Mark Relf traced the history of disability access and universal design in Australia. His presentation, Universal Access is not Universal Design, provided an excellent context to the position of universal design today. The transcript of his presentation is included in the Panel session on Day 2 of the conference.
Author: Jane Bringolf
The House that Chris Built – his story
Chris Nicholls discusses the design and construction of his family home from the perspective of a wheelchair user. He explains why some design features, which are often referred to as disability features, are not necessarily needed by every wheelchair user or person with disability. He also explains which features were important and why. His story shows why we need to mandate basic access features so that people like Chris don’t have to fight the builder all the way. Too many times the builder thought “near enough was good enough”.
The slideshow presentation has many instructive photographs. You can also download the transcript of his presentation:
Chris Nicholls Transcript Word Chris Nicholls Transcript PDF
Universal design and 40 Principles of TRIZ
A short paper by Kalevi Rantanen shows how to combine the principles of universal design and 40 Principles of TRIZ. It gives another perspective on how to apply the principles of universal design in a problem solving context. TRIZ is the Russian acronym for “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving”.
The title of the paper is, “Homes for Strong Families, Children, Seniors and All Others. How Universal Design, Design for All and Forty Principles of TRIZ Enforce Each Other”.
The 40 Principles of TRIZ are a list of simple, and easy to learn rules for solving technical and non-technical problems quickly and simply. Studying these existing solutions can inspire people to solve new problems and imagine innovative solutions. They show how and where others have successfully eliminated contradictions. They take us to the proven, powerful recorded solutions contained in the patent database. These 40 Inventive Principles help solve both technical and non-technical problems.
Principles and something more
The paper begins with a note about accessibility being a “must”. In TRIZ jargon accessibility is one feature of the Ideal Final Result. It’s about a check between whether a feature reduces harm for one group without increasing harm for another.
“For example, we consider removing a threshold. A harmful feature, a barrier to the user of a wheelchair or walker disappears. Are the useful features retained? Perhaps even new benefits appear? Everything useful is retained if we move thresholds. A new benefit is that it is easier to clean doors.
Will new harmful features appear? Usually not, but some doors may need sealing. In that case flexible, rubber-like thresholds can be used. Does the system become more complex? No, removing thresholds makes a building more simple.”
Universal Design in Sport and Recreation
Sofi De Lesantis is Manager of Metropolitan Community Facilities at Sport and Recreation Victoria. Her team works in partnership with local government to plan and invest in new and improved sport and recreation facilities that aim to meet the needs of all users across metropolitan Melbourne.
Sofi applies universal design thinking and principles in the sport and recreation sector. This includes procurement and planning processes to influence design outcomes and how its use can lead to more active and engaged communities.
Sofi De Lesantis presentation slideshow PDF 2MB
From the abstract:
As Australians, sport and recreation forms an invaluable part of our cultural fabric. At the elite level it is a source of pride and unity. At the grassroots level it is in many cases the heart of entire communities.
We need quality facilities for players, coaches, officials, volunteers and supported to participate equitably.
Sporting facilities at both the elite and community levels share one think in common. People come from all walks of life to participate: whether young or old, tall or short, with differing levels of ability and from countless different cultural backgrounds. Sporting facilities serve as a social hubs and provide non-sporting-related community groups with a place to meet, and hold events.
The principles of universal design provide an opportunity like no other to facilitate inclusion in sporting facilities. By incorporating universal design principles, we can ensure that not just some people, but all people, can feel included and share in the same experience without the need for differentiated or specialised/adapted features.
Victoria has implemented a universal design approach to sporting facilities with great success. It has also played a key role in ensuring equitable access and an inclusive environment for all who love of sport and recreation.
This presentation encourages practical, insightful, and informative discussion about applying universal design thinking and principles in sport and recreation. It begins with procurement and planning process through to influencing design outcomes. The result is more active and engaged communities.
Universal Design and Transport
Liz Reedy discusses how many developed countries have incorporated requirements of universal design in their laws and regulations. This presentation will compare and contrast progress made in Australia with other developed countries and discuss how Australia can improve its transport systems to be more inclusive. The recent upgrades to several railway stations in Sydney were used to engage audience participation.
Liz Reedy presentation slideshow PDF 2 MB
Universal Neighbourhood Design:
Making place for multi-generations of all abilities
Assoc Prof Lisa Stafford discussed the need for building an agenda for universal neighbourhood design to cater for multi-generational use, using three studies: children, older people, document analysis of neighbourhoods.
You can see a similar paper, Planning Neighbourhoods for All Ages and Abilities: A Multigenerational Perspective.
Conference Abstract
Neighbourhoods play an integral role in facilitating both individual and community wellbeing. They have been associated with engendering cohesive and healthy communities (Thompson & Magnin, 2012; Mees, 2012), sustainable mobility (William, 2005; Schenier & Kasper, 2003), and physical activity (Hume, Salmon, Ball, 2005). However, studies have also suggested that poorly planned neighbourhoods are unfriendly towards children (Horelli, 2007; UNICEF, 2012), people with disabilities (Stafford, 2013, Gleeson, 2001, Imrie, 1996) and older people (Baldwin et al, 2012; Judd, 2012, Judd et al, 2010; Vine et al. 2012). Despite this knowledge and known problems, the neighbourhood scale continues to receive inadequate consideration from a universal design perspective.
In Australia, the 2011 enactment of the Design for Access to Premises Standards (2010), underpinned by Disability Discrimination Act (1992) and supported by Design for Access and Mobility Australian Standard suite (AS1428), resulted in the requirement of universal access to public buildings. Whilst, private homes (class 1A structures) were not included in this standard, along with public spaces, there is, however, intense advocacy and well-defined guidelines and programs promoting universally designed housing. However, there is little guidance for planners, developers and designers about how to make neighbourhoods accessible for multiple ages and abilities.
This presentation argues for the need to build an agenda for universal neighbourhood design, and an understanding of the foundations that are required to create neighbourhood environments that are friendly and inclusive of the diversity of ages and abilities. The presentation supports this through the discussion of findings from three studies: 1.a participatory study of seniors in south-east Queensland (SEQ) (Baldwin et al., 2012), 2. a person-environment study of children with physical disabilities and their families’ participation in urban spaces in SEQ (Stafford, 2013), and 3. document analysis of neighbourhoods, UD and planning relating to multi-generations and abilities (Stafford, Baldwin and Beazley, 2014).
The paper was co-authored by Dr Claudia Baldwin and Dr Harriot Beazley from University of Sunshine Coast.
Universal design: Interprofessional perspectives
Helen Larkin presents key findings from a qualitative study on the understanding of universal design and how the design for Diversity Initiative builds capacity for inter-professional education and research related to universal design practice.
Helen Larkin presentation slideshow: Universal design and inter-professional perspectives. PDF 1MB
Slips Trips and Falls: Access, Safety and Poetry in Urban Places
John Clarke is currently Director of Parish Clarke Architects, and was formerly Principal Architect with GHD Architecture and Principal of Urban Design and City Projects with Brisbane City Council. Contact John Clarke if you are interested in this presentation on slips, trips and access.
From the abstract:
There is a difference between the aspirations of public authorities and designers and the built outcomes in our urban places. As a culture, and as designers and place managers, we need to be more vigilant, better prepared, educated, and to better understand what is required of built environments.
Issues of universal design, accessibility and public safety are misunderstood, and place management poorly conceived or implemented.
Despite a mature design industry and the myriad of policies, regulations, and design guidelines, our urban places and connections fall far short of the goals we deserve. This is partly due to governance and budgetary allocations, but also as a culture we struggle with implementing design for safety and accessibility, let alone infusing our places of with human dignity and poetic experience.
This presentation examines the experience of design through visual examples and appraises some of the reasons for their failures and likely consequences in terms of safety and accessibility.
Potential opportunities are there if technical, regulatory and OHS and universal design techniques are methodically applied. This may expose some the reasons why our endeavours are less than successful. Finally this presentation muses on the path ahead for designers and public authorities and the challenges confronting them in the nature of future design management, regulation and policies to help bring about universal design.
Design for inclusive play spaces and parks
Design for access and inclusion in play spaces and parks: those devilish details that make a difference
Mary Jeavons is a landscape architect with more than 25 years experience in the design of inclusive play spaces. In her presentation she shows some of the practicalities of creating inclusion. As is often the case, it’s the attention to detail that makes the difference. Her slideshow has many pictures and this makes it a large document to download.
Jeavons presentation slideshow PDF 22MB
Presentation Abstract:
The need for access to nature, parks, gardens and diverse outdoor play opportunities is well documented and fundamental to human wellbeing. Parks and open space become increasingly important as the densities of cities increase. The design of these important spaces is therefore critical in determining how individuals of all ages and abilities access the outdoor settings for play and recreation, physical activity, social interaction, respite and retreat, and engagement with nature.
This paper focuses on the design of parks and play spaces of all kinds and their potential for intergenerational play, social interaction and community building, and for interaction with the natural world. This is a contested domain.
Play equipment in a neatly fenced rubber space, it is argued, cannot meet all of the play needs of today’s children and families. To design quality play settings in urban environments, designers need to address challenging issues in play provision such as the need for: looseness and responsiveness in public parks to allow for hands-on engagement and creativity; self-directed, unstructured play; provision for risk taking behaviour; high levels of useability and multi functionality; and for diversity in the qualities of parks, play spaces and open space.
A particularly thoughtful approach is required to provide and protect these and many other aspects of quality play and recreation environments, and to engage users of all ages and all abilities. As we broaden our concept of play, we can diversify the way we design to maximise useability. This richly illustrated presentation will show examples of details that matter to maximise physical access, social inclusion and opportunities for all users to participate in outdoor play in parks. (Paper presented by Sally Jeavons.)
Engaging with communities and stakeholders in universal design
Michelle Blicavs is CEO of IAP2 (International Association for Public Participation) gives an overview of engaging with communities and stakeholders in universal design.
Michelle Blicavs slideshow presentation PDF
From the abstract
Planning and design for our public spaces often attracts passionate responses within our communities. Public participation, or community engagement, is based on the principle that those affected by a decision have a right to be involved in the decision-making process.
Public participation includes the promise that the public’s contribution will influence the decision. This presentation provides insights into minimising outrage with a better engagement process. This is more likely to result in better outcomes in planning and designing public infrastructure for everyone.
Tools and techniques for engaging with communities are included in the presentation. This is whether it is through informing, consulting, involving, collaborating or empowering that community in the decision making process.
This is particularly relevant when considering design for liveable communities for people regardless of their age, gender or ethnicity. Engagement is about reducing risk for decision makers and achieving better outcomes for communities and stakeholders.
Note: in 2025 IAP2 Australasia changed its name to Engagement Institute.