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
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.
Notwithstanding the recent attention to sustainability in Urban Design, there remains a vast 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, and as custodians of the public realm, we need to be more vigilant, better prepared, educated, and to better understand what is required of built environments. Issues of universal design and particularly accessibility and public safety continue to be 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 a quick survey of any of our urban places shows that 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. Further evaluation reveals potential opportunities that might have been derived if technical, regulatory and OHS design techniques were methodically applied, and if the principles of universal design had been considered at the design and implementation stage. 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 what challenges they need to confront in the nature of future design management, regulation and policies to help bring about universal design.
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
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.)
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
Abstract: Planning and design for our public spaces often attracts great emotions from our communities. Public participation, or community engagement, is based on the belief that those who are affected by a decision have a right to involved in the decision-making process. It includes the promise that the public’s contribution will influence the decision. This presentation will provide some insights into how outrage can be minimised and how a better engagement process can result in better outcomes in planning and designing public infrastructure that meets the needs of the community.
Included in the presentation are tools and techniques for engaging with the communities who use public places, and the importance of the promises made to the public and stakeholders whether that be 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.
Danielle McIntosh discusses how evidence based design principles and features can support dignity, wellbeing and inclusion for people with dementia. She presents success points in all situations from public domain to residential services.
Danielle McIntosh slideshow presentation PDF 1MB
Dementia design is good design per se! So why is good design for older people and people with dementia rarely prioritised in the creation of liveable community spaces? Older people and people with dementia require environments that will compensate for the myriad sensory, physical and cognitive changes that can strip away their independence. The built environment can have a positive impact on supporting older people and people with dementia to live well.
This presentation will address how evidence based design principles and features can support dignity, wellbeing and inclusion. Experiences and success points from designing and building residential aged care services, independent living units, outdoor public spaces.
Carol Wilkinson is a Hearing Advisor at Better Hearing Australia (BHA) in Victoria. BHA is a not for profit organisation offering an advisory service to anyone with hearing problems.
Carol Wilkinson presentation notes PDF
It is vital that planners, architects and building designers consider people with hearing loss in order to enhance universal design of public spaces. Imagine you are going on a long awaited holiday. At the airport there is a delay to the flight but you are unsure why. A message comes over the PA system but you’re having trouble understanding it because you have a hearing loss and, even with hearing aids, the noisy background makes it impossible for you to hear the announcement. It is the middle of the night at your hotel and the fire alarm goes off. Thank goodness it’s a false alarm, because you don’t sleep in your hearing aids and you were not woken by this auditory signal. The restaurants and cafes that you dine in whilst away are noisy and this makes it difficult to converse with the new people you are meeting on your tour as well as the staff.
All these difficulties could be avoided or at least improved upon if more thought had gone into the design of buildings and facilities. Hearing loss seems to be a forgotten disability in many ways, not the least when it comes to providing public facilities. At least twenty percent of the population experience hearing loss with younger people also affected. Consequently, it is amazing that there is not a greater awareness of providing an inclusive environment for people who are deaf or hearing impaired. This paper will look at things that can help, whether at home or on holiday, and how it is much easier and cost effective it is to include them in design rather than retrofitting.
Cecília Carvalho, specialises in design and product development and has a Master of Industrial Design from the Engineering Faculty at Oporto University, Portugal. Her presentation discusses mutual involvement for inclusive practices in design.
Despite the accepted advantages of user involvement in design projects, such as deeper understanding of people’s needs, capabilities and aspirations, procedural difficulties are recognized and discouraging design teams. Moreover, when we consider users with disabilities, greater challenges are identified.
This study is grounded on a participatory experience into the lives of people with disabilities, in which it became possible to observe that many of those stated problems in user involvement may actually be overcome or compensated with significant gains for design. This two years and still ongoing experience includes sport practices and other leisure activities.
Our work showed that user involvement should not be assumed as a unilateral process in design development and that for better achievements, a bilateral process is needed. Involving and being involved with users apparently opens more possibilities of success.
Toilets are not the same the world over, but they all need to be accessible as Alaa Bashti points out in her poster presentation: “Accessible public toilets and restrooms from an Islamic perspective” by Alaa Bashiti, International Islamic University, Malaysia.
Alaa Bashti poster presentation (PDF) provides design details and diagrams.
The tourism industry has become the most successful service sector, one of its leading job-creators and foreign exchange-earners. Behind this success lies a fascinating understanding of people needs taking into consideration the variety of people abilities and religions.
According to Pew Research Center (2012), one such group of people who have special requirements when it comes to using restrooms are Muslims, who make up 1.5 billion, or one quarter, of the world’s population. This makes Islam the second largest religion in the world.
In Malaysia and most Islamic countries, it is important to understand the ‘Islamic toilet manner’ as it can have direct implications for the design and planning of toilet facilities as Islam advocates for matters of cleanliness. Among the most crucial problems to be solved, if one wants to enjoy an outing, is whether one is sure to find a toilet one can comfortably use outside of home. How should toilets outside one’s dwelling be designed and distributed to ensure inclusive environment for everyone and to be used by Muslims?
This paper highlights what might be ideal standards for toilet provision, toilet design according to the Islamic principles and emphasising the importance of public toilets in creating accessible cities for everyone.
In designing a public toilet, some elements should be stressed particularly on the understanding of users’ needs. With the various types of users, there is a need for a universal design of a public toilet that is always clean, comfortable and safe as well as relaxing. More than half of Malaysia’s population is Muslim as Islam is the official religion.
The Department of Standard Malaysia (SIRIM) has initiated the publication of Malaysian Standards as guidelines for designers; architects, city planners, landscape architects, interior designers, and others who are involved in the construction of the built environment with universal design. Four standards on public toilets are to be developed.
Edited transcript from live captioning of John Evernden‘s presentation Universal Design in Tourism: Put the kettle on!
Synopsis: John outlines some of the simple things that can make travel and touring more inclusive and convenient for everyone, and how simple things such as being able to fit the electric jug under the tap at the hand basin are important considerations for everyone.
John Evernden Presentation transcript PDF
John Evernden Presentation transcript Word
John Evernden Slideshow PDF 4MB
Edited transcript from live captioning of Bill Forrester’s presentation: Utilising Universal Design on “Soft Infrastructure” for Competitive Advantage and Greater Economic Returns
Synopsis: This presentation explains the importance of customer service in tourism, and that many tourists now, and in the future, will have a disability and many more will be ageing. Gearing up as in industry in Australia has been slow and there are missed opportunities. Bill Forrester uses examples from overseas to show how we can improve the design of tourism opportunities.
Bill Forrester Presentation transcript PDF
Bill Forrester Presentation transcript Word
Bill Forrester Slideshow PDF 6MB
