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Evolution of inclusive design

MacKINNON, Iain
PATRICK, Michaela
September 2023

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A short talk given in the Disability Innovation Summit: Inclusive Interactions conference organised by the GDI hub on 13 Sept 2023

 

A short account of the development of the knowledge around inclusive design starting with the London Olympic and Paralympic 2020 Games in East London and the growth of that knowledge with the growth of the GDI hub.

The intersectionality of inclusive design and effects of climate change are explored. The importance of inclusive design in future building in cities is emphasised.

Can cities be inclusive?

PATRICK, Michaela
ARRUBLA PALACIO, Maria Clara
VASUDEVAN, D
JAMIL, Fuad
CHOUDHARY, Utsav
NARANGEREL, Tamirkhuu
September 2023

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5 short talks covering disability inclusivity in cities with speakers from Colombia, Indian, Indonsia and Mongolia. Part of the Disability Innovation Summit: Inclusive Interactions summit of 13 Sep 2023 held by the Global Disability Hub.

Disability Innovation Summit: Inclusive Interactions

GLOBAL DISABILITY INNOVATION HUB
September 2023

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Disability Innovation Summit: Inclusive Interactions [13th & 14th Sept 2023]. Bringing together global experts and new voices to share big ideas and ask the question: What next for disability innovation?

DAY 1: Sharing big ideas and powerful insights

Disability innovation today...the good, the bad, the untold

Inclusive infrastructure: can cities be inclusive?
Innovation: are ecosystems ready to scale for success?
Participation and leadership: No tech about us, without us
What fails: and what's not needed. Disability dongles, failure or learning curve
What works: and why

DAY 2: Exploring a new horizon

Disability innovation tomorrow...what next

Disability justice: a disability innovation ambition or contradiction?
Para sport: a vehicle for community level social change?
Systems Strengthening, Disability innovation and Finance: is it possible to create the mechanisms for change?
Future tech: revolutionary solutions and AI – the new face of disability inclusion?

Inclusive Design and Accessibility in Medellín, Colombia. AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure Case Studies

PATRICK, M
MULDOWNEY, A
ARRUBA PALACIO, M
AGUIRRE, M
McKINNON, I
August 2023

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Prepared by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and partners for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Medellín, Colombia is the sixth and final case study city under the Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) led and UK Aid funded AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme. Colombia’s second largest city, Medellín is well-known for its progress in urban development in the last 20 years, moving forward from its violent history. Medellín has been designated a district of innovation and is known for innovative urban projects such as its cable cars and electric escalators that connect higher altitude, low-income communities on the peripheries of the city. This case study explores the current state of accessibility and inclusion in the city for persons with disabilities and helps understand whether such urban innovations are inclusive for all the city’s residents.

Medellín is home to nearly 80,000 persons with disabilities and Colombia does have strong legal frameworks in place to support persons with disabilities. However, this case study found that the numerous laws and regulations are not always well implemented and there is also a need to consider more diverse disabilities in city planning and design.

The research took place in 3 phases between December 2022 and May 2023, combining both virtual and face to face approaches. Phase 1 focused on understanding the current state of accessibility through desk-based research and interviews. Phase 2 captured the lived experience of persons with disabilities through interviews, photo diaries and co-design activities. Phase 3 then synthesised the findings, running multiple in-person workshops to validate and create actions towards the creation of more inclusive environments. Thematic analysis was applied to understand the research data, identifying key themes across three different stakeholder groups of People, Policy, and Practice.

The themes identified span across daily life for persons with disabilities including, poverty, transport, housing, healthcare, public spaces and recreational activities. Quotes from participants are interwoven throughout the report and strengthen the concluding actions. The report recognises what has worked in Medellin as well as areas for improvement.

Inclusive Design and Accessibility of the Built Environment in Nairobi, Kenya

PATRICK, M
MULDOWNEY, A
KILIMANJARO BLIND TRUST AFRICA
TANUI, G
BUKACHI, V
CAMPBELL CLAUSE, J
McKINNON, I
October 2022

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Prepared by the Global Disability Innovation Hub and partners for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

This case study, funded through UK aid AT2030 programme, explores the current situation of inclusive and accessible environments for people with disabilities living in Nairobi. The research findings detailed in this report describe the current challenges and opportunities for embedding inclusive design in Nairobi’s future, providing priority recommendations and forward-thinking next steps.

The research took place in three phases between July 2021 and January 2022, combining both virtual and face to face approaches. Phase 1 focused on understanding the current state of accessibility through desk research and interviews, phase 2 captured the lived experience of people with disabilities utilising interviews, photo diaries and co-design activities. Phase 3 then synthesised findings, running multiple workshops to create actions towards inclusive environments. Thematic analysis was applied to understand the research data, identifying key themes across three different stakeholder groups of People, Policy, and Practice.

The themes identified span across daily life, poverty, transport, housing, sanitation, public spaces and recreational activities. Quotes from participants are interwoven into this report, and strengthen the concluding actions towards inclusion.

 

Inclusive design and accessibility of the built environment in Varanasi, India: AT2030 Inclusive Infrastructure Case Studies

PATRICK, Michaela
MCKINNON, Iain
MISHRA, Satish
GUPTA, Shivani
ROY, Prabha
CHOUDHURY, Utsav
MURUGHAR, Kavita
RAHEJA, Gaurav
October 2021

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This is the second of six case studies analysing the state of accessibility and inclusive design in low-resource contexts around the world. The six independent case studies will be analysed to develop a comparison report and finally a global action report that will offer evidence and recommendations that support making infrastructure, the built environment and urban development in low-resource settings more accessible and inclusive.

This purpose of this case study is to explore the state of inclusive and accessible environments for persons with disabilities in Varanasi, India, through engagement with policy, industry and community stakeholders (policy, practice and people). Through this engagement, the case study is developing evidence on the challenges and opportunities for implementing inclusive and accessible design in Varanasi and makes recommendations on local actions towards becoming a more inclusive city.

Accessibility audit costing

BROWN, Simon
SCOTT-PARKER, Susan
2021

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This excel sheet provides organisations a structured method to disaplay recommended activities for ensuring accessibility.

Accessible construction toolkit

INSTITUTE OF MIGRATION (IOM) IRAQ
March 2021

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In October 2020, IOM Iraq commissioned the development of an accessibility toolkit for IOM Iraq built structures. This toolkit follows the Iraq “Building requirement code for people with special needs” on construction and accessibility and is a companion to the RRU Construction Manual: Best practices in construction and rehabilitation of community infrastructure. The RRU construction team constructs a variety of buildings including schools, health facilities and community centers. This toolkit is a resource to enable a strengthened approach to accessibility of future structures, and to enable a diverse range of community members to benefit from IOM Iraq’s construction and programming

Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action, Delivering on 7 accessibility commitments

AL JUBEH, Kathy
DARD, Benjamin
ZAYED, Yana
November 2020

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The World Blind Union (WBU) and CBM Global Disability Inclusion have developed Accessibility GO! A Guide to Action. The guide provides practical support on how to deliver a wholistic organisational approach towards accessibility. It describes how to progressively achieve seven core accessibility commitments across built environments, information and communications, procurement of goods and services, training and capacity development, programmes, meetings and events, recruitment, and human resource (HR) management. The guide offers pathways to progressively realise accessibility in various contexts and organisations; recognising that users of the guide will be diverse.

Inclusive Design: What if we built a world that was accessible to all?

McKINNON, Iain
CARR, Peter
PATRICK, Mikaela
MONGOLIA RESEARCH TEAM
ASTERINA, Nina
October 2020

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This webinar, hosted by Global Disability Innovation (GDI) hub, brings together a diverse panel of experts to discuss what inclusive design looks like in practice for them, who benefits and how it can offer methods to build a more accessible world that benefits all of us.

 

Speakers presentations were:

  • What inclusive design means to GDI Hub and why it matters, drawing on our experience working in both the UK and globally
  • An overview of inclusive design of the built environment in the UK and Kenya, including the role of access panels to embed the views of disabled people in planning and decision-making
  • An introduction to GDI Hub’s AT2030 programme including our Inclusive Infrastructure research sub-programme that is conducting six global case studies in LMIC cities around the world over the next 2-3 years.
  • The challenges and opportunities for an accessible Mongolia and the importance of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPO) engagement in decision-making
  • The importance of inclusive planning processes for accessible cities in Indonesia

Inclusive design research in a pandemic: Working remotely in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

PATRICK, Michaela
NARANGEREL, Tamirkhuu
October 2020

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The Inclusive Infrastructure sub-programme of the AT2030 programme began in March 2020, right out the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over three years this part of the AT2030 programme will be conducting case studies in six cities on the current state of accessibility and inclusion of the built environment in each of those places. 

The first case study took place in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia. In March 2020, research was about to begin, Mongolia closed its border as the Coronavirus pandemic escalated. This meant to travel to Ulaanbaatar to conduct research was not possible and new ways of working remotely had to be adopted.

Research was carried out by collaborating with a local team based in Ulaanbaatar: AIFO, an Italian NGO that has been working in Mongolia since 1993 and two Disabled Persons’ Organisations: ‘Universal Progress’ Independent Living Center and Tegsh Niigem.

Perspectives on working together, collaborating remotely and why this research is relevant to the country are shared.

Inclusive design and accessibility of the built environment in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

PATRICK, Michaela
McKINNON, Iain
AUSTIN, Vicki
September 2020

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This case study on inclusive infrastructure in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia is the first part of a series of six global case studies. The series is being developed to understand global priorities for inclusive design within the Inclusive Infrastructure work of the AT2030 programme; to build evidence on the awareness, understanding, acceptance, application and experience of Inclusive Design and accessible environments globally, particularly in lower and middle-income countries

Impact of lived experiences of people with disabilities in the built environment in South Africa

McKINNEY, Victor
AMOSUN, Seyi L.
August 2020

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Background: In spite of legislations and policies to ensure an inclusive society in South Africa for the accommodation of people with disabilities, there are reports that they still struggle to move freely within society.

 

Objectives: As part of a larger qualitative exploratory study on the preparation of undergraduate civil engineering students in a local university to contribute to the development of an inclusive society, this article seeks to understand the impact of the lived experiences of people with disabilities in their interaction with the built environment.

 

Method: Four persons with disabilities, considered to be knowledgeable about South African legislations relating to disability, were purposely selected to each share one specific experience whilst interacting with the built environment. The transcribed texts of the interviews were analysed by using the phenomenological–hermeneutic method.

 

Results: The participants exhibited strong desires to participate in society. However, the sense of loss of control and independence as they encountered challenges in the built environment changed the euphoria to disempowerment, rejection, anger and despondency. In spite of their experiences, participants expressed a commitment towards overcoming the challenges encountered in the broader interest of people with disabilities.

 

Conclusion: A deeper understanding of the impact of the experiences of people with disabilities when they participate within the built environment in South Africa revealed a broad spectrum of negative emotions, which may impact the quality of life and well-being of the participants.

 

 

African Journal of Disability, Vol 9, 2020

Death sentence to civilians: The long-term impact of explosive weapons in populated areas in Yemen

BOTTOMLEY, Alison
SALAVERT, Lise
et al
May 2020

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In five years of war, Yemen has experienced every manner of explosive weapons—aerial bombs and missiles, artillery, mortars, and improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and much more. The explosions destroy bridges, ports, roads, hospitals, water systems, and generate long lasting civilian harm. When explosive weapons strike roads and bridges, they greatly increase the time it takes to re-supply cities. Such damage cuts deeply into food and water access, and has negative effects on population health.

The report highlights six case studies, showing the extent and impact of such bombings. One case study looks at the long-term impact on specific populations including: internally displaced persons; persons with disabilities; women and children.

The Social Network: How people with visual impairment use mobile phones in Kibera, Kenya

HOLLOWAY, Catherine
BARBARESCHI, Giulia
ARNOLD, Katherine
MAGOMERE, Grace
WETENDE, Wycliffe Ambeyi
NGARI, Gabriel
OLENJA, Joyce
May 2020

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Living in an informal settlement with a visual impairment can be very challenging resulting in social exclusion. Mobile phones have been shown to be hugely beneficial to people with sight loss in formal and high-income settings. However, little is known about whether these results hold true for people with visual impairment (VIPs) in informal settlements. Findings of a case study of mobile technology use by VIPs in Kibera, an informal settlement in Nairobi are presented. The study used contextual interviews, ethnographic observations and a co-design workshop to explore how VIPs use mobile phones in their daily lives, and how this use influences the social infrastructure of VIPs. Findings suggest that mobile technology supports and shapes the creation of social infrastructure. However, this is only made possible through the existing support networks of the VIPs, which are mediated through four types of interaction: direct, supported, dependent and restricted

 

Paper presented at CHI 2020, April 25–30, 2020, Honolulu, HI, USA

“Disability Is Not Weakness” Discrimination and barriers facing women and girls with disabilities in Afghanistan

GOSSMAN, Patricia
April 2020

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Everyday barriers that Afghan women and girls with disabilities face are described.  Decades of conflict have decimated government institutions and development efforts have failed to reach many communities most in need. Obtaining access to health care, education, and employment, along with other basic rights, is particularly difficult for Afghan women and girls with disabilities, who face both gender discrimination and stigma and barriers associated with their disability.

 

This report is based primarily on research by Human Rights Watch researchers from April 2018 through January 2020 in Kabul, Mazar-e Sharif, and Herat, Afghanistan. 23 interviews with women with disabilities and 3 interviews with family members of women and girls with disabilities were conducted. 14 healthcare and education professionals were interviewed, including representatives from the United Nations and international and local nongovernmental organizations providing services to persons with disabilities in Afghanistan

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