Category: Magazine and newspaper articles

Richard Voss reminds us that all of us are ageing all the time. Consequently, we need to think ahead in the design of our cities. He makes a good point that by the time the ink dries on new access codes they are already out of date. His 5 ways to improve accessibility of cities are based on universal design principles.  These don’t date, they evolve.

First, he recommends providing incentives to include universal design features in housing.  As we know, this mitgates major renovations, especially at a time when you can least cope. Lifemark in New Zealand has the answers here.

Second, Voss says we have to wake up to the fact that we all need universal design. He points out that accessibility is not all about wheelchairs.

Third, we should combine common sense with building codes. Here Voss talks about merging universal design with heritage codes. 

Fourth, create a new innovation industry around accessibility. Voss says we should get universal design embedded in the retrofit of buildings. It will make them more sustainable and resilient as well as accessible.

Fifth, set achievable targets for each development sector. Discussions around inclusion affect every sector: workplaces, retail, hospitality, transportation, etc. Links between disciplines are essential.

Voss concludes that universal design has no extra cost if implemented early in the design process. Unfortunately, not many people believe this because from past experience, change usually means extra cost.

The article by Richard Voss was posted on Linked In. 

It’s so much easier to measure outputs than outcomes. Social value is an outcome, but how do you measure it? Well the answer for most is, it’s too hard so don’t bother. The Fifth Estate features an article about why the building industry should measure the social value of good design. 

The Women’s Property Initiatives in Melbourne provide housing for women and children. They have a system where tenants pay no more than 30 per cent of their income in rent. They knew this was working because they could see improved wellbeing. But how do you measure this social value in money terms?

So, what is social value? It is “the quantification of the importance that people place on the changes they experience in their lives”. Using stated preferences methods in research is a similar idea. 

Emma Williams argues for the building industry to broaden the way they measure the success of a project. If we are to address social inequities, we have to give equal weight to social value. Measuring financial and environmental impacts is only part of the job. 

The title of the article is, The difficult task of measuring social value in the built environment. 

The Women’s Property initiative found that for every dollar invested, $11.07 of social value was created. Architects can work out the economics of green standards, but not social impact. Success of a project is about the people – that means social value. 

Does the design of parliament buildings affect democracy? An interesting question. It’s often said that the design of our environment affects our behaviours. So would that apply to houses of parliament as well?

In US politics we hear talk of ‘reaching across the aisle’. What if there was no aisle and everyone sat in a circle? We know that spatial design affects mood and communication. Hospitals are designed to promote healing and airports to minimise stress. Research by an architecture firm in Amsterdam took a look at the links between architecture and the political process.

Architecture firm XML examined as many of the 193 United Nations member states as they could and visited 15. Classroom style, horseshoes, opposing benches and semi-circles were most typical. The XML website has floor plans and 360 degree views as a preface to the book.  Seems Bangladesh has a good parliament building model (floorplan pictured).

The authors say, “Once built, parliaments are locked in time, whereas political systems can and should adapt to what is changing in the world. It is necessary to rethink our models for collective decision-making but it seems to be incredibly difficult. Architecture can be one of the ways to work and experiment with it.” There is a systematic lack of innovation in the spaces used by our elected leaders.

Some interesting points and 360 degree views of several buildings in the FastCompany article if you have access. The title of the article is, The Subtle Way Government Architecture Shapes Governments Themselves.

Subtitling and captioning are often used interchangeably when reproducing the spoken word in written form. Subtitles usually mean a language translation for films and television. However, it is often used to mean closed captioning. Whether it’s captioning or subtitling, it now provides an opportunity to describe the sound effects as well as the words. Sound effects and music are a major part of the movie experience, especially the horror and action genres. So Netflix has taken captioning (or subtitles as they call them) to the next level.

Netflix’s subtitling gives deaf and hard of hearing viewers the same immersive experience of tentacles squelching and roiling wetly as hearing audiences.

Photo Netflix

An article in Vulture online blog explains how Netflix are keeping up with the ever-changing rules for subtitlers. The subject of the article is the Netflix series, Stranger Things. Apparently the subtitles “became a sensation among fans”.

People writing captions and subtitles are usually in the background working away quietly. The Netflix subtitling team relies on audio but sometimes gets a shooting script which helps with character and location names. What ends up on screen is often different to the script.

I didn’t understand the care and diligence that a good subtitler makes and the difference they make within a whole community.

Photo from Pixabay

The subtitlers try to stick to genre-appropriate language as well. “Squelching” in a horror movie is meant to evoke disgust. The sound would be described differently in a Regency-era picture or comedy. It’s all about creating atmosphere.

The title of the Vulture article is, Wet Writhing and Eldritch Gurgling: A Chat With the Stranger Things Subtitles Team. It has more background information on how the team works and thinks.

Editor’s comment. For hearing people, there is a bonus. It’s like reading the book and viewing the story at the same time. It will be good if all subtitlers and captioners follow suit. Audio describers have the task of matching the vision to those sounds to create the same atmosphere.

In January 2022, the International Union of Architects and Rehabilitation International launched an access symbol design competition.

The competition was open to architects, graphic designers to create a new international symbol of accessibility.

The winning entry by Ukrainian architect Maksym Holovko.

The winning entry features a white square embedded in a black circle. A black rectangle on the right hand side of the white square resembles an open door. The judges said it was easily recognisable, indicating openness using basic shapes.

Second and third prizes are simple and clear.

The second prize went a German graphic designer, Lena Seifert. The design of a black cross with a black dot within the arms of the cross indicated equality and inclusivity.

The third prize went to Czech architecture student Barbora Tucanova. The simple enveloping design of two curved shapes reflects some of the original wheelchair symbol.

The winning designs were submitted to the ISO/TC 145 “Graphical Symbols” working group for consideration. As at January 2024 we are still waiting for further information.

It’s been said many times that the current international access symbol is misleading. That’s because it makes people think of wheelchair users as the only people needing access considerations. However, it’s so well recognised it’s difficult to change. So we shall see if this competition works.

You can view the extensive gallery of entries to see how varied the ideas are.

Thanks to Ergonomics in Design for All Newsletter for this information.

New research shows older adults are reframing ageing with TikTok.

TikTok has a reputation for being the playground of teenagers and younger adults. However, older adults are having fun with it too.

Compared to Facebook and Twitter, TikTok videos create opportunities for older adults to be influencers across all age groups. A new study from Singapore found that TikTok had both positive and negative aspects for older adults.

In trying to show that “oldies” can be “with it” they make fun of their conditions. But joking about one’s limitations brought about by the ageing process does little to dispel negative stereotypes. Negative stereotypes have an impact on how older adults feel about themselves as they grow older. So it’s not just how other people view them.

These feelings impact health and wellbeing and sense of self. However, the study showed such jokes are outnumbered by videos of older people defying stereotypes and embracing their ageing bodies.

Older adults are challenging stereotypes on TikTok.

The title of the article is, Not Too Old for TikTok: How Older Adults are Reframing Aging. The researchers compiled the most viewed videos of users aged 60 years and older with at least 100,000 followers. From a base of 1382 videos, they found 348 that had ageing content and these were used for analysis.

Three themes on ageing

Three themes emerged from the videos. Most fell under the theme of defying age stereotypes (71%). These videos were about embracing their ageing bodies. Making light of age-related vulnerabilities was present in 18% of the uploads. These videos joked about age stereotypes about such things as dementia. Calling out ageism (11%) revolved around older people condemning ageist practices.

The authors recommend encouraging older adults to create their own social media content. This is one way to counter some of the negative stereotypes about older people being technophobes. It will also encourage them to share the experiences of later life and become more active in age-based advocacy.

“Assistive technology” isn’t always high-tech or for a niche group.

You wouldn’t call a dish-drawer dishwasher assistive technology, but that is what it is. People who have difficulty bending, or fill the dishwasher from a sitting position, find it very assistive. The label of “assistive technology” has come about from the old language of “aids and equipment for the disabled”. But all technology is assistive – it just depends on perspective.

One of the problems is the stigma attached to labelling items as assistive technology. For example, no-one thinks of a handrail on a staircase as being assistive technology. But as soon as one goes in the shower recess – suddenly it becomes a disability device bringing the associated stigma with it. And why the stigma?

Stigma arises from the notion that having a disability or reduced capability is something to hide. In many ways we haven’t moved on from last century thinking. Occupational therapists lament the number of devices left collecting dust in a cupboard. Aesthetics have taken a back-seat in many of these designs which doesn’t encourage use.

But assistive technology could be coming of age. An article in The Conversation covers a new report from the World Health Organisation. The article looks at Australia’s performance in this global report. The recommendations are: to better understand real life experiences, set up a national data-set, and improve workforce capacity.

Enabling people to stay home and live independently is one of the benefits of good choices in assistive technology. So home design is another technology factor – it’s not just about gadgets.

The title of the article is, From glasses to mobility scooters, ‘assistive technology’ isn’t always high-tech.

A previous article shows how technology can upgrade the simple walking cane.