Unit 17 Barrier-Free Architecture & Universal Design

1 Introduction2 interface

1.1 Read the text title and hypothesize what the text is about. Write down your hypothesis.

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2. What do you know concerning this issue? List your ideas in the table left column “I know”.

I know that…	I have learnt that…

2. If you know answers to these questions write them down in the space given after each question.

1	What does the term "Universal design" mean?
2	Why is there a growing interest in universal design?
3	What are main obstacles for wheelchair users?
4	What Universal Design features can benefit many types of users?
5	What does barrier-free building modification consists of?
6	Where is barrier-free town situated?
7	What safety features are provided for blind people in the City of Takayama?

2. Circle in the list the words and expressions you know. Write down their translation in the table and calculate the percentage of your lexical competence.

1	disability			a curb cut
2	barrier-free			a sidewalk ramp
3	life expectancy			social inclusion
4	survival rate			free accessibility
5	a wheelchair user			an estate home
6	blind people			a lowered threshold
7	to endanger			slip resistant
8	an upsurge			Braille markings

U niversal design refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to both people without disabilities and people with disabilities. The term "Universal design" means the concept of designing all products and the built environment to be aesthetic and usable to the greatest extent possible by everyone, regardless of their age, ability, or status in life.

Universal design emerged from slightly earlier barrier-free concepts, the broader accessibility movement, and adaptive and assistive technology and also seeks to blend aesthetics into these core considerations. As life expectancy rises and modern medicine increases the survival rate of those with significant injuries, illnesses, and birth defects, there is a growing interest in universal design. There are many industries in which universal design is having strong market penetration but there are many others in which it has not yet been adopted to any great extent.

D isabled persons encounter many obstacles that prevent them from moving about freely and safely. For wheelchair users, steps and stairways are obstacles. Blind people are endangered by the absence of directional and safety features that they can hear and touch. As a result of changes in governmental policies to address the need to train persons with disabilities to acquire skills and necessary vocations and professions for active participation in the socio-economic development process, there is an upsurge of the number of disabled persons who are leading active public lives, becoming part of the user-group utilizing public buildings for production, recreation, commerce, transportation, education etc.

A lthough Universal Design standards address the needs of people with disabilities, it is a comprehensive concept that can benefit all users. For example, people who are unusually short or tall, carrying packages or pushing a cart are not disabled, but their needs should be considered in facility design. Increased walkway widths, low-floor buses and smooth walking surfaces improve convenience for all travelers, not just those with mobility impairments. Curb cuts or sidewalk ramps are important for people using handcarts, scooters, baby strollers and bicycles, as well as wheelchair users.

Automatic door openers are another example of Universal Design features that can benefit many types of users. There are also cabinets with pull-out shelves, kitchen counters at several heights to accommodate different tasks and postures, and, amidst many of the world's public transit systems, low-floor buses that "kneel" (bring their front end to ground level to eliminate gap) and/or are equipped with ramps rather than on-board lifts.

D esign For All (DfA). The term Design for All is used to describe a design philosophy targeting the use of products, services and systems by as many people as possible without the need for adaptation. Design for All is design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality. The origin of Design for All lies in the field of barrier free accessibility for people with disabilities and the broader notion of universal design.

Design for All has become a mainstream issue because of the aging of the population and its increasingly multi-ethnic composition. It follows a market approach and can reach out to a broader market. Easy-to-use, accessible, affordable products and services improve the quality of life of all citizens. Design for All permits access to the built environment, access to services and user-friendly products which are not just a quality factor but a necessity for many aging or disabled persons.

B arrier-free building modification consists of modifying buildings or facilities so that they can be used by the physically disabled. The term is used primarily in Japan and non-English speaking countries, while in English-speaking countries, terms such as "accessibility" and "handicapped accessible" dominate in regular everyday use. An example of barrier-free design would be installing a ramp for wheelchairs alongside or in place of steps. In the case of new buildings, however, the idea of barrier free modification has largely been superseded by the concept of universal design, which seeks to design things from the outset to support easy access.

" Quality's model Graystone estate home is outfitted with an extensive range of barrier-free features, including wider doorways, lowered thresholds, lowered and two-tiered counters, overhead cupboards with a motorized mechanism which lowers them, wheel-in stove, built-in wall oven and microwave, grab bars, wheel-in shower, raised sink and tub, lower light switches and more."

Freeing a building of barriers means:

• Smooth, ground level, entrances without stairs

• Surface that are stable, firm and slip resistant

• Wide interior doors, hallways, and alcoves

• Functional clearances to approach and use elements and components

• Lever handles for opening doors rather than twisting knobs

• Components that do not require tight grasping, pinching or twisting of the wrist

• B uttons and other controls that can be distinguished by touch

• Bright and appropriate lighting

• Auditory output redundant with information on visual displays

• Visual output redundant with information in auditory output

• Use of meaningful icons with text labels

• Choice of language on speech output

• Ramp access in swimming pools

• Labels on equipment control buttons that is large print

• A museum that allows visitors to chose to listen to or read descriptions

Barrier-free town. Led by the guiding principle that a “town easy to live in is one easy to visit,” the City of Takayama (Japan) is working on a barrier-free, town-making program to turn itself into a tourist community where both physically handicapped people and the elderly can live a safe, comfortable life. The city is also probing the possibilities of making “information barrier-free” to expedite the flow of communication to promote deeper mutual understanding between visitors and local community residents in the current context of growing worldwide tourism.

• Constructing bump-free streets

Bump-free streets are being constructed and crossings modified to enable the safe passage of people in wheelchairs.