Evastina Bjork from the Nordic School of Public Health discusses the concept of UD from the perspective of health and wellness in this article. She traces the work done in Norway that precedes the landmark document, “Norway Universally Designed 2025” and how it relates to health benefits. Training courses in applying the concepts of UD for professionals were devised and continue to be revised and adapted to keep pace with new learning and updated evidence. Although an academic paper, the discussion about education and training, and application of UD in the health and wellness field is a refreshing perspective.
Category: Learning about universal design
Universal Design: Tangible and empathetic?
Students rarely get to practice on real clients. This means they are left with an academic understanding of issues such as inclusion and universal design. One way to help architecture students understand diversity in a tangible and empathetic way is to use age as a lens for designs.
The Department of Architecture at Buffalo challenged students through various exercises related to the extremes of age to empathise with, and ultimately design for, small children and older people. The article explains their process and is titled: Age-Focused Design – A Pedagogical Approach Integrating Empathy and Embodiment. Several pictures and graphics help with explanations.
From the abstract
Architects seldom design for themselves. Yet in the course of studying architecture one is rarely presented with the opportunity to design for a real client. The abstract nature of this education model prioritizes formal or technical design exploration over the role of the user.
The vague ambition of universality is difficult for students to engage with in an academic context. Approaching universal design through the lens of human age emphasizes the physical, sensorial, and cognitive modes of spatial understanding of the young and old. It offers a focused perspective through which to address difference and diversity in architectural education.
We discuss how the approach emerged from design seminars and studios taught in the Department of Architecture at the University at Buffalo. The outcomes were tested with exercises that challenged students to research, empathize with, and ultimately design for individuals at the limits of human age.
Designing inclusively with emotional intelligence
Patricia Moore is well-known to those who have followed the fortunes of universal design for some time. Dressed and behaving as an 80 year old woman she experienced the discriminatory treatment older people face every day. Her article with Jörn Bühring asks designers and business leaders to use social and emotional intelligence in their designs. They claim the philosophic challenge is to ask “Why not?” rather than “Why?”
“Designers don’t speak of limitations, instead they tend to focus on possibilities. The emergence of ’inclusivity’ in design supports the conviction that where there is a ’deficit’, we will present a solution. “Where there is ignorance, we will strive for enlightenment. Where there is a roadblock, we will create a pathway”.
The title of the paper is, Emotional and Social Intelligence as ’Magic Key’ in Innovation: A Designer’s call toward inclusivity for all.
Learning about Standards and Universal Design
It is assumed that students in design disciplines, such as engineering, automatically learn about standards and how they are developed. According to an article by Jenny Darzentas this is not the case. The way standards are developed and written makes them difficult to understand and apply. Too much emphasis is placed on “learning on the job”. Darzentas says that education about standards in universal design courses would be beneficial. In Japan, Korea and China this is included, but not in Europe and North America.
Access to standards documents is not usually discussed as a barrier to accessibility and universal design. However, people not only need easy access the documents, but also the information should be easy to access. Is this an argument for standards to follow the concepts of universal design?
The title of the article is, Educating Students About Standardisation Relating to Universal Design“. How well do Australian universities address standards in courses where universal design is part of the course?
Abstract
Standardisation education is rarely taught to students in the design disciplines in academic settings, and consequently there is not much evidence about best practices. This paper examines this situation, and elaborates on some of the possible reasons for this situation. Further, it gives an example of how students may be instructed and encouraged to further their interests in standards and the standardization-making process as a means for increasing Universal Design in practice.
This article comes from the published papers from the 2016 Universal Design Conference held in York, UK, which are open access.
Built environment education in universal design
Seems training and education in universal design for built environment professionals has some barriers. And then there are barriers to implementation. Universal Design Teaching in Architectural Education, discusses a model for universal design teaching in architecture schools and presents ideas for setting up universal design courses.
Planning – Design Training and Universal Design argues that universal design concepts should be incorporated into all departments that offer planning and design training. Suggestions for inclusion in higher education study programs are included.
Engineering diversity and inclusion
The American Society of Civil Engineers says they have work to do on diversity and inclusion within their workforce and the people they design for. The focus of the Special Collection Announcement publication is about educating engineers.
This special collection did not receive any submissions about disability or socio-economic status. Clearly this needs to be addressed in the future so that all aspects of diversity are discussed.
You can see all abstracts to papers in this collection in the journal’s library link. There are papers on educating engineering students, encouraging women in engineering, and university workplace strategies.
A more recent paper titled, Human Factors Engineering: Designing for Diversity and Accessibility says they are failing on inclusion. You will need institutional access for a free read.
From the abstract
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee continues to encourage the society, and human factors professionals, to improve diversity and equity within the field. At the center of this field are humans and their widely varying needs and abilities.
While HFE professionals devote themselves to these needs, their details are often overlooked to design for an assumed majority of users. These assumptions then lead users to be rejected by products, systems, or objects. This rejection indicates a lack of accessibility, which affects millions worldwide. In this panel, experts in the areas of universal design, healthcare, and accessible design will discuss how to “do” accessibility while demonstrating that accessibility should be considered a required component of usability.
An accessible campus is part of sustainability
Linking “sustainability” with universal design is not a new idea, especially when thinking about social sustainability. A new book, Towards Green Campus Operations, includes a chapter that moves away from “green” to social sustainability. The argument is that an accessible campus is part of sustainability. The more accessible the campus is, the more likely the students are to enroll and, more importantly, finish their course. This is good for the university and sustains their student intake and retention.
The authors also argue that academics need to be educated about this issue too. The chapter, titled, “Educational Institutions and Universal Accessibility: In Search of Sustainability on University Campus”, is available through Springer Link. You will need institutional access for a free read from SpringerLink.
Abstract
The paper reports proposals and solutions of the design and implementation for universal accessibility at the university campus, complying with current legislation and community demands. It addresses the challenges of raising academic awareness about the subject and of the accessible route project overcoming the campus large dimensions, urbanized areas and rugged topography. It is the result of a project and an accessible route shared through pedestrian and motorized routes and with its implantation overcoming barriers in the implementation.
The theme was conducted with a focus on social sustainability, as it is a requirement to obtain the universal and legitimate right to higher education and the benefits of the university campus as a community educational, environmental and leisure urban equipment.
The results of the article demonstrate that universal accessibility, more than a legal requirement for educational institutions, contributes to social sustainability. The spatial adequacies allow the universalization of the possibility of entry and stay of persons with disabilities or reduced mobility in the university campus, expanding their training at an higher level.
UDL: An Indigenous perspective
The education system in Alaska is an interesting place to research the potential for applying universal design for learning (UDL) in a culturally diverse and indigenous context. Indeed, UDL and indigenous approaches to education have much in common. An article by Krista James explores examples of implementation of the Alaska Cultural Standards for Educators within a UDL Indigenous perspective.
Similarly to Australia, Alaska’s indigenous population has experienced loss of culture and forced assimilation with Western educational systems taking over the education of their children. James concludes that the Standards and the UDL framework are easy to connect. That’s because many of the Standards are already ingrained in the core principles of UDL. You don’t have to be an educator to appreciate this article.
The title of the article is: “Universal Design for Learning as a Structure for Culturally Responsive Practice”, in the Northwest Journal of Teacher Education. 2018. There is a link to a 30 minute video at the end of the article.
From the abstract
Alaska is rich with cultural and ethnic diversity. In fact, it is one of the three most diverse parts of the country. Culturally relevant practice is both needed and required in Alaskan schools. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is a framework that may assist educators in this endeavor.
The Alaska Cultural Standards for Educators tell us what best practice looks like for our diverse student population, especially our Alaska Native students. This article explores examples of implementation of the Standards within a UDL framework.
Camp Manyung and universal design
Camp Manyung in Victoria is leading the way by universally designing everything. The excellent video below shows how the application of universal design principles throughout the design of the camp facilities bring about the inclusiveness that is the aim of universal design. Universal design principles are also applied to camp activities, and staff attitudes and communication. Find out more about universal design at Camp Manyung.
The camp is run by YMCA on behalf of Sport and Recreation Victoria that also has a Design for Everyone Guide. The video below explains more about Camp Manyung.
There is no legislation within Australia to guide the design of sporting or leisure activities that enable participation by everyone at a level that suits them. Sport and Recreation Victoria have embraced the principles of universal design to make all their camps and activities inclusive. The accessible high ropes course shows that anything is possible.
Integrating universal design into camp activities
Sport and Recreation Victoria and YMCA want to increase awareness and applicability of universal design in residential camps. The image shows how any one can enjoy the flying fox on the “Skyrider”. They have produced a report, Universal Design: Integrating the Principles into Camp Activities. The report outlines ways in which environments, activities and programs within residential camps can be used by everyone. It shows how to apply universal design to all aspects of camp activities.
Universal Design: Camps and Consultation
What are the best practice methods for consulting with users to implement universal design? 
Probably there is no one-size fits all. The literature review highlights projects that attempted to achieve universal design or user-centred design by consulting with users throughout the design process.
The case study techniques included the full participation of users in the design process, the use of hidden cameras, observation, focus groups, scaled cardboard models and 3-D virtual environments. Some important considerations for consulting with users are raised in the literature. The title of the review is Universal Design: Camps & Consultation.
Communicating at Camp Manyung
We all like to get our message across. Communication access is just as important as physical access. So what are the communication barriers that some people face? It might be reading, understanding spoken language or having difficulties speaking. So the way that signs and written communication are designed are as important as well-trained staff.
Camp Manyung has increased their level of inclusiveness by gaining communication accreditation from SCOPE. Reception staff and activity staff can now communicate with everyone throughout the camp experience. Staff wear the international communication symbol so that they are easily recognised by visitors. SCOPE has videos that show how a person trained in communication access uses their skills.