Practice Guidelines for built environment Archives

How do hearing loops work?

How do hearing loops work? First, they have to be connected to the sound system and switched on whenever the system is on. It’s not something people should have to ask for – because they won’t. Second, it requires everyone to use the microphone. No more, “my voice is loud enough”.

Systems vary across venues and they are not all the same. Fortunately there are some fact sheets on the various types and when they should be used.

Too often systems do not work or are not turned on and there is a lot of confusion as to how these systems operate. The best way to test a system to see if it is working is to ask someone who is wearing a hearing aid with a ‘T’ switch. Hearing Connections is one company that has a technical manager who wears such a hearing aid. This seems the only way to be sure that the system is connected properly, switched on and functioning.

Too many systems fail to work even when technicians claim they do. Here are some of the fact sheets on the Hearing Connections website.

What are Hearing Augmentation Systems? has more detail on how they work.

Hearing Augmentation Systems Comparison

Which Hearing Augmentation Standards Do I Need to Comply With?

A Basic Hearing Loop Checklist

What Constitutes An “Inbuilt Amplification” System?

Is Hearing Augmentation Old Technology?

What Microphones Should I Use for Hearing Augmentation?

Hearing loops are not obsolete technology

Some technologies are overtaken by new discoveries, but others just keep getting better. One such technology is hearing loops. The basic technology remains the same but improvements are being made over time. Modern hearing aids have not improved so much that people don’t need augmentation in meeting venues. It’s a bit like saying wheelchairs have improved so much we don’t need ramps. Hearing loops are not obsolete technology.

Andrew Stewart at Hearing Connections nicely addresses all the myths and misconceptions about hearing augmentation systems. He says that the hearing loop is still the most efficient and effective for users, and the most convenient for venue managers. Other systems are not popular because of additional equipment that needs to be worn or used, which singles users out from the crowd.

- Myth 1: Hearing aids have improved and sufficient by themselves
- Myth 2: Hearing loop systems are superseded by other technology
- Myth 3: The newer technology is better
- Myth 4: Use your smartphone as a receiver
- Myth 5: SoundField systems are the modern-day replacement
- Myth 6: Bluetooth is the answer
- Myth 7: Captions are good enough

An excellent resource for building designers and property managers.

Yes, you do need to use the microphone

There are three types of hearing augmentation systems – but which one to use? The system preferred by most users is a “hearing loop”. It is connected to the sound system in a meeting room or auditorium. People wearing a hearing aid with a telecoil, have the sound sent directly to the device. It screens out all the background noise and gives definition to the speech. However, a microphone must be used all the time. So no more “I’ve got a loud voice, I don’t need a microphone” because it won’t be transmitted.

Hearing Connections website gives an explanation of this system, FM and Infra-red systems. A system with an ambient microphone that picks up all the sound in the room amplifies all the sounds – so background noise is included with the speech. It can defeat the purpose. Also, the system should be turned on automatically – no-one should need to ask for it – that’s the point. Building designers, owners and managers have a legal obligation to incorporate the needs of people who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Autism and Building Design

If designers are not already thinking about autism, they soon will be, or should be. People with autism have the same rights to functional and accessible spaces as everyone else. In his article Stuart Shell gives an overview of ASD (autism spectrum disorder). He explains why building owners and designers need to include this group, and how it will create great architecture at the same time.

One in one hundred and fifty children were diagnosed with ASD in 2000. ASD can take the form of extra sensory awareness, and higher levels of anxiety or involuntary responses. However, most autistic people say they have their own way of experiencing the world – it’s not a “disorder”. Shell concludes with a list of design options and different guidelines.

A lengthy but very useful article that includes acoustics, lighting, thermal comfort and material finishes and furniture. There is a list of references at the end for further reading. What Autism Teaches Us About Design is an easy and comprehensive read on an important topic.

There’s also the easy to read article, How to Design for Autism. Thoughtful design aims to be inclusive, convenient and welcoming. Designing interiors for children with autism makes for good interiors for children generally. Texture, acoustics and lighting features are applicable to the rest of the world when it comes to designing autism-friendly spaces. The architect behind the design of the Center of Autism and the Developing Brain says the key is to be sensitive to light, sight, textures, and sounds. The article can be downloaded from the CoDesign.com website.

A Literature Review

Interest in autism and building design is a growing field, but who is doing the research? A comprehensive literature review looked at research from 1992-2021. This is one for academics and researchers. The findings can be used to build techniques specific to the themes. Researchers can also discover the most influential publications, authors, and journals in this field to uncover research gaps and fresh discoveries.

Museums and autism

Early Bird quiet sessions are just one of the strategies museums can use to cater for children with autism. Many autistic children have learning difficulties. So thinking about displays and interpretation is their equivalent of accessibility. Autistic visitors can be loyal due to liking routine visits and having an intense interest in a particular subject. When they get older they can become a great asset as volunteers and staff members. You can read more about this topic and successful case studies on the Future of Museums blog, “As we work to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility among museum audiences and in the workplace, we need to attend to the needs of neurodiverse visitors and employees”.

Claire Madge wrote the article. She founded Autism in Museums in UK to further understanding. Once again we are reminded that the noise of electric hand driers in the bathrooms can be scary. Answer – turn them off during Early Bird hours.

Interior design for better hearing

Interior of a room showing a white sofa with right angled sections.

Sooner or later most of us will lose a portion of our hearing – some to the point where it affects our everyday life. How to design inclusively for people who are hard of hearing is the topic of an article in ArchDaily. It lists six design tips and outlines features that can assist people to work and socialise more easily:

- - Interior layout and visibility
  - Brightness, light and reflections
  - Multisensory spaces
  - Acoustic optimisation
  - Materials, objects and new technologies

The article, Architecture for People with Hearing Loss: 6 Design Tips, concludes with: “In short, a truly inclusive design does not always necessitate hyper-awareness of special considerations, but can simply mean incorporating needs that tend to be basic for everyone, regardless of their physical conditions.” There are links in the article to other resources. Deafness is a major cause of social isolation and inability to work effectively. Hearing aids are only a partial solution – that’s because they amplify all sounds including background noise. Being able to see the face of someone talking is a great help. Captioning of live events and videos is a must for taking in information and enjoying the plot of a movie.

Draft Urban Design Guidelines for Regional NSW

Regional and rural areas of NSW have a higher percentage of older people, particularly in areas popular with older tree-changers and sea-changers. So the draft Urban Design Guidelines for Regional NSW should take this into account. The seven objectives in the draft guidelines are: Better Fit, Better Performance, Better for Community, Better for People, Better working, Better value, and Better look and feel. They are explained in detail and will typically apply to the public realm, town centres, infill developments, and greenfield developments. This 90 page guide also includes a useful profile of each region. The website has a FAQ sheet and a webinar on good urban design in the regions.

Each of the design objectives would benefit from an overlay of universal design concepts. The document explains that “Design draws together many fields of expertise … [with] often competing requirements … that meets the needs of many and diverse groups”. A universal design approach automatically draws these groups together. However, such an approach is left up to individual councils.

Note: These draft guidelines were open for public comment during 2018-2019, but they are still in draft form.

Smart Cities for All Toolkit

How smart can a smart city be? ‘Smart’ is everything from the footpath to the website. So not so smart if it doesn’t include everyone and join the dots between all the factors that make a city a city. With digital transformations happening worldwide, the aim of the Smart Cities for All Toolkit is to eliminate the digital divide and improve urban environments for everyone. The main part of the toolkit, the Inclusive Innovation Playbook, is detailed and aimed at a policy and planning level. Stakeholder participation and inclusion is an essential theme. Case studies assist with understanding. There is a helpful checklist at the end of the Playbook. There’s a lot to digest, but this means it isn’t a cursory overview with simplistic solutions. It goes much deeper than a digital accessibility checklist. This is about joining the dots across city assets and leveraging them for everyone’s benefit. Other sections of the toolkit cover:

- Toolkit Overview
- Guide to adopting an ICT accessibility procurement policy
- Implementing priority ICT accessibility standards
- Communicating the case for stronger commitment to digital inclusion in cities
- Database of solutions for digital inclusion in cities

“The toolkit supports a range of organizations and roles related to Smart Cities, including government managers, policy makers, IT professionals, disability advocates, procurement officials, technology suppliers, and developers who design Smart City apps and solutions. Each of the tools addresses a priority challenge identified by global experts as a barrier to the digital inclusion of persons with disabilities and older persons in Smart Cities.” See also Smart Cities for All: A Vision. James Thurston of 3Gict came to Sydney in 2019 and discussed the issues and solutions in his keynote presentation in the video below.

5 Pillars of a Smart City

Head and shoulders of James Thurston. He is wearing a light blue shirt and glasses and smiling to the camera.

James Thurston is G3ict’s Vice President for Global Strategy and Development. He previously worked for Microsoft, so he knows the territory well. His keynote presentation at UD2021 Conference showed that technology is improving but it’s not inclusive. Cities have to do a lot more if we are to meet the challenges of the digital world. He lists the five pillars as:

1. 1. Strategic Intent: inclusion strategy and leadership
  2. Culture: citizen engagement and transparency
  3. Governance & Process: procurement and partnerships
  4. Technology: Global standards and solution development
  5. Data: Data divide and solutions

Six Feelings Framework for Autism

A sense of belonging is an aspect of universal design not often discussed. However, including people with autism/autistic people in plans and designs, it’s a very important element. But what’s the best way to include this group in the planning process? An article in the American Planning Association magazine provides some answers based on the Six Feelings Framework.

Six Feelings Framework

1. Feel connected – because they are easily reached, entered, and/or lead to destinations.
2. Feel free – because they offer relative autonomy and the desired spectrum of independence.
3. Feel clear – because they make sense and do not confuse.
4. Feel private – because they offer boundaries and provides retreat.
5. Feel safe – because they diminish the risk of being injured.
6. Feel calm – because they mitigate physical sensory issues associated with autism.

The Autism Planning Design Guidelines covers urban design, retail, parks, campuses and more. It’s by the American Planning Association and it’s got everything in detail. There’s a webinar on the topic too (see below). The guide is underpinned with the Six Feelings Framework.

The guide is based on extensive research and it is recommended that:

- City and regional planners activity accommodates people with autism in their public involvement process.
- City and regional planners implement autism standards building on this 1.0 attempt into their zoning and design guidelines, and consider policy changes.
- Professionals in affiliated fields who have concern over the public realm test, retest, and improve the ideas in this toolkit.
- Civil engineers retrofit infrastructure around the Six Feelings Framework.
- Real estate developers who are designing master planned communities consider the Six Feelings Framework in their plans.
Planning with people with autism

An American Planning Association magazine has an article about planning with people with autism/autistic people. The first part of the article describes some of the everyday things that can cause anxiety. For example waiting for a bus that doesn’t arrive on time, or two come at once. This can result in confusion followed by poor decision-making for a short time afterwards.

The article tells the story of a group of planners, researchers and community stakeholders working with people with autism/autistic people. People on the autism spectrum aren’t all alike so the group had to find a way to include as many people as possible.

Preparing and facilitating the event

The first step is to think carefully about how to facilitate more inclusive public meetings and workshops and hear the voices of this overlooked group. Many people with autism process information differently to the neurotypical population and have different ways of expressing their thoughts.

Large public events can be loud, distracting with overlapping conversation and too many ideas to take in at once. Smaller focus groups are a better way to go with. The key points in the American Planning Association article, When Every Day is Sensory Overload are:

Preparation

- Learn about autism – ask professionals in the field
- Choose the right venue – no flickering lights or unusual colour
- Familiarise participants with the space before the event – photos, floor plans, directions, quiet spaces
- Establish quiet rooms – signage to quiet rooms from the main meeting place

At the meeting

- Keep visuals ready – photos help focus participants
- Encourage a range of sharing methods – let participants share they ideas in their own way

After the meeting

It is likely that some participants won’t be able to participate as much as they would like. Or they might come up with ideas after the event. Participants should be encouraged to connect with facilitators by email.

The Ohio State University also uses the Six Feelings Framework in their Autism Planning Guidelines. There is also a webinar on the guidelines.

Sensory Garden Preferences

Psychologists and urban designers drew together elements preferred by the autistic community. The graphic below lists the key elements of both soft and hard scape in order of priority. Many of these elements are enjoyed by everyone such as comfortable seating and water features.

The title of the paper is, Sensory Garden Preferences for Autism Spectrum: Insights from psychologists and urban designers. The research was done in Egypt.

Universally designed leisure facilities

What does washroom and change room design have to do with social justice? Darryl Condon answers this question in a Pools and Leisure Magazine article. He has a good grasp of all the relevant design issues across the diversity and inclusion spectrum for universally designed leisure facilities.

The advice and information is explained using a universal design approach, which makes it relevant to other public facilities. Condon lists five design strategies that designers can take away. At the end of the article he advises that with any new facility, a diverse group of users should be consulted. A very thoughtful article in this international magazine published via issuu. It has other articles of interest to designers and architects.

The article, Designing for Inclusivity: Strategies for universal washrooms and change rooms in community sport and recreation facilities, is on page 48. Pictures and graphics are a nice addition.

The article begins: “What does washroom and change room design have to do with social justice? A great deal. As architects, we must consider the social impact resulting from all aspects of our work. Universal washrooms and change rooms are increasingly crucial in the design of recreation and sport facilities and are one element in our approach to more impactful design”.

This article is also on Linked In and probably easier to read than the issuu version. The picture is from the Linked In version. The social inclusion aspect is also discussed by Katherine Webber in Toilets, Taboos and Design Principles.

Landscaping with universal design

Compliance with legal requirements in public spaces is rarely enough to guarantee access for everyone. People with invisible disabilities are often left out of designs. A focus on technical aspects often results in spaces that are still challenging for many. The American Society of Landscape Architects has a Universal Design page where they list some of the disabilities and impairments regularly overlooked. For example, dementia, deafness, vision loss, and autism. The classic 7 Principles of Universal Design are re-jigged to suit landscape design:

- - Accessible
  - Comfortable
  - Participatory
  - Ecological
  - Legible
  - Multi-sensory
  - Predictable
  - Walkable/Traversable.

Parks and Plazas

Poorly designed spaces limit the number of people who can use them – they might look great, but that is not enough. Everyone should benefit from great civic space. The American Society of Landscape Architects has a great guide to Parks and Plazas. The online guide includes good case studies and easy to follow tips. Here are a few of the points covered.

Connections to the street: Parks and plazas should meet the street at grade, ensuring that anyone can enter the space. When a grade change is needed, a choice of a ramp and steps creates a unified experience. Choose safe, slip resistant materials that are tactile and provide high contrast.

Clear identity: While maintaining a seamless entry from the street is important, creating a space separate from the street gives identity to the space. Trees can buffer noise and other sensory information from other areas.

Providing options: Public places serve many different groups of people, with differing needs. One solution is not going to accommodate everyone, but the scale of many public places creates room for spaces that give visitors different choices and opportunities.

Ease of access to restrooms: Bathrooms that are easy to locate allow families with children, people with disabilities, and older adults to readily use facilities that everyone needs. Placing bathrooms near streets and along major pathways of parks makes locating restrooms easier if the need arises. Clear and regular signage to toilets are an essential part of enjoying parks and plazas.

What is a great civic space? supports the parks and plaza guide. It looks at benefits of inclusion and the identity of place.

Parks Designed for Inclusion

The Parks and Recreation Report does an excellent job of covering just about everyone in terms of age, level of capability, cultural background, refugee status and sexual orientation. Statistics on each of the groups help focus the mind when it comes to designing parks and recreation facilities.

The Report is a concise document emphasising that everyone can take advantage of facilities, programs, places and spaces that make their lives and communities great. Published by the National Recreation and Park Association.

Also, have a look at Advancing play participation for all: The challenge of addressing play diversity and inclusion in community parks and playgrounds. This is an academic article which is also available on ResearchGate.

Landscape architects lead the way

Image from the Arcadia report showing seating decorated with a shape of the shoreline. — Sandstone seating and Turpentine Ironbark timber. Corian detail shaped to reflect the shoreline of Sydney Harbour,

NSW legislation dictates that Aboriginal heritage must be protected. It’s a means of enriching the built environment, and not just a legal necessity. So, it falls to landscape architects to lead the way.

A report by Arcadia Landscape Architects aims to show that engagement with First Nations people is not difficult. They are concerned that designers will unwittingly perpetuate the colonisation of space if they continue with established practice. As they say, it has to go beyond token responses of “ornamental recognition”. They add that engaging with First Nations people continues after the life of the design project.

The report aims to encourage the wider built environment industry to engage with First Nations people. The concept of Country is more than just land, water and sky. Country is language, family culture and identity, and is loved, needed and cared for.

“Arcadia emphatically rejects the softening of language when referring to British invasion and processes of colonisation. It is a trend for these processes to be referred to as “arrival” and “settlement”, however the softening of language perpetuates myths of terra nullius and denies First Nations people their history and suffering endured.”

The report covers:

- - Approach and a note on language
  - How to engaging with Knowledge holders
  - Engaging with Country, which has 5 steps and examples
  - Engaging with Industry
  - What to do when you can’t engage
  - Where to next? includes conducting cultural training

There is a list of references and further reading at the end. The title of the report is, Shaping Country: Cultural Engagement in Australia’s Built Environment.

Universal design approach to internal environments

Floor finishes, lighting, acoustics, hearing systems, signage and alarm systems are all included in a guide to taking a universal design approach to internal environments and services.

Building for Everyone covers each of the features in detail. Of course, they also have to be considered within the overall design of the building.

There is also a section at the end on human abilities and design. It covers walking, balance, handling, strength and endurance, lifting, reaching, speech, hearing, sight, touch and more.

Universal design approach to fitouts

All you ever wanted to know about reception desks, waiting areas, storage, coin operated machines, kitchen sinks and ticket dispensers? These and other related topics are covered in a guide to taking a universal design approach to facilities in buildings. This is a companion to the internal environments booklet. One of the key issues in creating universally designed places and spaces is that the details are often left until last and not integrated into the whole of design.

Published by the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design in Ireland, these guides are is very detailed. Checklists help guide the reader through the material. The guides links with others in the series.

Universal Design Improves Access Compliance

What can you do to improve compliance with disability access standards when they are misunderstood, seen as too hard to implement, and where buildings are in a serious state of disrepair? This was the challenge set by Australia’s overseas aid program in Sri Lanka. The aim of this project was to find a way to educate built environment professionals in Sri Lanka about complying with disability access regulations. Rather than take a text book approach to explaining the standards, the training group decided to take a universal design approach. That meant focusing on the reasons why certain designs were needed, not just the need to apply the standard.

In her paper on this project, Penny Galbraith details the particular issues Sri Lanka faces. Major heritage sites, assets in complete disrepair, obsolete infrastructure, and transport conveyance designs from previous centuries all contribute to the complexities. “Universal design was the ideal starting point, not least because of its emphasis on users, but also that it allows for acknowledging and embracing cultural factors which is very important given ethnic tension in Sri Lanka”.

An interesting application of the principles of universal design. It shows that reducing barriers in the built environment is reliant on understanding why, not just how to comply. The title of the paper is, A Practitioner’s Universal Design Approach Making a Difference to Distressed Assets in Sri Lanka.

The paper is from the proceedings of the UDHEIT 2018 conference held in Dublin, Ireland, an open access publication.

Category: Practice Guidelines for built environment

How do hearing loops work?

Hearing loops are not obsolete technology

Yes, you do need to use the microphone

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