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The awareness that museums must be inclusive and participatory led to practices adapted to visitors' requirements and co-creative experiences, encouraging interaction with exhibitions, and thus fostering memorable experiences. Yet, constraints remain for people with disabilities, reducing their satisfaction and desire to return. Despite the high number of people with visual impairments worldwide, there is a lack of research on factors that may impact their co-creation in museums. This paper aims to identify factors influencing the co-creation of people with visual impairments experiences in museums, either facilitating or constraining it. Based on focus groups discussion, the results of the study conducted suggest that the co-creation of people with visual impairments in museums is influenced both by aspects related to visitors, as well as by disabling features of the museums' physical, communicational, and attitudinal environments. Conclusions and implications drawn are critical to improve the experience of people with visual impairments in museums. This article highlights that despite the high number of people with visual impairments worldwide, many still face constraints when visiting museums. The article reveals that several museums offer opportunities for interacting with the whole museum environment and co-creating value, to trigger memorable experiences. This paper fills a research gap by analysing how a set of factors influence people with visual impairments to get involved in co-creation in museums, either facilitating or constraining it. The research found that the factors that influence co-creation of experiences of people with visual impairments in museums can be related to the visitors or to the museums, including physical, communicational and attitudinal aspects. The article provides guidelines to improve the co-creation in museums of people with visual impairments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Higher education has seen a significant shift in the last two decades, with contemporary students representing more diverse cohorts who are increasingly balancing study alongside competing life-roles and responsibilities. Given the rise in student attrition and concerns regarding engagement, we saw a visible need to consider how our students could be better supported in managing their study requirements which might improve retention and engagement. We asked students what best helps them to manage their learning and time, and this study reports on responses from 430 students over 8 course offerings between 2019 and 2021. Responses were coded using inductive category development and grouped into internal and external locus of control. The findings reveal 52.6% students demonstrated an interplay of internal and external locus of control factors, while 29.5% identified fully internal and 17.9% indicated fully external LOC. The study highlights that flexible, multi-pronged strategies and institutional supports are fundamental in supporting diverse modern tertiary student populations. The paper concludes with considerations for educators and higher education institutions, drawing on the principles of Universal Design for Learning and pedagogical care that may address many aspects raised by students that are outside their locus of control, which may consequently benefit student retention and engagement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to advance the debate on transport accessibility. While cognitive barriers to accessibility receive some attention in public transport research and policy, studies focus on discrete services and little research has addressed access solutions focused on the scale of the transport network. To address this gap, this paper presents the results from a one-day focus group with 16 public transport and disability advocacy practitioners in Victoria, Australia. The study reveals three concurrent ongoing developments in Victorian public transport that pose both opportunities and barriers to improving accessibility for people with intellectual disabilities across the extended metropolitan network. They are: diversification of transport services and providers; increased reliance on innovation in communication technology; and the need for inclusive forms of citizen participation mechanisms. The paper builds on the theory of mobility justice to argue that achieving greater transport accessibility requires network-wide, collaborative policies on accessibility. The paper demonstrates that a focus on cognitive access barriers in public transport enriches mobility justice as it highlights the distributed responsibility across a public transport network for the limited mobility of a marginalised group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social work education is mandated to provide inclusivity and accessibility to all students. Critical disability theory (CDT) challenges the notion that disabilities should be eradicated; rather, it declares that different abilities should be acknowledged and embraced as contributions. Universal design (UD), originating as a framework for accessible architectural building designs, has become a pedagogical approach in education. UD supports CDT and takes it farther by suggesting how to develop an inclusive environment. Through the lens of CDT and UD, this conceptual paper provides the rationale for educators to increase classroom inclusivity and accessibility by adding closed captions to all learning materials, presentations and videos, Closed captions, the text of verbal language, is beneficial for many different types of students, including those with processing disorder or hearing loss, those who did not learn English as their primary language, and those who have difficulty with focus. Further, this paper seeks to provide a step-by-step instruction manual to assist instructors with immediately including captions in their learning materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The focus of this paper is to examine the role that models play in informing the approach that post-secondary education institutions take to developing inclusive and equitable practices that successfully and appropriately address the access needs of disabled students in relation to information and communications technology. It reviews the current approach of the post-secondary education community to using models to inform their accessibility practice with respect to ICT and explores the answers to three related questions: 1. What alternatives to the Universal Design model exist? 2. How do we differentiate between different accessibility models? 3. Do we need more than one model to inform accessibility practice? One key outcome of this exploration is a proposed evaluation framework that can help post-secondary institutions make informed decisions about the most appropriate model for them to adopt. The paper concludes that such a framework has potential to transform practitioners' approaches to accessibility by suggesting that excellence may not require a 'blanket approach' in which just one model 'rules' or dominates their thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessibility and security issues pertaining to people with disabilities in Zimbabwe’s urban areas have so far received limited priority in scholarship and social policy. This is a major deviation from the prerequisites for disability inclusion, rights-based governance and development, and transformative social policy. Using qualitative research methodology, the paper addresses this compelling lacuna by exploring selected germane issues affecting people with disabilities, and advances policy options that Zimbabwe and other countries can implement to transform the well-being of this often excluded and trivialized group. The article acknowledges current effort for improving accessibility and security in and of urban areas but more importantly shows that people with disabilities are experiencing multiple problems due to glaring deficiencies in urban policy, amenities, and services. Transformative disability policy buttressed by a multi-stakeholder approach is indispensable in improving the situation of people with disabilities in relation to accessibility and security in urban areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of disability as a social construct has aided in providing better access to the built environment for disabled people, through the implementation of accessible spaces. However, access to them is not straightforward for disabled people who do not match stereotypical representations of disability. Drawing on empirical data collected from semi structured interviews and photo elicitation exercises, conducted with people with dwarfism living in the UK, this paper shows how they are often challenged or denied access to accessible spaces, creating a hierarchy of impairments. Building on the notion of 'statuarized spaces' the paper demonstrates how access to accessible spaces is influenced by their representation, which differs from representations of dwarfism, leading to incongruous encounters. These incongruous encounters affect the spatial practices of people with dwarfism. A more varied representation of disability is required in order to provide people with dwarfism straightforward access to accessible spaces. The ideas explored in this paper are based upon research carried out with people with dwarfism living in the UK. Shows how people with dwarfism are told off or challenged by other people when they want to access to accessible spaces. The paper shows some of the ways people with dwarfism gain access to accessible spaces. The paper argues for a broader representation of disability in order for people with dwarfism to be recognised as disabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention should be devoted to the accessibility of campus facilities to older adults and as a means to increase age-diversity. In this paper, we sought to uncover older adults' perceptions of campus accessibility via an online survey. Participants were recruited through local newsletters, and word of mouth, and included 81 community members (M Age = 71.58 years; 79% female; 89% White). Descriptive analyses were conducted for closed-ended responses and a constant comparative method was used to code open-ended responses. Based on the closed-ended responses, participants felt that the campus was somewhat accessible, moderately easy to walk around, and felt somewhat welcome on campus. The following general themes emerged in the open-ended responses: 1) inaccessibility on campus was related to parking and topography constraints (e.g., due to stairs, distance, hills); 2) accessibility on campus was due to sidewalks and access to transportation; 3) feeling welcome on campus was related to people being helpful, and 4) not feeling welcome was related to not 'being in the know' and not feeling like they belonged. These findings have implications for campus initiatives that aim to attract older adults, especially for campuses that have topography constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assistive technologies have allowed people with disabilities to perform daily tasks with greater independence and autonomy, especially for visually impaired people. Using smart home solutions allows these users to control their homes with less cognitive and physical demand. However, making such applications accessible to meet the needs of visually impaired users, especially in developing countries, remains a challenge. This paper investigates the perceptions of these users about home automation technologies through semi-structured interviews. A total of 20 visually impaired people participated in the interviews. A thematic analysis revealed results concerning the following themes: (1) how people go about their lives at home and around, how people interact with current appliances, objects and environments, (3) how people perceive their attitude to technologies, (4) the Brazilian context of smart homes, (5) what people think smart homes should do and (6) envisaging ways of interacting with smart home systems. The results obtained provide significant insight into the needs of visually-impaired people in Brazil, with analysis of issues that are common with previous studies in more developed countries and specific issues that have important particularities and implications in Brazil and other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An emerging segment of tourism demand is represented by accessible tourism, i.e. tourism activated in public spaces in the absence of any kind of barrier (architectural, cultural, sensorial, attitudinal, communicational and informational barriers) and, from a business competitiveness point of view, accessibility represents the precondition of any sustainable tourism policy and strategy. In this paper, we concentrate on tourism accessibility for people with disabilities. In particular, to better understand and overcome all obstacles that could impede travellers with special needs from enjoying their tourism experience, in literature is argued that the entire process of defining guidelines to improve tourism accessibility should follow a participatory approach from drafting to implementation. Therefore, to plan services for disabled people in addition to the mandatory requirements, our aim for the present paper is to apply a participatory approach involving stakeholders in the definition of a trademark specification. The experiment was applied to a protected natural area, namely the Gargano National Park (Southern Italy). Results confirm the relevance of adopting a participatory approach to involve stakeholders in the definition of a trademark specification granting disabled tourists with a wider accessibility to protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First, as a fan of live music and a power wheelchair user living with congenital muscular dystrophy, I use critical storytelling to describe my personal experiences of negotiating for accessibility during participation in arts and cultural activities. Second, I reflect broadly on the ableist ideologies that contribute to the inaccessibility of arts and cultural activities, focusing on the narrow scope of target participants, the ableist rationale for accessibility service provision, the inaccessibility of promotional materials and ticketing, segregated seating arrangements, venue inaccessibility, and single-modal performance. Third, I highlight the detrimental impact of the inaccessibility of arts and cultural activities at the organizational, social, intergroup, interpersonal, and individual levels. Finally, I propose future research directions and suggestions for inclusive practice in arts and cultural activities. This paper aims to promote self-empowerment, unravel the manifestations of ableism in arts and cultural activities, and stimulate readers' critical reflection on in/accessibility of arts and cultural activities. As a power wheelchair user living with congenital muscular dystrophy in Hong Kong, I reflect on how my first-hand experiences of going to more than 60 live concerts and some other arts and cultural activities across five places reinforce discrimination and stereotypes against wheelchair users. I provide examples of my real-life scenarios to illustrate the discrimination against wheelchair users in cultural and arts activities. Examples include experiences in the purchase of concert tickets, inquiries about accessible seating options, communication with venue staff, and interactions with my companions during concerts. I reflect on the impact of the discrimination and barriers of arts and cultural activities. I provide examples of inclusive practices that can promote the accessibility of arts and cultural activities. The writing process is a self-empowering. It helps organize and express my emotions and thoughts regarding the barriers encountered in arts and cultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An increasing focus in aged care policy is supporting older people to age at home. However, there is little recognition of the health and independence of older private renters living in a space they do not own or control. This paper draws on in-depth interviews and assessments undertaken in the homes of 27 older tenants in the Brisbane environs aiming to understand how renting privately influenced their ability to meet their basic needs. An analysis of the findings highlights the disadvantage experienced by many older private renters. Most older private renters were unable to meet their basic needs given unaffordable rent whilst reliant on the aged pension. Further, with limited access to community aged care including home modifications, the health and independence of older private renters was found to be at risk. IMPLICATIONS Community aged care is difficult for older private renters to utilise in Australia, with unaffordable services and tenancy law limiting access to community aged care services including home modifications. It is vital social workers advocate for the community aged care needs of older private renters in practice and policy settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ethnographic study explores an old age home in a former township in Walvis Bay, Namibia as an institution to investigate its potential to be interwoven in community care services for older adults. Interviews with older adults from the community revealed highly negative opinions about the residence that equated it to an institution. These opinions are compared with conditions in the OAH and the residents' views. The old age home was much more heterogenous as regards the composition of residents than what was perceived by older adults who lived in the community, who considered the home an option only for people who were childless or had been abandoned. Older adults who voluntarily lived alone in the home represented a new lifestyle that challenged the traditional family care practice that is the norm in later life. There was however some truth to the interviewees' perceptions of coercive elements, both in terms of practices and architectural design. The paper argues that it is necessary to reduce the stigma that prevents residential care from being an accepted part of community care and a housing option in the future. The study result shows a number of potentialities that can contribute to this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of inclusive education is to address students' special educational needs so that they are able to fully participate in the education community. The universities have been increasingly attempting to cater for the diversity of students by undertaking innovative projects through the adaptation of new technologies, which is key to their development. However, the evolution of inclusive education is uneven and largely depends on each university, as the resources, methods, and practices vary across institutions. The purpose of this paper is to propose an indicator to evaluate the state of inclusive education at each university. This indicator could ascertain the extent of curriculum adaptation and the degree of accessibility at universities, as well as the resources and projects they are developing to achieve inclusion. It will allow for a ranking of institutions according to the progress made in the field of inclusive education and, more specifically, for the comparison across universities regarding the quality of the specific measures taken to help students with special educational needs. This inclusive education indicator is a dynamic tool that may be updated immediately and provides the university community with the means to guide students with specific needs and their families in pre-university and university stages, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This two-year (2016–2018) study aimed to identify what a good life is for Aboriginal people with disability in remote Central Australia and how service providers can support them to achieve a good life. This paper presents the findings that relate to barriers to delivering services for Aboriginal people with disability. In-depth interviews and focus groups were held with Aboriginal people with disability and their carers aged at least 18 years from the Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (NPY) Lands and community organisations providing services there. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. There were 109 participants, of whom 47 were workers in service provider organisations and 62 were Aboriginal people. From the data, barriers to delivering services to support Aboriginal people to live a good life and solutions to overcome the barriers, were identified and described under the headings of environmental barriers and systemic issues. We discuss the policy implications of these findings with regard to addressing Indigenous disadvantage and how governments, service providers, communities, and Aboriginal people with disability and their families can work in partnership to address these barriers. Indigenous people with disability living in remote and very remote communities experience significant access and equity barriers to culturally responsive services that enable them to live a socially and culturally engaged life. Localised government and service provider disability policy approaches in Indigenous communities need to focus on both environmental and systemic issues. Greater investment in local remote communities is required to build the capacity of Indigenous families to support Aboriginal people with a disability to live a culturally and socially included life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on the development and refinement of a progressive physical exercise training and home modification intervention for older people with a risk of falling located in Germany by using the United Kingdom's Medical Research Council framework. The process was iterative and six phases of development emerged: (1) establishing an intervention development group, (2) identifying the evidence on interventions, (3) identifying a theory to underpin the intervention, (4) designing the intervention components, (5) drafting the intervention manual and training course, and (6) piloting and refining of intervention components. The result was an evidence-based, theory-informed, and user-endorsed intervention: FIT-at-Home. This intervention comprised nine individual sessions over 12 weeks and two follow-up booster sessions delivered by trained occupational therapists. A feasibility study demonstrated the acceptance and feasibility of intervention delivery. Users responses were generally favorable and included recommendations about the intervention manual, mode of delivery of the home hazard assessment, and producing a manual for older people. We developed a feasible home-based lifestyle-integrated physical exercise training and home modification intervention for older people with a risk of falling by using a systematic approach. Implications include how this intervention could enrich occupational therapy fall prevention strategy in older people living at home. Falls in older people represent a major public health concern and occupational therapists in rehabilitation practice are encouraged to apply evidence-based interventions that reduce the risk of falls in older people living in a community. Many physical and environmental fall risks are modifiable by lifestyle changes such as physical exercise training, home safety assessment, and home modification. We developed a home-based balance and strength exercise training and home modification intervention that aims to improve strength, balance, and home safety. This study indicates that older people, at risk of falling, with functional limitations, and limited mobility, who participated in the FIT-at-Home intervention, felt that exercising at home suited them best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ensuring the accessibility of digital content is a priority for libraries. Digital collections continue to grow, and libraries seek feedback from users and use tools to diagnose and solve accessibility issues. As libraries grapple with this new landscape, they want to know where they stand amongst their peers, what mandates apply to their situations, and how library staff are being trained to address accessibility requirements, among other issues. In 2019, the LYRASIS consortium surveyed its large network of more than 1,000 member galleries, libraries, archives, and museums to discover how these member institutions are approaching accessibility. This paper represents highlights from that survey as well as examples of accessibility efforts from North Carolina State University Libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite a strong desire among most older adults to age in place, there are few widely available services to support planning and preparing for one's future housing needs. Objective: To develop a prototype of a web-based housing counselling intervention for use in later life, by employing a user-centred design. Material and Methods: As the first step in intervention development, we employed a development process based on research circle methodology. Nine older adults participated in three sessions. Findings from literature reviews, a meeting with a technology and design panel (n = 6) and interviews with representatives of nonprofit organizations, companies, and municipalities (n = 7) served as discussion points. Result: An on-paper prototype was derived, composed of the THINK, LEARN and ACT module reflecting different stages of the decision-making process. Each module addressed preferences, health, home and social and financial resources. Key design features and theoretical underpinnings were included. Conclusion and Significance: A user-centred design process can result in services that are aligned with older adults' preferences for obtaining housing information. Services for planning and preparing future housing needs have the potential to increase older adults´ well-being at home as well as reduce costs for care and housing provision by the municipalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides methodological insights into the development of design guidelines for accessible pedestrian infrastructure for individuals with physical disabilities (IPD) in Québec's municipalities that could be replicated elsewhere. Nominal groups of experts including people with disabilities, health clinicians and researchers, and representatives from municipalities and transportation societies allowed the validation of recommendations found in the literature for nine forms of pedestrian infrastructure: rest areas and urban furniture, bus stops, curb cuts, sidewalks, crosswalks, signage, stairs, ramps, and handrails. Consensus was reached during each nominal group discussion and the surveyed level of agreement of all the experts with the developed guidelines was high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent changes in the building regulations have arguably signalled a growing awareness and recognition of the needs of different 'bodies' in the housing system. However, little is known of the ways in which housebuilders conceptualise the needs of those who do not conform to 'able-bodied' norms and how this impacts on their dealing with such groups. Drawing on the experiences of disabled people accessing the private housing market, this paper explores the processes of negotiation which take place between disabled house buyers and housebuilders during the purchase of new-build property. It is argued that underlying practical discussions around the (re)design of properties are negotiations around the concepts of disability and difference. These are played out and become apparent through the various roles assumed by each group. For example, lacking an institutional awareness of the needs of different bodies in domestic space, housebuilders are faced with the challenge of (re)viewing the needs and capacities of these 'Other' bodies. At such times, house buyers become the experts as they hold knowledge of their design needs which housebuilders clearly lack. The paper concludes by discussing the possibilities and challenges facing the housebuilding industry in engaging with the needs of disabled people and the role disabled people themselves can play in this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on interdisciplinary and interorganizational concerns which are involved in the development of technology which will be of use to physically disabled persons. The paper is divided into five parts: (1) The concepts, interdisciplinary' and `interorganizational' are described and defined. (2) Then, a number of concerns and problems involved in interdisciplinary and interorganizational work are identified. (3) From parts 1 and 2, an interdisciplinary/interorganizational framework is developed. (4) This framework is then used to analyze some problems and to examine possible solutions, focusing on the development of technology for physically disabled persons. (5) The paper ends with conclusions and recommendations, [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Older adults with low vision are a growing population with rehabilitation needs including support with community mobility to enable community participation. Some older adults with low vision choose to use mobility scooters to mobilize within their community, but there is limited research about the use by people with low vision. This paper describes a pilot study and asks the question: what are the experiences of persons with low vision who use mobility scooters? Methods: This study gathered the experiences of four participants with low vision, aged 51 and over, who regularly use mobility scooters. Diverse methods were used including a go-along, a semi-structured interview and a new measure of functional vision for mobility called the vision-related outcomes in orientation and mobility (VROOM). Findings: Four themes were found to describe experiences: autonomy and well-being, accessibility, community interactions and self-regulation. Discussion and implications: This study was a pilot for a larger study examining self-regulation in scooter users. However, as roles emerge for health professionals and scooters, the findings also provide evidence to inform practice, because it demonstrates the complex meaning and influences on performance involved in low vision mobility scooter use. Scooter use supports autonomy and well-being and community connections for individuals with both mobility and visual impairments. Low vision scooter users demonstrate self-regulation of their scooter use to manage both their visual and environmental limitations. Issues of accessibility experienced by this sample affect a wider community of footpath users, emphasizing the need for councils to address inadequate infrastructure. Rehabilitators can support their low vision clients' scooter use by acknowledging issues of accessibility and promoting self-regulation strategies to manage risks and barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A notable development in the past few years is that the concept of accessible and inclusive tourism (AIT) has gained momentum. This paper has two aims: first, to identify the extent to which tourism studies curricula can cultivate ethical behaviour in light of international legal mandates and conventions promoting the rights of people with disabilities (PwDs); and second, to point up AIT as a broader concept that matters to other population groups, namely seniors, pregnant women and families with baby carriages, people who follow special diets or have different morphologies to be integrated into the much larger category of people with special needs (PwSNs). This study was conducted with 254 self-administered questionnaires to tourism and hospitality students and recent alumni. The results of the study suggest that disability in tourism studies is a rather neglected topic of discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper affirms the importance of lighting as a technology in the context of people with sight loss. Its importance lies in the ability of appropriate lighting interventions to support independent living and to reduce the likelihood of falls and accidents. The concept of 'assistive lighting' is introduced with a set of tenets by which the merits of different lighting interventions can be considered. The tenets are derived from research on lighting and sight loss, including a thorough review of the literature; and consultation in the period from 2008 to 2010 with over 80 rehabilitation workers and occupational therapists in the United Kingdom. They affirm the need for lighting to be appropriate, sufficient, even, adjustable, sustainable and energy efficient, simple and adaptable. Examples of different lighting interventions are provided and these are considered in relation to the tenets. One of the key outcomes of the research was publication of a guide to good practice on lighting interventions for people with sight loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper focuses on the participants’ perspective of social enterprises, particularly those providing employment for a variety of handicapped populations. It argues that when dealing with such populations with the goal of integrating them into society, contrary to present policy and practice, a market orientation of the organizations employing them, provides, under certain circumstances and with certain populations, advantages and opportunities not awarded in nonprofits or public agencies. It bases the argument on two conceptual frameworks: (1) thesocial model of dealing with disabilitiesand (2) thestrength-based practice in social work. When translated into the realm of work, both of these suggest that handicapped persons have capabilities to contribute to the economy, to society as well as to themselves, provided they are granted appropriate opportunities to do so. A market-oriented social enterprise framework, designed on the basis of the concept of‘shared value’, can potentially provide such opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper was to investigate the experience of home for parents and carers of children with disabilities in Australia. Data for this qualitative study were gathered using semi-structured interviews with four families living in their own homes. An inductive thematic analysis revealed two main themes. The first was titled ‘Aspects making everyday life easier’ explored the aspects of the home environment that facilitated home life for the child, including access to transport, services, family and home modifications. The second theme ‘Decisions and efforts to create opportunities for the child’ emphasized the efforts made by parents and carers to promote their child’s independence and participation including a strong consideration for their children’s future needs. The study indicated that the location of home, appropriate home modifications and planning for the future defined the experience of home for parents and carers. These findings identify some important considerations for occupational therapists when providing services in the homes of families with children who have a disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number of people with dementia worldwide will reach 115.4 million by 2050. This accelerating crisis has sparked research on how to design neighbourhoods for those with early dementia, and how to empower them through built environment changes to remain in their community for as long as possible. There are numerous benefits for persons with dementia who continue access to their neighbourhood: physical activity, sense of dignity, social interaction, autonomy and psychological wellbeing. In this paper, I examine 17 recommendations (urban design and land use strategies) identified as ‘dementia-friendly’, within dementia design and planning literature. Each is then examined against the planning frameworks for a mid-size suburban municipality in Ontario and assessed for its financial impact on a base case subdivision using pro forma analysis. The effect on the financial return for a developer was minimal, demonstrating that establishing these recommendations as policy is viable, through regulation and incentives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the concept of accessible tourism and its links with triple-bottom-line (TBL) sustainability. Accessible tourism is reviewed through some of its central features including dimensions of access, universal design and the nexus between ageing and disability. The TBL is then examined to better understand the financial, environmental and social considerations that arise from accessible tourism. The research design used in this explorative research incorporated a case study approach, where a business case study instrument was developed. Methods included a Delphi group, review of management information systems, in-depth interviews with key informants, observation and participant observation. The study results revealed that rather than accessible tourism being a single construct, it forms one critical dimension of a series of interrelated, overlapping and interdependent business arrangements that extend beyond the business entity through a series of social networks within the destination region. It is argued that to properly satisfy the accessible tourism market, a more sophisticated understanding of accessible destination experiences is needed by tourism operators. The case study illustrates the considerable size and multi-niche markets served by accessible tourism destinations, the good fit between accessible tourism and TBL sustainable tourism, and the need for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible housing is an urgent issue for countries experiencing rapid population aging. For over 20 years the United Kingdom's (UK) building code (Part M) and Lifetime Homes Standard have been researched as leading practices to increase accessible housing stock and allow older adults to stay in their communities. This review compiles key stakeholder groups' perspectives on these regulatory tools. Five main themes and 'lessons learned' were derived to anticipate potential challenges and inform proactive response for planners and policy makers in Canada and other countries when developing their own accessible housing regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is drawn from research into architectural practice and discourse in colonial settings during modernism, to investigate the entangled and sometimes antagonistic relations between architectural, political and cultural contexts. The paper will show how the built boundary in 'tropical' sites has been the site of much architectural thought and experimentation. The nature of this experimentation is technical, and constructs differences in terms of certain physical aspects of the site, mostly regarding climate. Through design, the building boundary is configured to alter the climate's effect and make the interior more comfortable for western users. By examining how this boundary functions, however, it appears that far from being neutral the boundary works to structure (other) relations between the inside and outside of the building. These mirror the power relations between centre and periphery. The built boundary can also be seen as a production of unequal exchanges between these locations, exchanges which structure the value given to western and indigenous, non-western knowledge. Finally the built boundary can be theorised in terms of its capacity to hold ambivalent meanings and uses, and through this become a site where different, and possibly transformational interpretations can take place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper investigates how far the state-of-the-art technology of the internet can contribute to the creation of a barrier-free city. The paper begins with a discussion of the general possibilities and potential of the internet for disabled people. This discussion is followed by a presentation of the significance of internet technologies for disabled people and urban development. The practical application of the approach will then be illustrated by means of a case study: the KOMM project in Muenster, Germany. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the potential and the limits of the internet for a barrier-free city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary objective of this study was to ascertain, through analysis of accessibility and development potential, which activity centres should be prioritised to support decentralisation of jobs, encourage better integration of transport and land use and ultimately aid the evaluation of a more compact, consolidation and connected city. In doing so, this study evaluated and compared the existing accessibility of different geographic units across the city, including the 34 activity centres identified by the Government of Australia, by the two most frequently use transport modes, namely – public transport and car. The analysis of this study has two parts. Firstly, an isochrone-based measure of accessibility was used for an accessibility modelling across the Perth Metropolitan Area in Western Australia. Secondly, using six node-place based indicators, this paper also endeavoured to prioritise the geographic units that are already better served by public transport, as indicated by the accessibility analysis. Multi-criteria weighed scoring method was applied to calculate a score out of 100 for each of the geographic units. The results of this analysis could help to identify activity centre(s) and other areas in Perth, if any, with higher potentials of being a Transit Oriented Development (TOD) supportive activity centre. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this article is to blow the whistle on the upcoming decline in quality and accessibility of the built environment in Poland following a reform currently underway in higher education and research that has placed accessibility outside the field of interest of architecture and urban planning. In consequence of the major changes in the government evaluation that will define the future funding of all academic institutions, studies on the needs of people with disabilities will no longer be in the interest of the institutions to which architects and urban designers are affiliated. This will add yet another barrier to the numerous existing ones limiting accessibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study combined the Human-centered design (HCD) approach with the immersive VR techniques to design and evaluate a new evacuation alarm system with improved warning efficiency for building emergency evacuation, considering the negative influence of pre-emergency activity. Four main HCD design activities were performed, the context-of-use, user requirements were defined through a theoretical perspective, technology-based solution research, expert group meeting, and focus group were used to produce the final concept. A smart phone-based evacuation alarm system concept, consisting of a control center and a smartphone-based user interface, featuring warning redundancy and multimodality was proposed. A developed virtual environment (VE) was used to evaluate and refine the final design in an iteration manner. This study widened the application of the HCD approach by using alternative simulator methods for evaluation, and added a step for the validation of VR as an adequate tool for designing and evaluating products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Universal design (UD) provides an explanation of good design based on the user perspective, which are outlined through its principles, goals, and related frameworks. The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of the frameworks and methods for UD building evaluations and to describe how close they have come to describing what auniversally designedbuilding is.Methods: Evaluation approaches are reviewed from the existing literature across a number of spatial disciplines, including UD, human geography and urban studies.Results: Four categories of UD evaluation methods are outlined, including (1) checklist evaluations, (2) value-driven evaluations, (3) holistic evaluations, and (4) invisible evaluations.Conclusions: A number of suggestions are made to aid research aimed at developing UD evaluation in buildings. (1) Design standards and guidelines should be contested or validated where possible; (2) evaluation criteria should be contextual; (3) it may be more practical to have separate methodologies for contextualising UD to allow for the creation of an evaluating tool that is practical in use. Additionally, there is a difficulty in establishing a clear basis for evaluating how empathetic buildings are without expanding the methodological horizons of UD evaluation.Implications for RehabilitationFor universal design (UD) evaluation to address human need requires methods that are culturally, temporally, and typologically specific.Practical instruments for measuring UD need to be divorced from but contingent upon methods than can address local specificities.The process of evaluation can provide knowledge that can contest or validate the literature based sources such as design guidelines, or standards.UD evaluation requires constant renewal by searching for new, flexible strategies that can respond to socio-cultural change. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper investigates the interaction of gender, disability and education in rural Iran, which is a relatively unexplored field of research. The responses of 10 female students with disabilities from Isfahan indicated that the obstacles they faced included marginalization, difficulties in getting from home to school, difficulties within the school building itself, and discrimination by teachers, classmates and school authorities. The data collected for the study contain a wide range of conservative gendered discourses, and show how traditional gender beliefs interact with disability to aggravate the problems faced in education by young women with disabilities. It is hoped that the findings will raise awareness among policy-makers of the many formidable obstacles that make it difficult for young women with disabilities to achieve their full potential in education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how students with disabilities in Croatia perceive support, experience barriers and propose ways forward for equality of opportunities in the higher education system. In qualitative interviews, students were satisfied with the informal support they received from family and friends but dissatisfied with the formal support they received from universities and the government. Obstacles to inclusion included: inadequate transport and finance to attend university and minimal adaptation of buildings, toilets, lifts, classrooms and dormitories. Students proposed: investment in adapting buildings, personal assistants, educational grants and transport; coordination within the formal systems from national government to universities and non-governmental organisations; and measures to increase disability awareness for academics, professionals and other students within higher education. The situation for students with disabilities in Croatia is a reminder for those working in countries where policy and practice is relatively advanced that many disability battles are still to be won in newer nations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper uses phenomenology to explore recent representations of inaccessible architectural environment featured on major Bulgarian television channels. It is argued that by exposing the environmental restrictions faced by disabled people in their everyday activities, Bulgarian media unwittingly engage in an operation described by formalist literary critics as ‘defamiliarization’. As a result, familiar elements of the everyday, lived world are illuminated as strange. In phenomenological terms, this brings about the experience of ‘uncanniness’. The paper concludes by highlighting the transformative potential inherent in this experience; that is, its power to illuminate as artificial and oppressive the taken-for-granted aspects of the world we inhabit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inclusive education (IE), which calls for equal opportunities for students with diverse abilities in the achievement of knowledge, has been developed as a central pedagogical strategy in primary schools worldwide, including those in Turkey. Besides educators, the issue of IE becomes an important discussion area among designers who question the provision of supportive learning environments in terms of inclusion. Equal opportunity, diversity, social justice and participation are necessary parameters for a comprehensive understanding of inclusion and the evaluation of the spatial character of inclusive learning environments. The lack of clarity of ideas about inclusion leads to limited implementation of IE in Turkey. Insufficient provision of school facilities that are necessary for IE and a lack of effective and comprehensive design approaches for physical learning environments further complicate this situation. Design specifications in Turkish regulations regarding inclusive learning environments in primary schools remain too technical, as they merely focus on the issue of disability and special education rather than inclusion. This paper focuses on assessing the conformity of these regulations to universal design (UD), a recent architectural design strategy that supports the idea of inclusion in physical environments through its mission ofdesign for alland design for equity and social justice and seeks to make physical environments accessible, usable and tolerable for all students with diverse abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper explores the accessibility situation in a developing country such as Zambia. The global view of accessibility for disabled people is provided to examine the accessibility situation in developed and developing countries, highlighting the role of the environment in achieving rights for disabled people. Recognition of disability rights relating to accessible built environments is a necessary element to ensure their participation. Limited disability research, lack of disability policies and systems, evaluation of disability rights and support from developed countries have been cited as contributing to the non-recognition of disability rights and low participation by disabled people in Africa. An international perspective of disability, accessibility and participation and the experiences of developed countries are examined and their potential for advancing accessible built environments for participation in developing countries considered. However, accessibility concepts, having been developed in western countries, are presented with caution acknowledging the geographical, social–cultural and economic differences that exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this paper is to highlight the travel patterns and experiences of people with a physical disability. To understand better the travel needs of people with a physical disability, it is useful to examine how travel patterns differ across demographic variables. The method chosen for the empirical data collection was a self-completed web-based questionnaire, which was answered by a total of 596 physically disabled people. The data obtained were evaluated using frequency, percentage, arithmetic average, t-test, chi-square and factor analysis. The research findings reveal that people with physical disability in different demographics groups differ in their travel patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Students with disabilities are under-represented in higher education (HE) institutions in Botswana. The number of students with disabilities is on the rise but parity has not been attained. The struggle of students with disabilities to access and participate in HE remains an issue of great concern for disability activists and researchers. This paper sought to document the experiences of university students with disabilities in their struggle to access and participate in HE. Seven students with disabilities took part in the study. Data were gathered through semi-structured focus group interviews. Later on these data were triangulated with an access-audit of facilities. Constant comparison methods were used for data analysis. Six themes emerged, namely: attitudinal barriers; resource barriers; structural barriers; policy related issues; lack of support mechanisms; and lack of skills and knowledge. Implications of the findings to institutions of higher learning are discussed in order to promote wider participation for students with disabilities in HE in Botswana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Occupational therapists need effective assessments to help evaluate the physical, social, and psychological aspects of the home environment when planning home modification interventions. Assessment tools need to have a client-centered focus, emphasis on occupation or occupational performance, comprehensive evaluation of the environment, strong psychometric properties, and clinical utility. When selecting an assessment tool, occupational therapists also need to take into an account the type of home modification interventions that they will be able to complete in a given treatment context. Because of the unique needs of each home modification intervention, there is no one-fits-all assessment; the best tool will depend on the context of care. This paper details six assessment tools for use in three different contexts of care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disability community has experienced a long history of segregation and exclusion. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, discriminatory attitudes and behaviors would no longer be tolerated under law. In recent decades, disability researchers have also experienced a shift in how research projects are designed and conducted, with participatory action research (PAR) playing a prominent role. This paper provides an overview of these shifts and presents a qualitative study that explored the extent to which racial and ethnic minorities with disabilities were empowered by a PAR project that aimed to increase the physical accessibility of their communities. Content analysis of individual interviews revealed the following main themes: (1) increased knowledge of disability rights; (2) increased sense of independence; and (3) increased desire to advocate. Implications of this study include the important role that PAR may play in empowering racial and ethnic minorities with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes that chemical and electromagnetic exposures pose technology-related disability barriers for people who have acquired sensitivities to them and that these barriers should be integrated into our understanding of disability. I discuss pervasive chemical and electrical exposures as products of industrialism that first engender impairments and then act as disability barriers to those who develop intolerance to them. I also remark on unique aspects of environmental sensitivities in the context of the social model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Changes in who we are and what we can do require a world that is more accommodating to variances in mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, and manual dexterity. Universal design is an approach to creating everyday environments and products that are usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of age or ability. 'The Next Generation Universal Home' is a concept design of ideal and desired universal design features in single-family housing. This paper illustrates ways to make our homes more universally usable, as well as providing rationale for a more universal approach to the design of our built environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study assessed the effectiveness of a learning module we developed for planning students aimed to enhance their understanding for design issues in public spaces faced by wheelchair users. The module involves training of students to effectively navigate the environment in a wheelchair before they experience the real outdoor spaces. Through this evaluation study, we also attempted to add clarity to the problems observed from empirical studies about these 'try-it-yourself' exercises, such as potential stigmatisation and ableism. We employed a mixed-method study approach consisting of wheelchair skill tests, 'walkabout' audits, and a focus group, with 28 second-year undergraduate urban planning students. The cross-over design of the study involving two components of the module – (wheelchair) Skill Learning Experience (SLE) and Real-World Experience (RWE) – allowed us to assess the effect of the former on the performance of the latter and the module overall. The focus group also asked students' perspectives about the module. Our findings suggest that the wheelchair skills training component likely contributed to a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of design problems, while also fostering respect for wheelchair users. We believe that careful implementation is key to addressing potential negative consequences while optimising the benefit of experiential exercises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities experience concerning rates of ableism and are significantly under-represented within healthcare education and professions. Focusing on healthcare professions is important for enhancing the diversity and inclusion of equity-deserving groups within the workforce. The objective of this review was to explore the experiences and impact of workplace discrimination and ableism among healthcare providers and trainees with disabilities. Systematic searches of seven databases from 2000 to January 2022 were conducted. Five reviewers independently applied the inclusion criteria, extracted the data and rated the study quality. 48 studies met our inclusion criteria, representing 13,815 participants across six countries over a 21-year period. The findings highlighted rates and types of workplace ableism, which occurred at the institutional (i.e., inaccessible environments, physical barriers and unsupportive work environments) and individual level (i.e., negative attitudes, bullying, harassment). The impact of ableism on healthcare providers included difficulty disclosing due to fear of stigma, and effects on well-being and career development. Our findings revealed a critical need for more research on the experiences of ableism amongst healthcare providers and the impact it has on their well-being. Further efforts should explore mechanisms for including and welcoming people with disabilities in healthcare professions. Workplace ableism is prevalent in health care professions and could be discouraging people with disabilities from entering or completing health care education and training, leading to an under-representation of this equity-deserving group within health care. More efforts are needed to recruit, retain and support people with disabilities in the health care workforce. Health care providers who have a disability often experience workplace discrimination and inaccessible physical environments which can impact their health and well-being. Managers, senior leadership and health care organizations should advocate for improved social inclusion of employees with disabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical environment of long-term care settings can contribute to maintaining the self-management and independence of older people. This integrative literature review examined which features of the physical environment were considered valuable, and how they contributed to self-management and independence. The findings from 15 studies were grouped into two themes: the features supporting functionality, orientation, and safety and the features fostering motivation, attractiveness, and comfort. An optimal environment requires features of both themes to be present. Older people need to be able to do things they consider enjoyable in a place commensurate with their ability to function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]