This post features five books on the topic of inclusive design, accessibility and social justice.
Disability at heart of design
The Architecture of Disability: Buildings, cities and landscapes beyond access. An architectural perspective that places disability at the heart of the built environment, not the edge. Published by the University of Minnesota Press.
Disability critiques of architecture usually emphasize the need for modification and increased access. But lived experience should be the a new foundation for the built environment. This book reconsiders how we conceive of and experience disability in our world. The Architecture of Disability challenges current modes of architectural practice, theory, and education.
Lived experience in a book
Living Disability: Building Accessible Futures for Everybody is a book of essays written by Canadians with disability. It expresses their lived experience, their battles, their advocacy.
The book is about being disabled in public and the privilege of having a private place to call home. It provides cross sectional views from colonialism to cycling, and from art to recycling. The style of writing is engaging and carries the reader through vibrant perspectives on disability justice and urban systems. Order from Coach House Books, or other booksellers.
Design for inclusion conference papers
Design for inclusion: Accelerating Open Access Science in Human Factors Engineering and Human-Centered Computing is not just about computing. It includes papers on museums and cultural heritage, recycling, product design, urban mobility, vehicle design, door designs, map design, inclusive gaming, inclusive web design.
This open access book of conference papers addresses age-friendly environments, disability, dementia, learning systems, clothing, digital media and more. Many really interesting papers from around the globe.
Of topical interest is a paper by Satoshi Kose, a well known Japanese academic on the legacy of their 2020 Games. Kose expressed his concern about accessibility in 2016 and in 2024 he reviews the progress or lack thereof. The title is, How far has Japanese accessibility improved with Tokyo 2020 Olympics/Paralympics?
Humans and the planet
Flourish by Design is a book about designing for a better tomorrow. The book explores the difference that design can make for people, organisations, and the planet.
The editors are so keen for change they have made it open access.
Flourish by Design has 32 chapters covering a diversity of design ideas and issues. “Design impacts everyday life, shaping the way we engage with the world and those around us. This is not simply limited to the ‘us’ as human beings but also the many other species we share the planet with.”
Everyone needs low carbon designs
Building for People: Designing Livable, Affordable, Low Carbon Communities. Architect and ecodistrict planner Michael Eliason makes the case for low-carbon ecodistricts drawing from his experience working in Europe and North America.
Eliason shows the potential for new climate-adaptive ecodistricts that address housing shortages while simultaneously planning for climate change. Ecodistricts incorporate social housing, invest in open space, and have infrastructure that adapts to climate change. Eliason discusses the interconnection between public health, livability, climate adaptation, and quality of life. Full-color photos and illustrations show what is possible in ecodistricts around the world.