Search

This paper investigates the creation of multimodal web interfaces to foster inclusive services, aiming to empower individuals with disabilities. This paper details the development of SEU (Services to Empower yoU), an online platform designed to improve access to offline services for persons with disabilities through personalised multimodal web interfaces. Developed using a participatory design approach, SEU involved collaboration with Human-Computer Interaction experts, occupational therapists, accessibility experts, and persons with disabilities. The platform supports multiple user needs across cognitive, visual, motor, and hearing impairments. SEU was evaluated in a two-phase usability study, which included expert assessment and testing by persons with disabilities, supplemented with interviews, observations, and questionnaires. Feedback highlighted SEU's effective design and usability, emphasising its utility in enhancing service accessibility. The study indicates that both experts and persons with disabilities consider the platform an added value. Although the platform was well-received, suggestions for better cognitive support and the addition of a mobile application were noted, acknowledging the regular smartphone usage among the target users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive Design has been widely promoted in the fields of product, engineering, and user experience design. Despite the educational efforts made by scientists, practitioners, and institutions to raise awareness about accessibility and inclusion, Inclusive Design has not been widely embraced in architectural design practice, where it is often associated with design for disability. This multidisciplinary study, spanning behavioural science, ergonomics, and the social sciences of architecture, explores the challenges architectural design practitioners face when designing inclusively, and identifies opportunities to promote the adoption of Inclusive Design. The results of a questionnaire completed by 114 architectural design practitioners underscore the lack of client awareness of the benefits of inclusive design, highlight the important role practitioners can play in advocating for Inclusive Design, and emphasize the need to develop practices and tools that enhance the design and post-design phases of buildings to ensure inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study applied a case study approach to explore the participation experiences of children with physical disabilities in a community school in Mumbai to understand how schools might improve their students' meaningful participation and social interaction. This study identified three categories of focus: (1) physically accessible and safe school spaces, (2) informal spaces for community and social engagement and socialization, and (3) future directions for school design. We offer specific recommendations for school designers to value children's voices and incorporate their disability-related needs in the design of school spaces. We outline key design considerations to create safe, accessible, and engaging school spaces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of InfoDesign: Revista Brasileira de Design da Informação is the property of Infodesign: Revista Brasileira de Design da Informacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

NoMix toilets separate urine and feces at the source and are a promising resource recovery technology. However, design issues hamper the transformation from unattractive to aspirational products. Little effort has been done to design toilets that account for physiological differences, leading to adverse effects on user-friendliness and urine separation efficiency. We used infrared recordings to assess gender-specific urination practices. Based on field data, we developed the Urinator, a simple device that allows simulating male and female urine streams. This supports engineers in developing more user- and gender-friendly and reuse-oriented sanitation technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study identifies the mediating effect of place identity and place dependence, dimensions of Place Attachment (PA), on the relationship between Built Environment Usability (BEU) (walkability, control, accessibility, wayfinding) and college Freshmen's Coping Skills (FCS). Additionally, the differences between native and non-native freshmen regarding PA and coping skills are evaluated. Collected data from surveying 360 freshmen were analyzed using bootstrapping method in Hayes SPSS Process Macron. Results demonstrated a 69% direct effect of BEU on FCS, having 'wayfinding' as the most influential factor. The partial mediation model is established, with place identity accounting for approximately 52% and place dependence for 78% of the BEU impact on FCS. There is also a significant difference concerning coping skills and PA between native and non-native freshmen. While shedding light on the importance of inclusive design in the college environment, the present outcomes provide a design framework to enhance FCS and PA. Highlights College environment's walkability, control, accessibility and wayfinding should be considered to provide a usable and inclusive design. Wayfinding is the most influential built environment usability factor on freshmen's coping skills. Built environment usability's impact on freshmen's coping skills is partially mediated by place attachment. Native and non-native freshmen's coping skills and place attachment differs significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many autistic students have been struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic situation for years. Special and inclusive education experts collaborated with multi-disciplinary experts to address and solve the problems that have arisen. This chapter presents some examples of using serious games and applications to help autistic students to study and improve their quality of life in a VUCA world. Mobile device platforms are practical for online learning and provide many interactions to support inclusive design. Three serious games showed how to bring interactive content to special education, and two mobile applications demonstrated inclusive designs to solve autism problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of InfoDesign: Revista Brasileira de Design da Informação is the property of Infodesign: Revista Brasileira de Design da Informacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Collaborations of universities with different stakeholders can extend students' learning and result in capacity development among all the collaborators. The project described in this article, SIDe, involved partners from the UK and Turkey who develop a mechanism together to effectively embed inclusive design and co-design in social design education. The knowledge production through normative inquiry and the experience of a shared equal voice among all the partners resulted in the SIDe Model, enabling collaborators to understand their unique contributions. The model was tested with students from four different disciplines at the Faculty of Architecture, Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University. This article offers original insights into how normative inquiry can be realized in course design and project execution to drive inclusion in social design education; it also provides the improved design process model – the SIDe model – to facilitate potential wider adoption of the good practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining and submitting documentation related to disabilities to instructors is a known barrier to students accessing necessary accommodations. We assessed whether the implementation of a universal course design procedure, an automatic re-weight for students who missed a midterm exam without requiring documentation, was associated with differences in midterm examination attendance relative to a previous course offering when documentation was required for such an absence. In 2018, a large (n = 1897) first-year course introduced a fall midterm examination that required documentation for assessment reweights resulting from a missed exam, and in 2019 (n = 1795) assessments were automatically (i.e., no documentation required) re-weighted for students who missed the exam. We expected that the midterm attendance rate for the 2019 (no documentation required) exam would be significantly lower than the 2018 fall midterm exam attendance rate. However, our results revealed that removing the requirement for documentation was not associated with an increase in exam absences. These findings indicate that flexible practices can be effective in promoting accessibility while not significantly affecting student engagement and completion of summative assessments. However, we did not assess for any differences in learning because of this missed testing practice, and there are limitations such that these findings may not generalize to other student populations. We call for further discussion and research with respect to the learning-related consequences of re-weighting assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalisation giving rise to Industry 4.0 is said to bring significant change to shop floor workplaces in industrial production. Prior research anticipates challenges of new skills demanded from workers, but also opportunities to employ disabled workers. Inclusive Design could be able to augment this potential of digitalisation towards the inclusion of disabled workers. This paper reports a literature review to understand the state of affairs of Inclusive Design within Industry 4.0. The analysis shows Inclusive Design is underexplored in Industry 4.0, and identifies four key concepts, which are discussed in the paper: complexity, human-centredness, Industry 4.0 as assistive technology, and measuring workers. The concept of complexity is discussed as a source for future research in Inclusive Design in Industry 4.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of the built environment strongly influences people's needs, how they learn, behave, and build relationships. Education and learning are part of the nature of human beings, and allow them to develop skills, advance culture, and answer needs. In the current context, the incremental use of technological devices inside spaces has brought several positive outcomes, but also various challenges due to increased complexity. Limitations in considering the diversity of human needs confronted with architecture and technologies may raise stigmatization and exclusion. This article explores the links between the learning theories and the paradigms of user-centered design, providing theoretical affinities able to reduce the exclusion of people during interaction with spaces and objects. The process of the inclusive spatial learning experience aims to stimulate designers to deliver inclusive spaces that provide a progressive discovery of their characteristics and technologies, with the final goal to improve the experience for people with different abilities, age, gender, culture, and various roles within the specific architecture they use and live. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health information needs to be accessible to all people, especially in emergencies and critical times of need such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Health information needs to be designed to meet the needs of a broad range of people, including Deaf and hard of hearing people who use American Sign Language. An Inclusive Design Thinking framework provides the process and structure for collaborative teams to work together to produce solutions that meet the needs of diverse audiences, including people with disabilities. Design Thinking is a human-centered problem-solving method that puts users at the center of the design process. Inclusive Design Thinking includes the end users throughout the design process, considers barriers users may face when accessing information, and seeks to remove these barriers through information design that is accessible to the intended audience.This case study provides the details of a collaborative effort by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Georgia Tech Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation (CIDI), ASL interpreters, Deaf and hard of hearing community members and advocates, and other community members to design and disseminate health information during the COVID-19 pandemic while addressing health literacy and digital accessibility best practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Estudios Demográficos y Urbanos is the property of El Colegio de Mexico AC and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

ABSTRACT Inclusive paediatric mobility (IPM) design is a growing field in need of critical and foundational designerly transitions in order to better deal with a wicked problem. This article adopts an illustrative mapping review method to interrogate the past 50 years of IPM design, aiming to identify alternative designerly ways that could help transition the field towards a more desirable long-term future. IPM Design contributions between 1970 and 2020 are mapped chronologically across Theoretical, Methodological, Empirical, and Interventional categories. A Reflection-for-Transition framework of Designerly Ways is developed to identify existing and alternative designerly ways, through categorizing key insights from the mapping review. The framework consists of five interrelated dimensions, including Designerly: Investigations, Processes, Contributions, Collaborations, and Contexts. Proposed alternative designerly ways include: exploring high-level narratives and social imaginaries; shifting focus towards problem-framing, child-centred design and transdisciplinarity; improved documentation and sharing to build a body of knowledge; and exploring extended design contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The world of design is fast moving beyond the physicality of experiences. The theory and practice of inclusive design, however, is still largely focused on considerations of physical aspects. This research attempts to fill the gap in understanding of psychosocial inclusivity in design by identifying a formal definition with constructs. Theoretical interrogation of literature (design and non-design fields) together with empirical investigations (semi-structured interviews, a creative workshop and observations) are conducted within two distinct contexts, i.e. older individuals' supermarket shopping and assisted mobility service users. The outcomes are evaluated using expert surveys. A formal definition and four evaluative constructs of psychosocial inclusivity in design are described: Cognitive, Emotional, Social and Value. The results provide first elements of an encompassing definition of psychosocial inclusivity, which is theoretically and empirically informed, and may serve as a guide for design in the future. The research enhances the knowledge of psychosocial inclusivity in design through devising a formal definition and constructs, and details the constructs within two specific contexts of supermarket shopping and assisted mobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the introduction of Health 4.0 we face a new era in healthcare and notice the disruption of delivery, adoption and use through newly introduced technology. Wearables have become increasingly important in the medical sector and their remote application and widespread use are significant to the development of technology in healthcare today and the future. The implementation of wearables requires regulations and clinical approval when intended to use for health tracking and monitoring. Within this process designers play a crucial role. Design methodologies are the guideline to accomplish a successful path towards the creation of a new product. In this paper the authors explore and draw from established design methodologies to support the creation of a framework for design of wearables in a health 4.0 context. Identifying the positions of design practices and analyzing the correlations in the context of Health 4.0 is therefore presented within this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An empirical multi-method study assessed park visitor patterns during 2018 summer heat. • Two differently characterized parks differ in their cooling function. • Temperature threshold of around 30 °C was identified where numbers for jogging and playing with children declined. • Age groups based activities in parks are linked to park design characteristics. Urban parks provide multiple ecosystem services to mitigate challenges from climate change and urbanisation. They promote health and well-being by providing space for physical activity and social interaction, which is particularly relevant for vulnerable groups such as children and older people. As a key element, park vegetation creates favourable environments, as it moderates heat, buffers noise and can be enjoyed by citizens. In this paper, we present the results of a multi-method empirical study conducted in the city of Leipzig, Germany, during the summer heat and drought period in July 2018. Visitation patterns were analysed through qualitative observation and structured counting in two differently characterised urban parks – a newly developed urban park on a former railway brownfield and a long-standing, older park with a mature tree population. The results indicate that park design elements are linked to park use activities and park user age groups such as young children, school children and older people. Young children were identified as mostly using playgrounds and natural lawn areas in the old park, while school children and teenagers tended to use the sports areas and semi-secluded spaces in the newly developed park to play sports or to meet in groups and socialize. For older people, sedentary activity was exclusively observed on benches, and non-sedentary activity such as jogging was nearly exclusively identified in the larger, more shaded older park. The number of counted park users, particularly numbers of children and older people, significantly declined at the highest temperature of approximately 30 °C. Considering the provision and availability of inclusive design elements that support these use behaviours may increase the motivation of all age groups to use green spaces and to benefit from the services they provide. Planning for a more effective and just provision of ecosystem services requires the consideration of age-specific design elements to invite use from all population groups equally and to contribute to distributional justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Equity in the built environment refers to the extent to which the built environment meets the needs of different groups through planning, design, construction, operation, management, and regulation. Though much studied in recent years, some needs and groups have received a greater research focus than others, and significant inequities continue to exist. Following PRISMA guidelines, we systematically reviewed the distributional and recognitional aspects of inequities experienced by vulnerable groups regarding their needs while using/occupying different types of built environments. We find that more studies focus on inequities regarding residential buildings, transportation facilities, and public open spaces, whereas comparatively few studies examine water and energy infrastructure, commercial buildings, educational buildings, and healthcare facilities. More studies focus on well-being, mobility, and access needs than shelter and safety needs. Inequities experienced by minorities, people with low socioeconomic status, people with health concerns, and vulnerable age groups receive more attention than the inequities experienced by people with gender/sexual-orientation vulnerability or displaced groups. The literature exhibits a relatively narrow focus on some subgroups, such as refugees, people experiencing homelessness, people with cognitive differences, people with visual or hearing impairments, children, and women. We argue that these findings demarcate high-impact future research directions to address vulnerable groups' needs worldwide and suggest measures to alleviate inequities in the built environment. [Display omitted] • Inequities in built environments intersect with human needs and vulnerable groups. • Less research focus on water/energy, commercial, educational, healthcare facilities. • Shelter and safety needs are explored relatively less compared to other needs. • More research focus on minorities, low socioeconomic groups, and people with health concerns. • More research is needed for vulnerable subgroups such as refugees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A visually impaired child, if not stimulated, may face delays in motor, cognitive and social development. A simple, didactic and playful method to stimulate these skills is through toys. Although the importance of toys is recognized by child behavior' researchers, it is noted a lack of inclusive toys available in the market. This paper presents the development and evaluation of an inclusive toy prototype for visually impaired children in preschool adopting inclusive design principles in the project. We conducted an electronic research with 31 health and education professionals, evaluating their perceptions about the inclusive features of the prototype, to understand if these features can be considered as an innovation strategy to the industry and if the prototype has potential as an instrument of stimulation for visually impaired children. The results show that 90% of the participants believe that the prototype is attractive for visually impaired children and 81% that it is suitable for preschool children. In addition, 97% considered it inclusive and 64% as innovative. Regarding the stimuli provided, the agreement was always positive: 97% believe that it will stimulate touch, 65% sight, 62% motor coordination, 78% imagination, 84% curiosity, and 58% autonomy of the child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern public restrooms are fitted with a wide range of automated fixtures that promote cleanliness and afford ease of use. Unfortunately, frustrations pervade from the lack of usable and effective restroom technologies. This feature critically examines poor designs encountered in typical public facilities in the Western world and suggests guidelines for future improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this Introduction to the IJME Special Issue on Technology for Equity and Social Justice in Education, Sherry Marx and Yanghee Kim highlight key trends in technology education research that address issues of equity and multicultural education. Seven articles are introduced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outdoor environments for children are important sites for social inclusion and play. In the European context, outdoor play provision is typically governed by regional or national policy and informed by international conventions that specifically state that inclusive environments must be made available for all children for their rights to be met. Specifically, universal design is proposed as a way to achieve this goal. However, little is known about national play policy in general, nor the extent to which universal design informs local play provision. This paper focuses on a review of play policy and guidelines carried out in 18 European countries and a national universal design study in Ireland in 2018. Findings identified an overall lack of play policy internationally, and when policy exists, universal design is underrepresented. The potential application of the seven principles of universal design to playgrounds is discussed alongside play value principles to maximize successful playspace design. Further exploration of the child's voice in designing for play is warranted to strengthen socio-spatial inclusion and diminish the poverty of experience that many children with disabilities experience in their communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are around 2,500 cyclone shelters and multipurpose cyclone shelters along the 710 km long coast of Bangladesh. They have gradually been constructed since the devastating cyclone of 1970 to provide a safe haven facility for the coastal population. Constructed by various agencies the shelters are heterogeneous in many aspects; i.e. Funding conditions, location, design, footprint, construction material and technique, and construction process, etc. Until now, spatial distribution of cyclone shelters; structural strength analysis; catchment area; and management issues have dictated design of the shelters. Preliminary research by the authors shows that accessibility and inclusiveness of the shelters by incorporating opinions and requirements of the stakeholders have not been considered in most cases. This paper presents the rationale, process and findings of a pilot study that assessed multipurpose cyclone shelters for their inclusiveness. A simple random sampling method was used to select the case study shelters. An assessment protocol was developed to evaluate each case study shelter for their inclusiveness. Initial findings show that design of the cyclone shelters failed to address requirements of disabled and older population group; gender discrimination; and specific requirement of the local farmers. By incorporating widely accepted inclusive design principles and design standards the shelters can be made more user-friendly, accessible and inclusive and help to a supportive built environment for all. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive design should be an integral part of the curriculum in the education of environmental design disciplines, incorporating empathic understanding. Among the empathic methods that are employed, ‘build-to-learn’ that promotes experiential learning is effective in students’ multisensory and bodily engagement with the process and product. This paper discusses an exercise in a Human Factors/Ergonomics course in interior design where students create ‘A 3D Experience’. Analysis of exemplary work suggests various ways in which different senses may come forth into awareness to sometimes enrich and at other times limit embodied space, thus opening up a venue of inclusivity in novel and unpredictable ways. Research conducted on student perspectives reveals that the assignment had positive impact on their understanding and awareness of, and attitudes towards, inclusive design, as well as creative thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The past two decades have witnessed significant increases in the number of courses offered online, the number of students enrolled in them, and the diversity of electronic tools available to teach them. Over this time period, civil rights complaints and resolutions with the Office of Civil Rights and the Department of Justice have also made it perfectly clear that online courses must be made accessible to students with a wide variety of disabilities. This article shares possible motivations for the design of accessible online courses, examples of access challenges for students with a variety of disabilities, two approaches for making online courses accessible to people with disabilities, and tips for online instructors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Journal of E-Learning & Distance Education is the property of Canadian Network for Innovation in Education and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The rapidly expanding market for wearable computing devices (wearables), driven by advances in information and communication technologies (ICT), wireless access, and public acceptance of a design aesthetic, is indicative of the near limitless potential for changing the relationship of users to information context(s). As the adoption of wearable devices spreads, there are cultural and social impacts that represent both barriers and opportunities, with subsequent policy ramifications. All too often designers, technologists, and policymakers operate independently developing products that are out of sync, lack interoperability, or are hindered by well meaning, but obstructive policy. This paper proposes a futures-based, iterative policy-informed design framework for developing wearable devices that guides interdisciplinary collaborators early in the process of designing a research & development plan. This approach allows for the development of “images of the future” through which various potential implications and effects of device design in social, technological, and regulatory contexts can be explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the design community has witnessed the development of several design approaches aimed at taking into account the diversity of human abilities and conditions during design. One of these approaches is inclusive design, used here as an umbrella term to cover also universal design and design for all. This article addresses some of the common questions that arise when inclusive design is considered in relation to the built environment. It discusses how inclusive design is defined and interpreted, what its relevance, implications and challenges are in relation to the built environment, how it relates to other significant design issues, and how it can be fostered in the future. This introduction to the idea of inclusive design is of interest to built environment professionals and researchers seeking a more holistic approach to the built environment. Foregrounding the diversity in human interactions with the built environment supports reflection on the human impact of design decisions. By offering diverse spatial qualities and use opportunities, inclusive design has the potential to help addressing the challenges of our diverse and ageing society in a sustainable way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Audio description (AD) is a media feature especially designed for visually impaired people to enable the access, via audio, to the description of visual content, such as television programs or movies, in which a narrator orally describes the visual scenes that are not perceptible by these users. Without this feature, unfortunately not available on a large scale, visually impaired users (VIU) have major difficulties in taking the best benefit of television contents. Currently, the production of AD is a costly and complex process, achieving only the minimum requirements mandated by what TV law obliges. However, the current technological convergence paradigm provides great opportunities to enhance this process, leveraging the number of AD and bringing relevant socio-economic impacts. In this context, this paper aims to describe some key steps to support the participatory development of a cross-platform prototype, which enable collaborative and voluntary creation of AD in an inclusive approach. A special focus is given to a preliminary test aiming to understand how the target audience responds to the designed collaborative strategy. Based on a qualitative evaluation, we found that volunteers were satisfied with the procedure used to create AD and visually impaired users felt that this AD assisted them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Metaverse appears as the next big opportunity in the consumer electronics scenario. • There are currently several companies involved with its development. • It is extremely important to define principles and practices to design a good Metaverse. • Qualitative research pointed out to challenges and opportunities to design a safe, inclusive, accessible Metaverse that guarantees equity and diversity. • Ten principles for designing a good Metaverse embrace inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety. The metaverse, a digital immersive environment in which people interact by using immersive technologies, is shaping a new way for people to interact and socialise. Forecasts predict that by 2026 a quarter of the population will spend at least an hour a day in the metaverse. This projection requires the consideration of several challenges and opportunities that will influence the design of the metaverse. A qualitative ethnographic study with industry experts was carried out to explore the social impact of the metaverse through the lens of inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety with the goal to identify directions business have to undertake. The results indicated the vast nature of future research questions that will need to be answered and facilitated the creation of good practices for designing an inclusive, accessible, safe metaverse that guarantees equity and diversity. These good practices are a starting point to develop a narrative, spark conversations, brainstorm questions and eventually provide answers for designing a metaverse as a place for people that does not substitute the physical world but complements it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The longevity of the aging populations resulting in a demographic gap is an emergent problem in present society. Universal design philosophy is a transfer towards inclusion promising improved solutions for people with diverse abilities. Nevertheless, often in practice it becomes a mere conception. Existing theoretical guidelines as design principles often fail to result in factual universal design. This is particularly worrying for the lifestyle-improvement of disabled older adults, since no standard ways to evaluate the impacts of universal design principles exist. This paper presents the results of a study on the effect of universal design and its practice involving 31 elderly adults from an elderly home. The study revealed that it would be desirable to explain universal design principles in operational terms to measure and relate them in facilitating the improvement of life quality for older adults. Furthermore, this result is anticipated to stress the importance of further assays concerning the modifying of universal design principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compared to 20 years ago, there are growing numbers of older office workers globally. Despite the growing importance of 'inclusive design' and 'sustainable' research agenda, there is little knowledge of what the ageing workforce sector requires, and there is little known about the strengths and weaknesses of current sustainable workspace designs for older workers. This study explores ageing workers' experiences through a field survey of 240 office workers (ranging in age from 55 to 75) in three recently constructed sustainable office buildings. It investigates the sets of common factors in a sustainable building system that influence the experience of older office workers, and analyses the correlations from the perspective of the human factors discipline. This paper discusses the implications of the study on practice from two points of view: (i) the ageing workforce and (ii) the sustainable development of office buildings, and suggests a number of future research issues regarding a user-responsive workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Collegium Antropologicum is the property of Croatian Anthropological Society and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Notwithstanding the increased number of regulations there is a general lack of awareness about Inclusive Design among building industry professionals. This is partly due to the scarcity of available tools to evaluate occupancy feedback on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. How can we implement a tool to evaluate occupancy feedback on inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility that works for the building industry? This study aims to inform the development of a post-occupancy method to evaluate Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) in the built environment. This article reports the results of a multifaceted Delphi study which culminated with co-designing the IDEA audit, a post-occupancy evaluation method to collect data on people's perceptions of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility. With the IDEA audit, researchers, building owners, design teams, developers, facility managers, tenants, and organisation leaders can achieve a baseline of understanding of what people feel in regard to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, clearly identify pockets of inconsistency and use data to decide how to address challenges and points of exclusion. • Inclusive Design is not widely adopted in architectural design practice. • There is scarcity of post-occupancy evaluation methods on inclusion and accessibility. • Mapping building occupant's perception of inclusion and accessibility is key to design inclusively. • Mixed method evaluation can help professionals to understand points of exclusion in the building. • The IDEA audit helps to understand people's perception of inclusion and accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The kitchen is an important area in the home serving many purposes both functional and social. It is central to enabling people to stay within their own homes in their later life. As part of a detailed study of 'past' and 'present' kitchen living, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 48 older people about their current kitchen and how well it met their needs. It was found that personal problems with reaching, bending, dexterity and sight were more likely to be experienced with increasing age while for specific tasks, ironing and cleaning created the most difficulty. The paper reports on coping strategies and simple innovations made by the participants to address the problems they experienced. A challenge for kitchen designers, manufacturers and installers is to think in terms of kitchens that are more flexible and adaptable to people's changing needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the twin forces of an ageing population and climate change effects in the context of global warming. Inclusive and Sustainable Design approaches respectively attempt to respond to one but not both of these phenomena, producing 'unsustainable inclusivity' and 'deterministic sustainability' outcomes. Both produce counterfactual, even perverse, social and environmental effects, including the failure of design and other standards and guidance to produce the desired benefits. By drawing on the author's empirical research on sustainable urban environment and transport projects, a science-technology-design conceptual approach is explored in order to bridge these design and society-nature divides by integrating inclusive/human-centred and environmental/sustainable design fields. The paper suggests Science Technology Society (STS) studies rather than fragmented design specialisms as an alternative perspective to address these wicked problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conventional approach to audio description (AD) uses third-person narrative, factual delivery style, postplanning and third-party delivery, making it incompatible with inclusive design principles and equitable access to sensory stimuli. This paper discusses Clay & Paper Theatre's alternative AD approach, involving actors, scriptwriters, musicians and directors. With no previous exposure to inclusive design, the creative team developed the design process: script modification, characters and music integration, and sensory tour presentation. Innovative methodology taught actors and directors to think about accessibility from the start of their creative processes. Actors found the inclusive design process useful in developing a better understanding of character roles. Audience members enjoyed the play through the role of music and its link to the narrative and characterization. Clay & Paper Theatre's alternative AD approach exemplifies social innovation in inclusive theatre design for blind and low vision (B/LV) audiences, with an emphasis on process and service outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive Design's extensive literature may be divided into theory concerning methodology and case studies describing practice. The question arises as to how closely practice matches theory. This paper (based on an analysis of academic papers, posters and oral presentations) is a survey of the methods used in self-declared inclusive design projects. The raw material was classed as (a) product design or (b) assistive technology. Design steps were assigned to six categories of activity as defined by an authoritative design method. Analysis showed that of the 66 cases, 4.5 per cent reported carrying out all six steps, while 39.3 per cent carried out or reported just one step. The study found that the predominant focus of activity was in the initial steps of user investigation; subsequent steps receive less emphasis due to either under-reporting or non-completion. The work shows that design practitioners need to resist the tendency for user input to taper off as projects proceed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Wray et al. (2012) found that providing specialist ‘add on’ study skills sessions to students with SpLD increased the likelihood of progression and earlier identification. However, 48% of students identified as ‘at risk’ of having a SpLD did not pursue further assessment/support, which is of concern. Objectives/Design/Participants/Settings: The study aimed to explore the impact of embedding nine study skills sessions designed for students with SpLD into the mainstream curriculum on pre-registration nursing students in one HEI in the north of England. Two cohorts (September 2009 (n=257) and February 2010 (n=127)) took part; a total of 300 students completed a student feedback questionnaire (201 from September 2009, 99 from February 2010 (response rates of 87% and 80%)). The study used an outcome evaluation approach (Watson et al., 2008) to explore the impact of the sessions using a range of measures: (i) a student feedback questionnaire, (ii) length of time from registration to first contact with Disability Services, and (iii) progression data. Results: Overall, the sessions were received very positively, especially those on essay writing, reflection and learning techniques. Students in the study cohorts made contact with Disability Services 4–6weeks earlier than other cohorts; referrals were also higher. Equally, students with SpLD with access to study skills had higher rates of progression (e.g. 87% in 2009) than in years with no sessions (e.g. 62% in 2008); progression rates were comparable to their non-disabled peers. Conclusions: Mainstreaming what had previously been a reasonable adjustment made time- and resource-savings for the institution. Such approaches to embedding are important in encouraging and retaining talented and able students. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We have developed a gesture-controlled user interface (GCUI) application called OpenGesture, to help users carry out everyday activities such as making phone calls and controlling home appliances. OpenGesture uses simple hand gestures to perform a range of tasks via an augmented reality television interface. This paper introduces OpenGesture, and reports evaluative studies of its usability and inclusivity. The results of our evaluation lead us to the proposal of a framework for GCUI development, which may act as a reference for future GCUI-based applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging population and their expectations have become a growing concern in Turkey as in other countries. This study aims to investigate interactions/relationships between the needs, demands and expectations of Turkish elderly and inclusive urban design principles. It tries to answer the research question: how the inclusive urban life could improve elderly life and contribute to achieve an active aging process. An exploratory study was conducted with a total of 100 randomly selected elderly between the ages 65-95 (45 female and 55 male) from the City Centre of Ankara. A survey instrument based on the 'streets for life' concept (Burton & Mitchell 2006) was developed to gather data. The participants were asked to identify how important inclusive urban design features were in understanding, using and navigating within an urban environment. The findings of the study suggest that an inclusive open environment allows elderly people to feel safer, and thus encourage more regular use of urban space. Overall the results highlight two important insights, first that accessibility is inevitable for increasing the chance of the aging population to participate in the mainstream of community life and second, plain and simple signage is necessary to achieve more liveable urban environments. The study concludes the most important physical requirements and social requirements for elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between the built environment and the human body is rarely considered explicitly in contemporary architecture. In case architects do take the body into account, they tend to derive mathematical proportions or functional dimensions from it, without explicit attention for the bodily experience of a building. In this article, we analyse the built environment in a way less common in architecture, by attending to how a particular person experiences it. Instead of relating the human body to architecture in a mathematical way, we establish a new relationship between architecture and the body--or a body--by demonstrating that our bodies are more involved in the experience of the built environment than we presume. The article focuses on persons with a sensory or physical impairment as they are able to defect building qualities architects may not be attuned to. By accompanying them during a visit to a museum building, we examine how their experiences relate to the architect's intentions. In attending to the bodily experiences of these disabled persons, we provide evidence that architecture is not only seen, but experienced by all senses, and that aesthetics may acquire a broader meaning. Senses can be disconnected or reinforced by nature. Sensory experiences can be consciously or unconsciously eliminated or emphasized by the museum design and use. Architects can have specific intentions in mind, but users (with an impairment) may not experience them. Attending to the experiences of disabled persons, and combining these with the architect's objectives, provides an interesting view of a building. Our analysis does not intend to criticize the one using the other; rather the combination of both views, each present in the building, makes for a richer understanding of what architecture is. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social policy is a step to improving living conditions, enhancing society or preventing social injustices. The playground is a safe place for children and families to develop relationships, experience happiness and enjoy community. While there have been a few case studies examining playground accessibility, a more comprehensive assessment and evaluation of playground accessibility across the leisure profession has not yet been completed. The purpose of this paper is to present a descriptive case study regarding playground accessibility through assessment of accessible design features of playgrounds in two neighbouring communities in the United States. The collective findings of this study raise several issues and ask the question: “Are community park and recreation leaders aware of the lack of inclusive and accessible playground spaces?” Findings from this study can be used to develop social policies that facilitate enable inclusive playgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the context of inclusive design, this paper reports on a photo-ethnographic study that is part of a wider inquiry into the haptic qualities of the built environment. To stimulate conversation with children born blind about their haptic spatial experiences, we invited them to take pictures of their daily living environment-a school for children with visual or hearing impairments or autism. The pictures taken by the blind children offer a unique perspective on how they experience the school environment. Non-visual triggers for taking pictures were both tangible (tactile, olfactory, auditory) and intangible (memories and knowledge) in nature. Besides offering insights into non-visual stimuli in the school, this study suggests that photo-ethnography may be a useful approach for communicating about sensory experience with children born blind and for overcoming a lack of vocabulary to articulate these experiences. Moreover, using the camera provoked sensory experiences and memories in general and revealed details on haptic perception in particular. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Exhibition is embedded within the culture of Art and Design and has a long history as a form of 'gathering' to prompt academic discourse. This paper explores the role of the exhibition as a theatre for conversation that has parallels with the salon gatherings that emerged in mid-seventeenth-century France. This paper will describe 'The Future Bathroom' - a project that contributes to the development of methods and tools to support an inclusive design agenda. The bathroom provides a number of challenges to user-centred design methodology because of the highly personal, sensitive and intimate nature of the activities that take place there. Various methods were adopted during the course of the enquiry and here we focus on the role of the interactive exhibition as a research tool to gather data and further our understanding within the context of the research objectives. As part of the interdisciplinary research network 'Engineering for Life' (supported through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Bridging the Gap Programme), researchers within the Art and Design Research Centre (ADRC) at Sheffield Hallam University explored the potential of a 'field lab' exhibition based on the 'future bathroom' research to both gather and disseminate knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been numerous studies about recycling behaviour, participation and motivations, some of which will be discussed in the main text of this paper. There are disagreements over the impact that age has on the ability and inclination to recycle. The author believes that there are significant effects that age and the ageing population has, and will have, on the ability to recycle and the overall UK material recovery rates. This positioning paper examines literature regarding barriers to recycling and relationships with age. A hypothetical scenario is outlined for the impact of the ageing population on future material recovery rates in the UK, the initial results of a survey are presented, and the potential role that design can play to eliminate these barriers is described, along with the author's activities within this area in the project 'The Grey Areas of Green Design' based at Sheffield Hallam University. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]