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RESOURCE: Book on Universal Design and Visitability

Posted on 24 November 2007. Filed under: Announcements, Inclusion, News, Resources | Tags: accessibility, architecture, Brazil, disabilities, disability, disability and development, disabled, Inclusion, international development, Thai, Thailand, universal design |

New Resource On Universal Design & Visitability

To be disabled too frequently also means to be excluded. And often it is, not only people, but also buildings that exclude. In the early years of learning to include people with disabilities in the mainstream of society, this was partly resolved through renovating buildings as an after-thought. For example, one might tear down steps to install a ramp in their place. But what if a building could be designed to include everyone from the beginning? Not just disabled people but also people of all ages, shapes, and sizes, with all needs? What if architects worked on inclusion from the very earliest stages of thinking, planning, and drawing blue prints? That brings us to the concept of universal design:

“Universal design implies a process that goes beyond minimum access codes and standards, to design environments that are comfortably usable by people from childhood into their oldest years. Integrating the core principles of universal design–equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical efforts, and size and shape for approach and use–can improve livability and quality of life for everyone.”

A new, free on-line book discusses these concepts in more depth. Individual chapters are written by authors from around the world, including Brazil and Thailand. The book can be downloaded for free in PDF format at https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24833. It is available both in regular print and in a large-print version.

Please do share your opinions about this book in the comments area below. I also welcome submissions of a more thorough book review from someone who is familiar with the concept of universal design as applied in developing countries; any such submissions can be sent to me via email at ashettle [at] patriot [dot] net.

The remaining text in this post comes from an announcement written and forwarded by other sources:

Universal Design and Visitability: From Accessibility to Zoning
Edited by Jack L Nasar and Jennifer Evans-Cowley

https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24833

This book is available for down load at no cost through the generous support of The National Endowment for the Arts Universal Design Leadership Initiative, The Ohio State University’s Knowlton School of Architecture, John Glenn School of Public Affairs, Kirwin Institute for the Study of Race and Ethnicity, Americans with Disabilities Act Coordinator’s Office.

We hope it advances your interest and understanding of this exciting and ever-widening approach and assists in the teaching of universal design, developing policies that encourage the use of universal design as a process for planning and designing environments that are attractive, comfortable and usable.

CONTENTS

Preface by Jack L. Nasar and Jennifer Evans-Cowley

Forward by Deborah Kendrick

The Seven Principles of Universal Design into Planning Practice by Wolfgang F. E. Preiser

Toward Inclusive Housing and Neighborhood Design: A Look at Visitability by Jordana L. Maisel

Universal Design, Architecture and Spatial Cognition without Sight by Shohreh Rashtian

Universal Design in Public Transportation: “Segway” to the Future by Katharine Hunter-Zaworski

As Your County Gets Older…Planning for Senior Housing Needs in Howard County, Maryland by Stephen Lafferty

Making universal design work in zoning and regional planning: A Scandinavian approach by Olav Rand Bringa

Research and Teaching Of Accessibility and Universal Design In Brazil: Hindrances and Challenges In a Developing Country by Cristiane Rose Duarte and Regina Cohen

Universal Design Guidelines to Accommodate Wheelchair Occupants in the Thai Context by Antika Sawadsri

Universal Design in the Institutional Setting: Weaving a Philosophy into Campus Planning by L. Scott Lissner

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This book can be downloaded at https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24833.

Most of the text for this blog post was taken from an announcement sent to me via one of my contacts. The announcement originally was distributed on the Disability-Research Discussion list managed by the Centre for Disability Studies at the University of Leeds. Following the link will allow you to browse through the list archives or join the list.

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