes the design of public spaces, parks and streets. Urban design plays an important role here. It needs to capture all ages and foster interaction between generations. This strategy might be easier than changing community attitudes in the short term.

Older people are considered lesser value than others – something highlighted by the Royal Commission into Aged Care. COVID brought forth words such as ‘vulnerable’ and applied them only to older people and people with disability.  By perpetuating the idea of being less capable or being a burden on society affects attitudes that are hard to shift. 

The report is titled, Spaces for All Ages: policies for an inclusive Australia.

This report follows on from The head, The Heart and The House. 

 

Complete Streets: Health agencies play a role

Pedestrians are walking towards the camera. They are on a wide walkway. Some people are looking at their phones. They are dressed for warm weather. There are buildings on each side of the walkwayThe Complete Streets concept is about creating a safe place for all road users regardless of their age or ability. Transport and planning agencies usually have control over road and street plans. But public health agencies also have a role to play. Along with other stakeholders, health agencies can evaluate initiatives from a health, physical activity and inclusion point of view. A report from the US gives an overview of strategies and examples of how public health agencies, advocates and practitioners were involved in planning processes.

The report, published by University of Illinois, is titled, “Public Health Engagement in Complete Streets Initiatives: Examples and Lessons Learned”, is 18 pages plus appendices. 

Complete streets should also mean good footpaths. Parking on and across footpaths in Australia is illegal. For people who are pushing strollers or wheeling anything it means going out on the roadway. And not good for people who are blind or have low vision for the same reason. An article on the BBC News website explains some of the difficulties about this issue, especially now that the UK are providing designated places where it is OK now to Two cars parked with one wheel mounting the kerb of the footpathpark on the footpath. A backward step (excuse the pun). The article includes videos showing the problems. 

Creating independence with colour

A pile of brightly coloured squares sit untidily on top of each other. The colours are very bright. Creating independence with colour. Colour is important for giving visual cues about the position of objects and helps us navigate around obstacles. But as we grow older this ability tends to decrease along with vision loss. Colour coding is one strategy to gain or direct attention and increase independent movement. 

A study on using colour for safe movement in the home found that bright, clear or strong colour helps older eyes distinguish things. It is also good for people of any age who have low vision. Luminance contrast was also likely to be just as important, if not more so.  

The report of the study is a second edition and is titled, Use of Colour for Safe Movement. The aim of the study was to see how colour and colour contrast helps older people stay safe and comfortable at home.  Bright colours and high contrast improves spatial orientation, recognition of objects, and improves mood. The study has particular use for people involved in home modifications.

Related to this research is an Industry Checklist: Colours for the homes of people with ageing eyes or vision impairment.  This is useful for doing a home assessment and customising for individual needs and preferences. 

There is also a consumer factsheet, How can colours support movement of people with ageing eyes or impaired sight?  This has self-help tips such as marking objects with a bright colour such as buttons on a remote control. 

While this study was about home environments, there is much to take away for the public domain. 

Social Tourism is inclusive tourism

A group of colourfully dressed children sit around the edge of the classroom. There are posters on the wall with Spanish writing. This is one aspect of social tourism.
Tourists visit a rural school in Peru

Getting away from it all is something we all need for our health and wellbeing. But not everyone has the means of doing this. Being excluded as a tourist goes beyond physical and other levels of capability. It extends to people without the money to have a holiday. But it goes further than that. In developed countries the concept is applied to people looking for low cost tourism. In developing countries the focus is on the visited community rather than the visitor. This is “social tourism”.

The concept of social tourism has changed over time. It can help both the visitor and the visited community under the banner of Tourism for All. Socially sustainable tourism, community-based tourism and volunteering tourism have also fallen under the banner of social tourism. Consequently, in the literature, it is not clearly expressed as tourism for people who are disadvantaged. 

The title of the article is, Inclusions and Exclusions of Social Tourism.  Also available from ResearchGate where you can find related articles.

From the abstract

The term ‘social tourism’ has been ambiguously interpreted since its inception in the early 20th century, when the focus of tourism was mainly for the financially disadvantaged and socially excluded travellers. Such concept was indeed important to increase social participation in tourism through social and political interventions.

This study attempts to describe three aspects of social tourism: (a) how social tourism is perceived in different socio-cultural and geographical settings; (b) what are the excluded elements of social tourism; and (c) change in demography of potential socially excluded groups. The study also explains the trends of special forms of tourism and its relevance to social tourism inclusion. 

See also the book, Handbook of Social Tourism. The synopsis reads, “This thought-provoking Handbook considers the impact and challenges that social tourism has on people’s lives, integrating case studies from around the world. Showcasing the latest research on the topic and its role in tackling the challenges of tourism development, chapters explore the opportunities presented by social tourism and illustrate the social imperative of tourism as a force for good”.

Older Academics: A question of equity and age:

A black and white portrait of Albert Einstein.The university sector has an ageing workforce. But are older academics encouraged to stay on, and if so, are they treated with equity? This is an important question in the context of a higher education institutions in a competitive global market.

A qualitative study of older academics revealed that older academics are not treated equitably by management. There is an emphasis on “performance” but no investment in it. The main human resource strategy for older academics seems to be pre-retirement planning. So there are two issues: performance evaluation and age management.

The study was carried out by Catherine Earl, Philip Taylor and Fabian Cannizzo who discuss the role of corporate objectives in the employment of older academics. They conclude that the ad hoc nature of retirement planning has perpetuated stereotypes of older academics. It puts pressure on individuals to avoid discrimination by making sure they “perform” well. Both the institutions and the academics are vulnerable in this global climate and an equitable solution needs to be found.

The title of the paper is, “Regardless of Age”: Australian University Managers’ Attitudes and Practices Towards Older Academics. 

Abstract: As with other industrialized nations Australia’s population is aging and older workers are encouraged to work for longer. At the same time, Australia’s university sector, which is aging, is being reconfigured through changes that potentially marginalize its older workers as higher education institutions try to become more competitive in a global market. In this context, youthfulness appears to embody competitiveness and academic institutions are increasingly aspiring to a young workforce profile. This qualitative article builds on previous research to explore to what extent ageist assumptions shape attitudes to older workers and human resource management (HRM) practices within Australian universities even when HRM practitioners are well versed in antidiscrimination legislation that (unlike the Age Discrimination in Employment Act in the United States) applies to workers of all ages. Semistructured interviews conducted with 22 HRM practitioners in Australian universities reveal that university HRM practices generally overlook the value of retaining an older workforce by conflating “potential” with “youthfulness,” assuming that staff potential and performance share a negative correlation with age. While mostly lower-ranked institutions have attempted to retain older academics to maintain an adequate labor supply, this study finds that university policies targeting the ongoing utilization of older workers generally are underdeveloped. Consequently, the availability of late career employment arrangements is dependent upon institutions’ strategic goals, with favorable ad hoc solutions offered to academics with outstanding performance records, while a rhetoric of performance decline threatens to marginalize older academic researchers and teachers more generally.

Editor’s note: Professor Philip Taylor is a CUDA board member.

UD2020 Conference published papers

The Griffith University logo in black and white with the words published by ePress.COVID-19 prevented UD2020 conference from going ahead in May this year, but not before some of the speakers had finished writing their papers. As we had to postpone yet again to May 2021, it seemed too long to wait. So CUDA’s People and Transport webinar last week provided the perfect opportunity launch the papers. 

With the support of Griffith University we can now bring you eleven peer reviewed papers and extended abstracts. As you can see, they cover a wide range of topics. We look forward to hearing from the authors at the conference next year. 

Community-based studios for enhancing students’ awareness of universal design principles

Universal design in housing: Reporting on Australia’s obligations to the UNCRPD

From niche to mainstream: local government and the specialist disability housing sector

Thriving at School: How interoception is helping children and young people in learning everyday 

Universal Design and Communication Access 

Achieving visual contrast in built, transport and information environments for everyone, everywhere, everyday 

Mobility Scooters in the Wild: Users’ Resilience and Innovation 

Understanding the Differences between Universal Design and Inclusive Design implementation: The Case of an Indonesian Public Library  

Accessible Events: A multi-dimensional Approach to Temporary Universal Design

Everyone, everywhere, everyday: A case for expanding universal design to public toilets  

Reframing Universal Design: Creating Short Videos for Inclusion

Faith is wearing a white shirt. She has a mix of grey and dark hair and is smiling at the camera.The papers were launched at the webinar by Dr Faith Valencia-Forrester.

Access to Premises Standard Review

It’s time to review the Access to Premises Standard again. The Department of Industry wants to know what works and what needs to be improved. People with disability and their families, and disability advocates are encouraged to say what works and doesn’t work in the built environment.  Building professionals and local council people can also respond. Submissions close 30 November 2020.

The Department of Industry website has a link to a survey where you can give your opinions. There will be a discussion paper to follow.

There is an Easy Read guide to the process and information about the Access to Premises Standard. 

The Review of Access to Premises Standard closes 30 November 2020. You can also send in a written submission.

 

Automated vehicles: Are we there yet?

Side of an automated vehicle is cut away to show four seats in pairs facing each other.
Image courtesy ABC news.

Australia is lagging behind the rest of the world with electric and automated vehicles, but this isn’t stopping development. Until now, automated vehicle design has focused around a version of the average driver. Automation will change all that. 

Accessibility as well as safety and fuel efficiency can now be included in designs. But at what point should users be involved in contributing to design?  This question is discussed in Towards Life-Long Mobility: Accessible Transportation with Automation. 

The introduction of autonomous vehicles will happen in five stages. The first stage is basic automation such as breaking, parking and controlling speed. The final stage is where there are no controls as we know them. No steering wheel, brake lever or pedals. Stages 2-4 have intermediate degrees of automation until stage 5 is reached. One of the major barriers to implementation is integrating with existing infrastructure. This means some form of onboard human control, for now at, at least. 

The paper discusses people with disability or difficulties, older adults, and children. Vehicles designed to “themes” would cater for individual needs. An office theme, an entertainment theme, or an adaptable theme to suit specific disabilities. In this case, it could be by offering all information in the most suitable mode, or adapting ergonomics to suit easy operation.  ABC News also has a 2017 article discussing some of the issues.

Ridesharing

A related 2021 article discusses the role of autonomous vehicle ridesharing for non-drivers. Using a participatory approach, the research group checked out the needs of people with disability. They ended up with a list of of user needs that will go into prototypes. It’s not just about the vehicle – it’s about the system for booking and ridesharing. That included web design, vehicle design and how people interact with all of that. 

You will need institutional access to read An Accessible Autonomous Vehicle Ridesharing Ecosystem. But you can see the abstract in the link.

The 2021 Australian Driverless Vehicle Summit went virtual. It was an opportunity to update around 250 delegates on what Australia is doing. The Summit featured examples of autonomous trucks in mining sites, and in defence and freight industries. Clearly there is a lot going on in the background in this field. 

To find out what Transport for NSW is doing on this topic – go to their dedicated website page on connected and automated vehicles.

Artificial Intelligence will be key. But it needs to be more intelligent than some of the typed autocorrections we see today. 

Can you see me?

An orange automated vehicle has eyes that appear to be looking at a pedestrianWorried that a driverless car won’t see or detect you? With a driver you can check to see if they are looking your way, but if there is no driver, that can be a worry. Autonomous vehicles are posing many problems for designers who are grappling with most of them quite successfully.

So for this problem Jaguar has come up with a car with googly eyes. The “eyes” don’t “see” you. However, they can give confidence that you have been detected because the eyes follow you as you cross the pedestrian crossing.

At the 2018 UD Conference Amy Child from Arup gave an entertaining presentation on this topic and other aspects of the move to driverless cars, including the googly eyes. The transcript of Amy’s keynote presentation can be downloaded in Word. 

Design, Dignity and Dementia Report

Front cover of the Design Dignity Dementia Report.The field of dementia and the design of the built environment is not well understood. Until now. Comprehensive Australian research has resulted in two volumes on the topic. The research looks at current best practice in design, and regional and cultural aspects. It also covers the importance of including people with dementia in the design process. The impact of the pandemic is another discussion point. People with dementia have the same human rights as others and that includes being treated with dignity.

The first volume is about the approach to the topic, the thorny issues, design processes and the 10 principles they developed. The second volume presents 84 case studies from around the world. A collection of day care centres, residential care facilities, and public buildings illustrate good design principles. The case studies include architectural detail and photos illustrate some of the design points.

The title of the report is, World Alzheimer Report 2020: Design, Dignity, Dementia: dementia-related design and the built environment. Authors are Prof Richard Fleming, John Zeisel and Kirsty Bennett.

The report launch webinar gives a good overview. Unfortunately the captions are auto-generated so they aren’t the best. However you can increase the speed and still understand the content.

Principles of dementia 

    • Unobtrusively reducing risks: Minimise risk factors such as steps and ensure safety features are as unobtrusive as possible.
    • Providing a human scale: The scale of buildings can impact the behaviour of people with dementia, so provide a human scale to minimise intimidating features.
    • Allowing people to see and be seen: The provision of an easily understood environment will help to minimise confusion. A literal line of sight should be clear for both residents, and staff.
    • Reducing unhelpful stimulation: Environments should be designed to minimise exposure to stimuli that are unhelpful, such as unnecessary or competing noises and the sight of unnecessary signs, posters, spaces and clutter.
    • Optimise helpful stimulation: Enabling the person living with dementia to see, hear and smell things that give them cues about where they are and what they can do, can help minimise their confusion and uncertainty.
    • Support movement and engagement: Providing a well-defined pathway of movement, free of obstacles, can support engagement with people and opportunities.
    • Create a familiar place: The use of familiar building design, furniture, fittings and colours affords people with dementia an opportunity to maintain their competence.
    • Provide opportunities to be alone or with others: A variety of spaces, some for quiet conversation and some for larger groups, as well as spaces where people can be by themselves, gives people with dementia a choice to how they spend their time.
    • Link to the community: The more an environment enables visitors to drop in easily and enjoy being in places that encourage interaction, the more the sense of identity that comes from spending time with loved ones and others is reinforced.
    • Design in response to vision for way of life: The way of life offered needs to be clearly stated and the building designed both to support it and to make it evident to the residents and staff.

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