The Nature of Barriers and the New Demographics

This unit provides an introduction to the philosophy behind the concept of inclusive design. The reading examines the "barrier" as encountered in everyday life and as an important theme in art and science. The social meaning of barriers in architecture is explored and universal design is introduced as one means to break down unnecessary barriers to social participation. Two additional readings explore how language affects the way we perceive people who are different than ourselves.

This unit also provides background material to understand disability demographics and, specifically, the aging of post-industrialized societies. The first reading presents the demographic rationale for universal design. The rest of the readings are a set of articles describing psychological and social issues of late adulthood, what aging means to older people and their families and the impact of culture on the experience of aging. The last reading is a sourcebook on demography of aging.

The Principles of Universal Design and Practicing Universal Design
This unit introduces universal design as part of the phenomenon of innovation. Universal design is viewed as an evolutionary process that functions within a social ecology that varies by industry. The first reading is the most widely adopted definition of universal design through the construction of seven principles and associated guidelines. The second reading reformulates the Principles of Universal Design for use in building and urban design and provides extensive best practice guidelines and examples of how those Principles can be applied. The next two readings are websites that are examples of how the Principles of Universal Design can be applied to design of bathrooms and kitchens. Additional articles describe how the process of innovation can be used to understand how to introduce universal design into the marketplace and how that process might play out differently in different industries, as well as provide more detailed case studies of noteworthy universal designs, the companies that produced them and the basis for their success.

Design for Anthropometric and Biomechanical Fit
Anthropometry is the study of human body sizes and related abilities like reaching and lines of sight. Anthropometry is a critical issue in inclusive design because it provides information to design spaces, equipment and products that fit with the users' size and abilities. In particular, inclusive design requires an understanding of the anthropometry of wheeled mobility. The reading provides an overview of issues that are emerging as wheeled mobility technology evolves. Biomechanics is the study of how muscles and the skeletal system respond to physical forces caused by interaction with space and objects. Design for fit with biomechanical abilities involves concern for prevention of injury, design within the limits of stamina and design for comfort.

Design for Perception and Cognition
Perception is the use of the senses to perceive the features of the world around us. This part of the unit describes some key changes in perception related to aging and provides some recommendations for design to compensate for those changes. Cognition is the process of understanding the world around us. While perception gives us information, cognition gives that information meaning. This section describes how design affects our understanding of the world, how events can disrupt that understanding, and the impact on our performance of critical tasks.

Accessible Building Design/Public Buildings
This unit provides an introduction to the basic concerns of accessibility, the concept that gave birth to universal design and that is a critical component of inclusive design, especially in professional practice. The reading is a set of 3 articles on the history and key issues of accessible design including explanations for most common design criteria. For each section, there is a set of design criteria, meant as a quick desk reference. This unit provides a foundation for how most building codes and standards address accessibility in public buildings.

Accessible Building Design/Housing
This unit provides an introduction to the basic concerns of accessibility, the concept that gave birth to universal design and that is a critical component of inclusive design, especially in professional practice. This unit provides a foundation for how most building codes and standards address accessibility, specifically in housing.

Transportation and the Impact of Universal Design
This unit provides an in depth look at one industry, mass transportation. Strategies for introducing universal design in this sector are described with examples from around the world.

Visitability
The purpose of this course is to educate design and development professionals, government officials, advocates, and other interested students on visitability and related initiatives that support the development of single-family housing with basic access for people with disabilities. This course provides a basic understanding of the concept of visitability, provides good practice examples and cost estimates for visitable features, and describes advocacy strategies for developing visitability projects in local communities.

Home Modifications
This course will introduce participants to the basic issues of home modification design and provide information and tools for delivering service using universal design guidelines. Common home modification needs and solutions will be presented and discussed through illustrations and several case study examples.