What is inclusive design?
British Institute for Standardizationdefines inclusive design as "designing common products or services so that they are accessible and used by as many people as possible without the need for special adaptation or special design development." The goal of inclusive design is to take into account the diversity of people’s characteristics in order to create equal conditions for them and ensure their autonomy.
Inclusive design is a British term. In the United States, this concept is called "universal design." The term "design for all" is often used. All these terms are in fact synonymous.
The history of inclusive design begins in the twentieth century and is directly related to the expansion of science and the consequences of the two world wars. Scientific advances have significantly extended the lives of people, including those with disabilities and chronic diseases. The survival rate after injuries that were previously considered fatal has increased. Sadly, military conflicts, which left hundreds of thousands disabled, have played a huge role in this.
In the middle of the last century in Europe, the USA, Japan the movement "Without barriers" began to grow,aimed at eliminating physical barriers for people with disabilities. It was followed by a wave of anti-discrimination against these categories of people and the protection of their civil rights. These groups have had a significant impact on the legal framework, including design requirements. By 1973, 49 U.S. states had introduced accessibility standards for various types of buildings.
As a result, design has become increasingly focused on the characteristics and needs of people with disabilities. Initially, inclusive design was designed to complement existing solutions for "standard users". Such developments include ramps for wheelchairs, which began to equip the stairs, or tactile options for the visually impaired.
Nowadays, inclusive design has tended to abandon the so-called "segregation approach" - specialized applications for a certain group of people.
Designers are increasingly striving to create an environment, services and items that, without special training and modifications, could be used by as many people as possible, regardless of their characteristics.
One of the guiding principles is the rejection of averaging. The principle of Ban the average postulates that the diversity of people and their capabilities cannot lead to an average of several indicators at once. All of us will begin to deviate from the axis of "normality" in some parameters. As the Simplicable portal writes"Things created for the ’average user’ are not optimal for the vast majority, because none of us are average." Instead, designers are encouraged to develop solutions that would suit users at the far end of the spectrum. This technique is called design to the edges.
EXAMPLES OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN Canadian
Museum of Human Rights. Photo: fragment of the museum’s website. In 2013, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights
opened in Winnipeg , designed and built with inclusive design in mind. At the opening, the head of the museum Stuart MurrayHe summed up the tasks facing his team: "In our museum, disability will be perceived not as a special condition, but as a normal part of life that can affect each of us."
The demographic factor is indeed one of the main reasons why inclusive design is increasingly coming to the fore.
Thus, according to the World Bank , some health restrictions have 15 percent of the population. 46 percent of people over the age of 60 live with a disability, with the number of older people increasing by three percent a year.
Inclusive design often results in rethinking trivial objects and concepts so that they are easy to use for everyone or for as many people as possible.
For example, a classroom designed to universal design standards can be equipped with height-adjustable furniture. This allows not only to adapt it to the needs of different categories of students, but also to vary its purpose.
Automatic doors equipped with sensors will allow both those who move in a wheelchair and those who carry something in their hands, push a wheelchair or cart. In terms of inclusive design, a volume button that can be pressed with the shoulder or elbow if desired, preferably a touch panel that requires a finger to use. One wide, not steep ramp at the entrance is more convenient than a narrow staircase and a narrow lift for wheelchairs. An alert or sign in the form of an illustration combined with a tactile tile is better than a text ad.
Sesame phone - this phone can be used without direct tactile contact
Among the striking examples of inclusive design - Sesame phone . This phone can be used without direct tactile contact: it responds to head movements.
Oxo is a manufacturer that works exclusively within the framework of universal design. The company produces a variety of useful utensils for the home: from kitchen to garden accessories, which is aimed at everyone: "right-handed and left-handed, men and women, young and old." Easy Living Home specializes in designing living spaces in accordance with inclusive design standards.
Universal design is an important part of smart city planning. Taxis of the future "in New York, not only are they adapted for wheelchairs, but they are also equipped with technology that transmits sound directly to ear implants and hearing aids.
Taxis of the Future
In 2016, Sydney completed the installation of more than 2,000 tactile panels marking intersections, directions and helping people with visual impairments navigate the city.
Tactile panels on the streets of the city
Another way to make public places more accessible is mobile applications to determine how well the location is adapted to the diversity of user needs, such as Wheelmap.org or Jaccede.com.
The Canadian NGO Keroul has developed an excellent guideto implement the principles of universal design in the planning of tourist facilities. It lists key aspects and requirements that will make cities more accessible to all categories of tourists. The authors of the guide discuss, among other things, the optimal width of doorways, pedestrian crossings, parameters of ramps, elevators, parking lots, toilets, hotel rooms and beaches.
PRINCIPLES OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN The American architect Ronald Mans , who suffered from polio as a child and used a wheelchair and a fan, made a
great contribution to the development of this type of design . He, in particular, is considered the author of the term "universal design". Mans founded the Center for Universal Design, which developed its basic principles. Equality of use It is necessary:
- provide the same tools to all users, identical, where possible, in
other cases - equivalent;
- avoid stigmatization and segregation;
- ensure the safety of all users;
- make the design enjoyable for everyone.
Flexibility of use:
- to provide users with a choice of methods of use;
- take into account the needs of left-handers and right-handers;
- to facilitate the possibility for the user to observe accuracy and precision;
- adjust to the pace of the user.
Ease and intuitiveness:
- The design should be easy to understand regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills and level of concentration.
- clear information
- the design allows you to effectively provide the necessary information regardless of the environment and the user’s hearing.
Tolerance of error:
- design minimizes possible health hazards and adverse consequences of accidental and unintentional actions.
- low level of physical effort
- the design allows efficient and comfortable use without tiring the user. For example, it allows him to maintain a neutral body position.
Adequacy of size and space for approach and use:
- The user must be able to use the design regardless of body position, size and mobility.
Web accessibility
A special area of inclusive design is web accessibility. This concept goes beyond user-centered design and aims to minimize possible barriers for users caused by their physical and other characteristics.
The Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium, which sets the standards for the Web, is developing the basic requirements for the web availability of resources and equipment.
University of Berkeleygives basic recommendations to increase the accessibility of the site. For example, he advises not to rely only on color to convey some important information. Sometimes it is not enough to just highlight an incorrectly filled field with a red frame. It is necessary to give some accompanying comments for people.
Berkeley experts also point out the importance of the alt tag attribute. Its content is read by programs that verbalize the content of the site. They are usually used by visually impaired people.
For the same reason, the university recommends giving links unique names: "Don’t write" click here to read about our company. " Instead, specify: "To learn more about the company, go to the" About Us "section.
The site of the British telecommunications corporation BTIs one example of an Internet resource that follows the canons of web accessibility.
Its pages, in particular, are accompanied by videos explaining the content in sign language. Websites of US government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the French Government, are highly accessible to the web .
Web accessibility is gradually becoming a global standard. A year ago, the US Department of Justice announced its intention to include web accessibility requirements in the basic legislation on the rights of citizens with disabilities.
Owners of unfriendly websites in the United States are now facing the threat of lawsuits. For example, from 2015 to 2016, the number of lawsuits from visually impaired people complaining that websites did not meet web accessibility standards reached 240.
In May 2016, the European Union agreed on the transnational implementation of web accessibility settings. EU member states must move to these requirements by September 2018.
In some of them, web accessibility is already enshrined in law. In Austria, this obligation was imposed on public institutions more than a year ago. In Spain, agencies face fines for non-compliance. In Italy, financial penalties may be imposed on a government employee who is responsible for maintaining the site if he or she does not meet web accessibility requirements.
According to the materials of the Greenhouse of Social Technologies
Inclusive design is a British term. In the United States, this concept is called "universal design." The term "design for all" is often used. All these terms are in fact synonymous.
The history of inclusive design begins in the twentieth century and is directly related to the expansion of science and the consequences of the two world wars. Scientific advances have significantly extended the lives of people, including those with disabilities and chronic diseases. The survival rate after injuries that were previously considered fatal has increased. Sadly, military conflicts, which left hundreds of thousands disabled, have played a huge role in this.
In the middle of the last century in Europe, the USA, Japan the movement "Without barriers" began to grow,aimed at eliminating physical barriers for people with disabilities. It was followed by a wave of anti-discrimination against these categories of people and the protection of their civil rights. These groups have had a significant impact on the legal framework, including design requirements. By 1973, 49 U.S. states had introduced accessibility standards for various types of buildings.
As a result, design has become increasingly focused on the characteristics and needs of people with disabilities. Initially, inclusive design was designed to complement existing solutions for "standard users". Such developments include ramps for wheelchairs, which began to equip the stairs, or tactile options for the visually impaired.
Nowadays, inclusive design has tended to abandon the so-called "segregation approach" - specialized applications for a certain group of people.
Designers are increasingly striving to create an environment, services and items that, without special training and modifications, could be used by as many people as possible, regardless of their characteristics.
One of the guiding principles is the rejection of averaging. The principle of Ban the average postulates that the diversity of people and their capabilities cannot lead to an average of several indicators at once. All of us will begin to deviate from the axis of "normality" in some parameters. As the Simplicable portal writes"Things created for the ’average user’ are not optimal for the vast majority, because none of us are average." Instead, designers are encouraged to develop solutions that would suit users at the far end of the spectrum. This technique is called design to the edges.
EXAMPLES OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN Canadian
Museum of Human Rights. Photo: fragment of the museum’s website. In 2013, the Canadian Museum of Human Rights opened in Winnipeg , designed and built with inclusive design in mind. At the opening, the head of the museum Stuart MurrayHe summed up the tasks facing his team: "In our museum, disability will be perceived not as a special condition, but as a normal part of life that can affect each of us."
The demographic factor is indeed one of the main reasons why inclusive design is increasingly coming to the fore.
Thus, according to the World Bank , some health restrictions have 15 percent of the population. 46 percent of people over the age of 60 live with a disability, with the number of older people increasing by three percent a year.
Inclusive design often results in rethinking trivial objects and concepts so that they are easy to use for everyone or for as many people as possible.
For example, a classroom designed to universal design standards can be equipped with height-adjustable furniture. This allows not only to adapt it to the needs of different categories of students, but also to vary its purpose.
Automatic doors equipped with sensors will allow both those who move in a wheelchair and those who carry something in their hands, push a wheelchair or cart. In terms of inclusive design, a volume button that can be pressed with the shoulder or elbow if desired, preferably a touch panel that requires a finger to use. One wide, not steep ramp at the entrance is more convenient than a narrow staircase and a narrow lift for wheelchairs. An alert or sign in the form of an illustration combined with a tactile tile is better than a text ad.
Sesame phone - this phone can be used without direct tactile contact Among the striking examples of inclusive design - Sesame phone . This phone can be used without direct tactile contact: it responds to head movements.
Oxo is a manufacturer that works exclusively within the framework of universal design. The company produces a variety of useful utensils for the home: from kitchen to garden accessories, which is aimed at everyone: "right-handed and left-handed, men and women, young and old." Easy Living Home specializes in designing living spaces in accordance with inclusive design standards.
Universal design is an important part of smart city planning. Taxis of the future "in New York, not only are they adapted for wheelchairs, but they are also equipped with technology that transmits sound directly to ear implants and hearing aids.
Taxis of the Future In 2016, Sydney completed the installation of more than 2,000 tactile panels marking intersections, directions and helping people with visual impairments navigate the city.
Tactile panels on the streets of the city Another way to make public places more accessible is mobile applications to determine how well the location is adapted to the diversity of user needs, such as Wheelmap.org or Jaccede.com.
The Canadian NGO Keroul has developed an excellent guideto implement the principles of universal design in the planning of tourist facilities. It lists key aspects and requirements that will make cities more accessible to all categories of tourists. The authors of the guide discuss, among other things, the optimal width of doorways, pedestrian crossings, parameters of ramps, elevators, parking lots, toilets, hotel rooms and beaches.
PRINCIPLES OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN The American architect Ronald Mans , who suffered from polio as a child and used a wheelchair and a fan, made a
great contribution to the development of this type of design . He, in particular, is considered the author of the term "universal design". Mans founded the Center for Universal Design, which developed its basic principles. Equality of use It is necessary:
- provide the same tools to all users, identical, where possible, in
other cases - equivalent;
- avoid stigmatization and segregation;
- ensure the safety of all users;
- make the design enjoyable for everyone.
Flexibility of use:
- to provide users with a choice of methods of use;
- take into account the needs of left-handers and right-handers;
- to facilitate the possibility for the user to observe accuracy and precision;
- adjust to the pace of the user.
Ease and intuitiveness:
- The design should be easy to understand regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills and level of concentration.
- clear information
- the design allows you to effectively provide the necessary information regardless of the environment and the user’s hearing.
Tolerance of error:
- design minimizes possible health hazards and adverse consequences of accidental and unintentional actions.
- low level of physical effort
- the design allows efficient and comfortable use without tiring the user. For example, it allows him to maintain a neutral body position.
Adequacy of size and space for approach and use:
- The user must be able to use the design regardless of body position, size and mobility.
Web accessibility
A special area of inclusive design is web accessibility. This concept goes beyond user-centered design and aims to minimize possible barriers for users caused by their physical and other characteristics.
The Web Accessibility Initiative of the World Wide Web Consortium, which sets the standards for the Web, is developing the basic requirements for the web availability of resources and equipment.
University of Berkeleygives basic recommendations to increase the accessibility of the site. For example, he advises not to rely only on color to convey some important information. Sometimes it is not enough to just highlight an incorrectly filled field with a red frame. It is necessary to give some accompanying comments for people.
Berkeley experts also point out the importance of the alt tag attribute. Its content is read by programs that verbalize the content of the site. They are usually used by visually impaired people.
For the same reason, the university recommends giving links unique names: "Don’t write" click here to read about our company. " Instead, specify: "To learn more about the company, go to the" About Us "section.
The site of the British telecommunications corporation BTIs one example of an Internet resource that follows the canons of web accessibility.
Its pages, in particular, are accompanied by videos explaining the content in sign language. Websites of US government agencies, including the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control and the French Government, are highly accessible to the web .
Web accessibility is gradually becoming a global standard. A year ago, the US Department of Justice announced its intention to include web accessibility requirements in the basic legislation on the rights of citizens with disabilities.
Owners of unfriendly websites in the United States are now facing the threat of lawsuits. For example, from 2015 to 2016, the number of lawsuits from visually impaired people complaining that websites did not meet web accessibility standards reached 240.
In May 2016, the European Union agreed on the transnational implementation of web accessibility settings. EU member states must move to these requirements by September 2018.
In some of them, web accessibility is already enshrined in law. In Austria, this obligation was imposed on public institutions more than a year ago. In Spain, agencies face fines for non-compliance. In Italy, financial penalties may be imposed on a government employee who is responsible for maintaining the site if he or she does not meet web accessibility requirements.
According to the materials of the Greenhouse of Social Technologies