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Designing Environments for All

Overview

Many of us go through our days not realizing how small accommodations in design can greatly improve the way we communicate; details in the physical, information, communication and social environment matter – the inaccessible exam table, the glare of a light, a brochure in small font, or the person that speaks too fast. For many people who experience disabilities or are who are Deaf, it is impossible to ignore the importance of well-functioning environments. Thus, a necessary step in developing accessible and welcoming services for survivors is to design environments for all.

The Four Environments

Changing the environment is easy to accept as desirable but daunting to tackle. Where do you start? Refining different types of environments and the way in which survivors interact with them breaks a big idea into discrete chunks. The following is a core set of environments:

• Communication Environment

• Information Environment

• Physical Environment

• Social and Policy

Designing Environments for All

The new definition of disability "mainstreams" the experience of disability and recognizes it as a universal human experience. If we assume variation in ability is ordinary, that is can be anticipated and addressed, we are more likely to succeed. We can design environments to accommodate a range of possible needs rather than the "average" experience. This is user-centered design. The word "design" is used broadly. Everyone designs who devises courses of action aimed at changing existing situations into preferred ones.

There are many terms for user-centered design. Universal, Inclusive and Design-for-All refer to a framework for the design of places, things, information, communications, services and policy that focuses on the user, on the widest range of people operating in the widest range of situations without special or separate design.

Benefits

The new approach moves us toward a way of thinking that avoids the pitfalls of assuming that disability is easily identified and categorized. Some people embrace an identity as a person with a disability and derive a sense of affirmation and community from identifying with disability culture. Far more people, however, with the same functional limitation see their identity as a person with a disability well down the list of ways in which they define themselves. They may not identify as having a disability and may not even respond affirmatively to a direct question about disability. The goal of improving access to services and support can still be met by creating environments that anticipate and prepare to accommodate a broad diversity of ability among survivors.

A Process for Change

To create welcoming and accessible environments that meet the needs of all you will need to assess your own environments and note where you can make changes. A crucial element of this process is to invite survivors with disabilities and those who are Deaf, advocates, and collaborators to weigh in on the assessment process and to make suggestions for how to improve the environment. he first step is to consider the suggested presented in this section. Ask questions about what improvements too the environment, big or small, would improve their experience. Finally, review the status of your programs and services and develop a strategic plan for creating welcoming environments.

In This Section

This section is designed to be a resource to you as you go through this process. The suggestions contained in this section for creating welcoming environments tend to be universal in scope without the need to create separate or specialized solutions for a few. Because how people function is so variable, universal solutions address the continuum of differences. These environments often improve everyone's experience, not just those who experience disabilities. And best does not mean the most expensive solution, it means the most pragmatic. We've included suggestions for the following four environments:

• communication environment;
• information environment;
• physical environment; and
• social and policy environment

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