Inclusive design in practice
Outlining aspects of inclusive design at both the design and build stage and the maintenance phase.
Photo by Alys Tomlinson.
Design and build
- Location and topography - a library close to the shops
- Transport and getting there - a hospital with a frequent bus service and cheap parking
- Finding your way around - a station with clear signs
- Flow and movement - a new school with wide corridors
- Movement around and between levels - a station with clean, working lifts
- Facilities like toilets and washing, seating and resting, refreshments - an auditorium with plenty of leg room
- Lighting and visibility, acoustics and noise - conference rooms with natural light and silent air-conditioning
- Safety, security and well-being - a leisure centre with well-lit routes to the car park
- External features - an office block with a porch to shelter from the wind and rain.
Management and use
- Facilities that take my comfort into account - a changing places toilet in a new shopping mall; a room for tranquillity or prayer in a new college
- Programming and events which reflect my interests and priced within my means - a choice of foods from different places and at different prices
- Seeing people like me around - a wide diversity staff; different users with no single group colonizing the space
- Discreet and respectful security - welcoming and helpful wardens whoever I am and whatever I look like
- Places that know about diversity - celebrations for my community where everyone is welcome and which everyone enjoys
Getting it right
The overall design of the place and the detail are important for inclusive design. If the detail isn’t right, the building won’t work. All significant projects should engage an inclusive design consultant, work with the local access group, and involve a wide range of local people and likely users.