Hi Ramah
sure as an overall definition it is good, but what I was originally asking
about was the particular an how to give short descriptions which develop an
understanding in novices and laypersons. The subject tended to broaden as
responses bounced back and forth, some going for a general approach while
others were looking at the subject form the detail angle.
Thanks
Dave
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rahmah Mohd Talib" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 2:45 AM
Subject: Re: definitions (2a)
> Hi Dave,
> I thought for definition, it has to be broad and not specific statement.
> The illaboration can then be in detail to specific details as you have
> mentioned.
>
> Is there a need to have a feel of barriers encountered in the UD
> definition? The principles of Universal Design already said it all isn't
> it? Thanks.
>
> Best regards,
> Rahmah
>
>
>
>
>
> To:
"Accessibuilt list"
>
<[log in to unmask]>
> "Croft Consultants" cc:
> <[log in to unmask] Subject: definitions
(2a)
> com>
> Sent by:
> owner-accessibuilt@jis
> cmail.ac.uk
>
>
>
>
>
> 25/06/04 22:53
>
>
>
>
>
> Hi All
>
> sure Rita, we must consider the whole, but in my experience I find that
> people ,outside the access/ disability field, tend to narrow 'access' down
> to it's bare minim, i.e. access for wheelchairs.
> As you are aware what makes for good physical access for a wheelchair
> rider can be a major physical barrier for an ambulant person or a
> perception barrier for a person with low vision or learning difficulties,.
> This narrowing is (to me) focused by the use of the wheelchair symbol to
> equate with accessibility.
> Access also tends to be an adult matter, children and small or low
strength
> people tend to be omitted.
> so for the novice to access I try to break the subject down to help them
> understand that access is not just a ramp but involves many other factors.
> Equipment to me must be slightly divorced from physical as it includes
> design, use & handling; perception of hazard; audio, visual & tactile
> controls and labelling; spatial awareness, training, manuals and other
> factors. Plus equipment accessibility is location dependent and a physical
> access matter.
>
> when looking at employment and physical access in your study, where would
> the employment take place? would it look at an office, a shop, an
> electronics production line, a chemical plant, a power station or
> construction site? each has it's own individual character and constraints,
> and probably the biggest barrier it attitudes and the tendency to classify
> others in perceived groupings.
>
> Going by the recruitment personnel I have had working for me over time,
> they have little appreciation of what a particular job entails viewed from
> the sharp end. Example;
> A few years ago a man with bad arthritis and using a walking cane was
> refused a job on a construction project for a chemical plant by the
> personnel dept. He managed to get through to me on site and complained,
> that saying it was possible for him to work on the site. I met with him
and
> agreed, while he was unable to climb on structures safely or lift heavy
> items, he was an electronics technician so he was able to be assigned work
> on control systems and swithchgear in a control centre which was designed
> to be fully accessible when finished. There was no problem during his
> employment.
> On the same site we even employed a wheelchair rider as a bricklayer and
> mason, the pathways and concrete slabs were laid, there were personnel
> lifts to higher floors, so where was the problem?.
> It is a matter of perception and knowing the actual work requirements and
> the persons individual capabilities. How to define this for, e.g. an
> eighteen year old personnel officer straight from school, without a
> technical background is the barrier.
> Another example along similar lines I was involved with - a man with
> disabilities went to the Job Centre and met with the 'disabilities
advisor'
> as he felt need of assistance in changing his work field. Due to his
> disabilities it had become unsafe for him to carry on with the type of
work
> he had always done. He walked out at the end of the interview feeling
worse
> than when he went in, reason, the 'adviser', was only interested in what
> school he had attended and what GCSE's he had. the advisor was totally
> disinterested in what experience of knowledge he had, nor was she
> interested in his professional qualifications. She never asked what
> limitations his disability placed on his ability to do certain types of
> work nor what he believed he might be capable of doing or be interested
in.
> This is someone specially employed to help people with disabilities find
> work, the attitude and lack of interest in the person made him question
how
> much help he could expect.
> Ageism poses similar problems in many fields, once a person is 50 they are
> generalised as physically incapable of work or are likely to want too many
> days off sick. Sure some people loose physical strength or tend to greater
> sickness but, there are others who can run a twenty year old into the
> ground and are never sick. So again this is an attitudinal and educational
> barrier.
> Sorry I've digressed a little as these are problems which I am interested
> in as they are all too common.
>
> Communication needs to be slightly divorced from physical as it is in
> itself many layered this is mainly sensory and cognitive, although it
> includes some physical attributes especially in wayfinding.
> But if you lump it with physical it would tend to be narrowed down to
> signage and landmarks. While it needs to include factors such as printed
> literature, computer screens, websites and so on. Then there are the
> format, content, presentation considerations. The use of floor textures,
> sound and smell clues etc. fall into the physical but are also sensory and
> cognitive matters.
>
> so while 'access' needs to be considered as a whole, to me and to explain
> to novices, it also needs to be broken down so that important factors are
> not missed or do all variations are not taken into account.
>
> where you ask about walkways they are physical also environmental, sensory
> and often social access issues. So while being dealt with in particular
> they would be physical, when it comes to feeling can I get there? it is
> environmental.
>
> Rahmah's comment re- universal design definition, is good, to the point
> and includes people. But does not give the novice the underlying factors
> which make up the whole nor does it give a feel for the barriers
> encountered.
>
> Dave
> ----------End of Message----------
>
>
> Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the
> distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme
visit:
>
>
> http://www.inclusive-design.it
>
>
> Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
> http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
____________________________________________________________________________
________________________
> If you are not the intended recipient of this communication, please notify
the sender and delete it.
> As it may contain confidential or official information, do not retain it
or disclose the contents to
> any person as it may be an offence under the Official Secrets Act.
>
____________________________________________________________________________
________________________
>
> ----------End of Message----------
>
> Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the
distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
>
> http://www.inclusive-design.it
>
> Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at
http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
----------End of Message----------
Run by SURFACE for more information on research, consultancy and the distance taught MSc. in Accessibility and Inclusive Design programme visit:
http://www.inclusive-design.it
Archives for the Accessibuilt discussion list are located at http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/lists/accessibuilt.html
|
