1,720,979 research outputs found
Developing Innovative Solutions for Universal Design in Healthcare and Other Sectors
Full text link: For over half a century, researchers have sought to better understand the needs of people with disabilities in the built environment, and for more than a quarter century, they have sought to understand the effectiveness of universal design (UD) on a wide range of people and populations. This research led to the creation of the innovative solutions for Universal Design (isUD) building certification program, which addresses knowledge gaps in the practitioner's field with UD criteria. The isUD focuses on commercial buildings but aims to expand to other sectors including healthcare and residential settings. The research and outcomes used in the development and evaluation of the isUD combined with lessons learned from implementation of the isUD program suggest a path forward to improve and expand the program. Several research studies have evaluated the effectiveness of UD standards. One study compared university residence halls, one of which was built using a draft version of UD standards using a guided tour and online surveys among other methods.[1] Another study used online surveys to compare a workplace built using the isUD with the former workspace.[2] Another study used in-person surveys to compare public right-of-way features pre- and post- design intervention.[3] Lastly, an innovative doctoral dissertation that proposes a new methodological tool to evaluate UD in healthcare settings [4-5] has been analyzed to inform the isUD's expansion into the healthcare sector. The results indicate there is value in using UD to address equal access to and use of facilities for people with and without disabilities, and people of diverse social, cultural, and economic backgrounds. Facilities built using UD standards and tools are more usable, comfortable, and satisfying for users. However, the results also indicate there is room for improvement to make the isUD tool more effective. These improvements will better enable expansion of the tool to be usable in settings with more specialized requirements. While UD is often effective at improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation across some measures, and while tools that assist with UD implementation may further help achieve these outcomes, to gain widespread adoption across multiple sectors, such tools must be shown to be consistently effective in achieving UD outcomes across all measures. These improvements can help expand availability of UD to a wider, more diverse audience
Design for all A.U.D.I.T. (Assessment Universal Design & Inclusion Tool). A tool to evaluate physical, sensory-cognitive and social quality in healthcare facilities
No full textBackground and aim: Universal Design (UD) is the design of environments equally accessible and usable to the wider range of people regardless their abilities or disabilities. Various studies highlight the lack of evaluation tools to support decision makers to enhance inclusive environments, especially complex constructions with various users as healthcare facilities. The research proposes a tool to evaluate the quality of building according to UD through a new set of objective indicators with a performance-based approach. Methods: the tool has been developed through three main phases: 1. Analysis of the state of the art through a systematic literature review and workshops with stakeholders and experts; 2. Elaboration of the evaluation framework following the Multicriteria analysis methodology; 3. Application, to test and validate the tool in hospitals. Results: the tool, named Design for All A.U.D.I.T., evaluates the level of UD analyzing Physical, Sensory-cognitive, and Social quality through a set of criteria specified by indicators and measurable requirements. The tool assesses the different healthcare environments through criteria and indicators to verify the level of appropriateness in terms of UD. The tool provides report with quantitative, qualitative and graphical information in plan of the facility status and design strategies. Conclusions: The study proposes an innovative evaluation system to determine the inclusion of hospitals, both for projects and for existing buildings. The flexible structure allows the tool to beapplied in different building typologies, currently adopted to identify hospital's weaknesses and setting priorities of intervention on inclusion
Universal Design-Based Framework to Assess Usability and Inclusion of Buildings
No full textUniversal Design (UD) offers different sets of principles that can be
used as reference in design practice to meet the needs of the vast majority of a
population. However, there is a lack of an accountable approach to measure and
analyze the built environment through UD performance.
This study aims to develop an evaluation framework to assess UD in public
buildings to determine, in addition to accessibility requirements, the usability and
inclusion of projects for different users.
Multicriteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) was adopted as research methodology
to systematically and scientifically develop the framework, which was structured
based on knowledge derived from: an in-depth literature review on UD
evaluation and workshops with stakeholders and experts. The selection and comparison
of a pool of criteria is described including the cognitive mapping technique
for translating information gathered by workshops.
A hierarchical framework was created, consisting of three main categories of
UD (i.e. physical-spatial quality, sensorial-cognitive quality, and social quality),
eight criteria (i.e. usability, functionality, safety/security, wayfinding, understanding,
environmental factors, well-being, and social inclusion), and 21 indicators.
The proposed framework can be considered as an innovative approach in the field
of accessible design evaluation since it explores the relation among a multiplicity
of aspects, including human performance and social factors, to evaluate the quality
of UD buildings
Towards a Universal Design Evaluation for Assessing the Performance of the Built Environment
No full textUniversal Design is a recent and innovative strategy aimed at designing spaces that are as accessible and inclusive as possible. It considers the broadest range of users, and goes beyond the prescriptive approach of accessibility legislation. Theoretical research on this strategy is currently increasing, but the reliability of its principles remains limited in design practice and it struggles to guarantee performance-based knowledge to designers. Therefore, a practical evaluation method based on reliable performance criteria is required
Designing Hospitals Through the Lens of Universal Design. An Evaluation Tool to Enhance Inclusive Healthcare Facilities
No full textVarious studies highlight a gap on reliable methods to measure the quality of projects and environments in terms of Universal Design (UD) and Design for All (DfA). In particular, healthcare facilities need decision support systems to improve the well-being of as many users as possible through a systematic approach. The present research proposes an evaluation tool to support designers and decision makers in the adoption of UD to develop healthcare facilities suitable for a wide range of users. Several methodologies have been adopted: an in-depth literature review on the current state of knowledge on UD evaluation, workshops and focus groups with both users and experts, and the analysis of four hospital case studies. The result was an evaluation framework built by using a Multi-criteria Analysis (MCA) methodology. The first version of the tool was applied to an American hospital and validated d in an Italian pilot case study. The research outlines a tool called Design for All A.U.D.I.T., able to evaluate Physical, Sensory-cognitive, and Social qualities based on a hierarchical framework with criteria and indicators based on UD and DfA. The framework evaluates the different areas of the hospital from outdoor to indoor spaces, allowing hospital administrators to act to improve the well-being of users according to the critical aspects of UD identified by the tool. The analysis provides a report of the facility status and design strategies to support designers for new projects or buildings renovations. The application shows that DfA A.U.D.I.T. can assess hospitals by examining both spatial qualities and DfA criteria. The tool could represent a decision support system in the national and international context, where many hospitals are not newly built. Further research will include application in different facilities and building typologies, aided by the flexible structure of the tool, which allows measurement of the environment's quality in terms of DfA and UD
Room for diversity: a review of research and industry approaches to inclusive workplaces
Full text linkPurpose – This paper aims to explore how the scientific literature and company reports have addressed inclusive workplace design and strategies to date.
Design/methodology/approach – This paper adopts a scoping review to answer the following
question: To what extent is inclusion present in workplace design and related strategies? An analysis of 27 scientific papers and 25 corporate social responsibility reports of the highest-ranked companies in the Great Place to Work global ranking disentangles the main aspects related to workplace design and strategies for promoting inclusion.
Findings – This paper opens avenues for four macro-categories of diversity (psycho-physical
aspects; cultural aspects; socio-economic conditions; and ability, experience and strengths) to
support the development of inclusive workplace design and strategy. Besides, multiple spatial
scales emerged as material and immaterial elements of the workplace encountering inclusion and diversity.
Originality/value – Nowadays, the workforce is becoming more diverse. Although diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) has become key to many organizations, it remains unclear how DE&I principles are applied in workspace design and strategies. This scoping review provides a novel perspective on the topic by integrating scientific knowledge and practice-based approaches which still address this matter independently
Universal Design in University Environments. Are the New Buildings More Inclusive? A Tool for Equal Design Assessment
No full textThis study explores the application of Universal Design (UD) principles to university environments, aiming to improve the experiences of students and staff by fostering inclusivity in educational and social spaces. The research began with a literature review and employed the 'Design for All A.U.D.I.T.' tool, developed by Politecnico di Milano. This tool was adapted to evaluate six buildings across two universities in Milan:Politecnico di Milano and Statale University. The buildings ranged from the most recent to medium-aged and the oldest on each campus. The assessment focused on three main categories-physical, social, and sensory-cognitive quality-across eight key areas, including outdoor environments, entrances, halls, horizontal and vertical circulation, restrooms, classrooms, and study/leisure spaces. A binary scoring system was used to calculate the satisfaction of requirements, previously weighted by experts. The evaluation revealed that newer buildings generally scored higher on average (77%) compared to those from the 1960s (62%) and historical ones (67%). Despite higher scores, newer constructions often prioritized educational spaces over social and leisure areas, resulting in a lack of student gathering spaces. Significant issues included poor entrance design, inadequate wayfinding strategies, and a lack of inclusive classroom features, although restroom facilities consistently demonstrated good accessibility. The most recent building atPolitecnico di Milano scored highest overall but struggled in leisure and study rooms, as did the new building at Statale University. This research highlights both the current state and potential for improvement in university architecture through the lens of UD. The study underscores that innovative design does not always equate to user satisfaction and provides an objective tool to aid decision-makers in enhancing the accessibility and inclusivity of university spaces, ultimately improving the well-being of all users
Inspiring architects in the application of design for all: knowledge transfer methods and tools
Full text linkAccessibility is often translated in design practice by means of a prescriptive approach, focusing on legislation’s application, instead of understanding the real needs and wishes of users. On the contrary, the descriptive and performance-based approach of Design for All can help architects in designing inclusive environments. Therefore, it is fundamental to translate the existing theory into information that meets the architects’ needs to link knowledge and practice. This study focuses on methods to inspire and support architects applying a Design for All strategy by gathering information and advice. In particular, the paper demonstrates a literature review to identify how to transfer design guidelines to architects. Based on the analysis of the included papers, four criteria were defined to translate Design for All information from users’ needs into design indications for architects in a descriptive way. The current results will provide the basis for developing a tool to inspire and create awareness for architects on Design for All in architectural practice
Evaluation Methodology for Inclusive Schools Environments. A Comparative Analysis Towards Goals and Strategies for Urban Design
No full text: The paper deals with the issue of social inclusion in the scholastic environment where children begin to learn the set of rules that manage social life. The design of the spaces impact on people and becomes crucial to address a community behavioural change in terms of social inclusion. In line with Universal Design strategy, the paper presents a method developed for evaluating the degree of inclusion of primary schools' spaces, which consists of the definition of an evaluation matrix. The matrix makes possible to analyse quantitative-qualitative characteristics for each school and compare them objectively. It asses the level of accessibility and inclusion of the schools through four main categories (Outdoor space, Orientation, Movement, Spatial quality) and related criteria and indicators. The reliability of the evaluation matrix has been verified through its application in seven case studies (Italian and EU), and the analysis of one of them is described in the results. The present study proposes a basis to introduce a method able to support designing educational spaces that satisfy the needs of a wide range of users according to Universal Design strategy
“Design for All” Manual: From Users’ Needs to Inclusive Design Strategies
No full textDesign for All (DfA) has been considered as a fundamental and innovative strategy to design inclusive spaces for a diversity of people's needs and wishes. However, there is still a gap between theory and practice in this discipline. Therefore, tools that support designers to implement DfA through a descriptive approach in architectural practice are necessary. The paper discusses the research development of a manual to inspire architects in the application of DfA strategy. The manual's development is based on four main criteria for knowledge transfer, defined by a precedent literature review: communicate, organize, understand and use.
The outcome of the research is the definition and design for a DfA Manual on Public Spaces in terms of haptic experiences. The manual strives to transfer knowledge through a descriptive and performance based approach. For this reason, over design indications, the manual aims also to include an extensive description of users' needs, references to case studies and laws on accessibility, which inspire architects and support them to find the proper design solution within their own project. In the manual sample developed, design indications focus on haptic design, which studies the perception of the built environment through the body, referring to the sense of touch.
Thus, the manual's purpose is to create a DfA awareness for many architects, designers and decision makers in their activities. Therefore, starting from the basic application of prescriptive laws, the manual should be used as a support tool during the design process to design inclusive spaces for all users
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