Inclusive Worlds: RSA launches New Approach to Encouraging Inclusive Design

The RSA is announcing a new collaborative initiative called "Inclusive Worlds" which will be a Europe-wide multidisciplinary project for individual students or teams focusing on inclusive design and usability.

Usability News will be following the progress of the initiative through its introductory year, with regular updates on this site. What follows here is an introduction to the goals of the project and more details will appear as they become available.

The RSA quotes project supporter Robin Hutchinson of Guide Dogs for the Blind: 'Good design enables, bad design disables.' There is a growing recognition that we need to design 'inclusively', says the society. The goal is to design, develop, manufacture and retail mainstream products, services and environments which are accessible to as broad a range of users as possible, as large numbers of people can be marginalised or disabled by poor user interfaces and controls.

'We are living in the midst of a revolution that will change the shape of society forever. People are living longer, healthier and more independent lives. At the same time, birth rates are tumbling around the world. Already 40% of Europe's adult population is aged 50 or over. This shift provides a big incentive for designers to improve the quality of life for people of all ages and abilities, and a commercial opportunity for business and industry.

'Perceptions of age and disability have shifted from a medical model that saw age and disability as personal issues, to a more holistic, social model that focuses on integration and equality of opportunity. It is also wrong to confuse age with disability. While 70% of all people with disabilities are aged 60 or over, less than 10% of all over 60s are disabled. Most older people live in their own homes, and their most important objective is to live active and independent lives. It is why inclusive design is driven by the personal and lifestyle issues that concern end users.'

The RSA's goal in launching this initiative for undergraduate and postgraduate students is to promote the means of making mainstream products accessible to the 38 million Europeans with disabilities, offering improved life quality through affordable products and environments that meet their needs.

The challenge will be to submit designs which have taken into account the greatest number of potential users, in one of the following areas:

* How can we make domestic and public environments more inclusive?
There are many reasons why people find public places a problem, or even feel intimidated by them. Often it is something as simple as a need for good signage, public seating in appropriate places or automatic doors to help people carrying heavy bags or pushing prams. Sometimes the problems are more complex and subtle – a lack of appropriate lighting or shiny floors can cause disorientation. For this challenge you can consider any kind of public space or domestic environment – hospitals, schools, doctors’ surgeries, parks, clubs, restaurants, coffee shops, houses, flats, sheltered accommodation.

* How can access to information limit exclusion?
Modern technology offers many benefits, but far too many people are excluded from these by interfaces that do not cater for their needs and capabilities. The challenge is to demonstrate how these can be designed to accommodate those normally excluded, and provide greater access to mainstream environments and services, so as to increase their independence and autonomy?

* How can smart wearables change lives?
As textiles become more clever and responsive, and products and environments become smarter through the integration of new technologies, there is an exciting opportunity to develop wearable products that can change peoples lives in remarkable ways. How can such developments benefit older people and young disabled people and give us all greater control over our health and wellbeing?

* How can products make life more fun?
Products that are intuitive to use or that stimulate our senses in a pleasurable way add to our quality of life. There are many you could look at, from shopping and leisure pursuits, to work environments or travel.

* How can we make things better?
People are living longer, work patterns are changing under the impact of new technologies, and disabled people are demanding integration in mainstream society. Rapid social and technological change gives us the opportunity to rethink products and services that are not responsive to people’s real needs and capabilities. The challenge is to redesign an existing product or service in response to identified user needs in ways that make it more inclusive and accessible.

Details of how and when to submit will appear in the next couple of weeks.

Project partners
The initiative is sponsored by:
The ADAPT Trust, The Design Council, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, Royal College of Art, The Mercers' Company

and is supported by:
European institute for Design and Disability (EIDD), European Design for All e-Accessibility Network (EDeAN), Age Concern (England), The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, Ricability, The Sensory Trust, Btexact, Smart Design.

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