Council of Europe launch “Full Participation through Universal Design”

Dr Gerald Craddock Chief Officer of The Centre for Excellence in

Universal Design

Centre for Excellence in Universal Design

Council of Europe Publication“Full Participation through Universal

Design”&

KISS Philosophy

What is Universal Design

• “Universal Design - – means the design and composition of an environment

so that it may be accessed, understood and used by persons of any age or size or having any particular physical, sensory, mental health or intellectual ability or disability

- Irish Disability Act 2005

Ability as a Continuum

• “Universal design…assumes that the range of human ability is ordinary, not special”

(Elaine Ostroff, Universal Design Handbook, 2001)

• Universal Design requires an appreciation of the varied abilities of every person.

Universal Design aims:• “to maximize the number of [people] who can readily

use a product, building or service which may be achieved by:

• (i) designing products, services and environments that are readily usable by most users without any modification,

• (ii) by making products or services adaptable to different users (adapting user interfaces), and

• (iii) by having standardized interfaces to be compatible with special products for persons with disabilities.”

» (ISO, CEN, NSAI)

“Good” vs “Bad” design

• After a century of rapid technological innovation and development

• Philips (2004) “The Philips Index: Calibrating the Convergence of Healthcare, Lifestyle and Technology. “

Bad design excludes

Benefits of Universal Design

• Social Drivers– The Ageing Population– An Increase in the Number of People with

Disabilities

• Social Benefits– Independent Living– Social Inclusion– Social Wellbeing– Equal rights– Anti-discrimination

Benefits of Universal Design

• Business Drivers– Meeting needs and demands of consumers

– Increase in market

• Business Benefits– Expansion in market potential

– Increase in customer satisfaction and retention

– Reduced costs of retrofitting

Universal design practices - avoid costly retro-fittingDesign stage Relative cost of change

Concept 1

Detail design 10

Tooling 100

Testing 1000

Post-release 10000

Figure source: Mynott C, Smith J, Benson J, Allen D & Farish M (1994) Successful product development: Management case studies.

Policy and legislation at the EU level

Design as a driver of user-centred innovation EU Commission 09

“The movement towards socially responsible design has resulted in a number of schools of thought, including ‘accessible design’, ‘inclusive design’, ‘universal design’ and ‘design for all’”

“Companies with products and services that take the diversity of consumers into account are not only socially responsible but also estimated to have a market potential that is between 15 and 25 percent greater than other companies.”

Socially responsible design has developed side by side with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)

EU Mandates

• Mandate 376: Accessibility requirements for public procurement of products and services in the ICT domain

• Mandate 420: Accessibility of the Built Environment

• Mandate 371 Services-tourism, transport• Mandate 392 Domestic appliances

Proposed Council Directive

• “on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation”

• Universal Design

• “anticipatory accommodation”

Universal Design – a global perspective

Ireland – CEUD IDD

UK – Inclusive Design

Norway:LIST Design CouncilDELTA CentreUniversal Design

Germany:If Forum with CebitFirst UD Awards

India – Design for All Institute

Japan - IAUD

United StatesCUD – North CarolinaIDEA – BuffaloTrace - Wisconsin

Australia – Home Modification Information Clearinghouse

Europe: EDeAN EIDD

UN Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities

• State Parties:– “undertake or promote research and development

of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present Convention, which should require the minimum possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote their availability and use, and to promote universal design in the development of standards and guidelines” (Art. 4 Universal Design)

Universal Design – Is Also A process

Vilém Flusser“The shape of Things: A Philosophy of Design” 1999

When it comes to creating things,” Flusser writes, “one is faced with the question of responsibility (and thus with freedom).”

His definition regarding responsibility is: “openness to other people”. “It is openness to and responding to others; it is dialogue, the goal of which is simply to lose oneself in the design process”

Vilém Flusser

• “If I am responsible for another I open myself to him and forget myself in the

process”