Dear Disability Research members
I am a third year architecture student at the University of
Sheffield, and am currently writing a lengthy dissertation. The broad subject
area I am investigating - accessibility and inclusion - will explore architects'
disability awareness (how architects perceive disabled people, and vice versa),
and how attitudes and approaches within the profession perhaps ought
to change (referring to successful examples of universally designed buildings,
where architects may have liaised throughout the design process with
disabled people).
Within the social model of disability, the project will explore the
profound role which the architect/planner can have in disabling
people - ANY people - by creating inaccesible buildings and environments.
The assignment's purpose will be to reshape attitudes towards
disability among students of architecture; to suggest they are
taught more about accessible, universal design; and to simply
encourage them to just pause and think about WHY they should design
inclusively - before heading straight for building regulations and
sizing guides to see HOW it is suggested they do it. (A social
emphasis as opposed to a technical one.) I believe young architects NEED
to be taught how to accept their responsibilities as potential disablers, instead
of placing access problems with building users. I hope that this project will
be really worthwhile for EVERYBODY.
If any of you are able to provide me with any information, suggestions or
comments at all, I would be really grateful. And, if any members
feel disabled themselves by the buildings in their environment, would they
be willing to complete a short questionnaire about this, as part of this research?
(I am hoping to compare architecture students' attitudes towards and
awareness of disability, with how disabled people themselves THINK
architects perceive disability.)
Many thanks and kind regards,
Zoe Holland
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