This is not disability design, this is universal design
I find myself using the accessible features on websites a lot; bigger text, low graphic versions and high contrast versions all make my life a little bit easier. But these features weren't design for me; these accessibility features are officially part of the disability design.
The fact that more and more people are using these features is changing the focus from disability design to design for all, or universal design.
This article looks at universal design in the context of transport, focusing on Dublin Bus and Toyota.
— Published February 8th, 2008 | by Rosarie O'Regan | 1 Comments
Dublin Bus
The buses used by Dublin Bus are good examples of universal design that was initially intended as disability or accessible design.
At present 62% of the Dublin Bus fleet are accessible low floor buses and they aim for all buses to be fully accessible by 2012.
Accessible bus features include:
- Kneeling suspension to reduce step height
- Ramps
- Priority space for wheelchair users
- High visibility hand rails
- LED signage
These low floor buses make the fleet accessible for wheelchair users but they are not the only Dublin Bus customers who are feeling the benefit.
Image from thehindsightfactor.com/
People with buggies can easily get on and off buses and have room for their buggy. Elderly people and people with leg injuries also benefit as they have a lower step height onto the bus.
The wider doors on bus facilities people with wheelchairs but also people with shopping or airport luggage. These door also facilities two queues entering the bus, one for ticket holders and other for paying the driver, resulting in faster throughput of passengers and faster turnaround times at bus stops. These shorter journey times shorter are good for both customers and business.
However there are issues with some types of wheelchairs and the hand rail adjacent to the space a wheelchair is supposed to occupy. Another issue is that only one wheelchair or one buggy can be in that space so people may have to wait for the next bus.
Dublin Bus plan to continue to improve their access and have identified poor conditions of bus stops as an obstacle to accessibility and are currently preparing specifications for accessible bus stops. The fact they Dublin Bus are looking at their products, services and built environment to improve access is promising and shows they are trying to live up to their logo of Servicing the whole community
Toyota
Toyota has also adopted universal design principles. They developed a universally designed product in response to the increase number of people with disabilities and the aging population (In Japan over 21% of the population is over 65).
The Toyota Raum was built in 2003 using a "user dialogue-type" development process and used the user feedback to develop the design. It received a Universal Design prize in 2003 from Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organisation.
According to Toyota, the goal the Raum design was to make mobility fun and exciting, while retaining excellent and active user-friendliness.
The car's features include:
- Seats with swivels for easy access for going in and out
- Simpler set of controls
- Wider automatic doors
- Special lift for wheelchair in the truck
- More interior space
- Support handles
- Seats fabric made to reduce skin irritation.
These features could help make all our lives easier including families with young children, people who have injuries or people with sports or DIY equipment or people with pets.
Toyota has been the first car manufacturer to adopt a universal design approach and hopefully will continue their innovation and this will help promote the benefits of universal design to other industries.
Universal design is good design
As these examples show, universal design is simply good design. Designing for your customers, all of your customers, is simply good business.
Donal Rice on Feb 11th, 2008 wrote —
Rosarie,
good article, and the examples you provide are ones we are fond of over here in the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design.
Another transport example I like is the Amtrak Acela Express train service between Washington and Boston. The carriages have nice wide corridors and roomy WCs (a welcome change from the 'closet-size' WCs on most rolling stock). All these features were designed with wheelchair users in mind but of course benefit other users also.
Toyota isn't the only car manufacturer becoming more sympathetic to the requirements of wider audiences. The 2000 Ford Focus was designed with the ergonomics of ageing in mind - but you wouldn't think it to look at it. After all it was Henry Ford who said "You can sell an OLD man a YOUNG man's car, but you CAN'T sell a YOUNG man an OLD man's car". Ford's aim was to design a car that appealed to a younger audience while including a range of ergonomically designed controls for ease of use by a wider audience. Some subtle design features include easy-to-reach radio and climate control buttons and seats and doors that are easier to get in and out of.
Donal Rice