Inclusive and Accessible design. Friendly public spaces.
Introduction
This course provides an introduction to the key principles of accessibility, offering a foundation for further exploration of accessibility and inclusive design. Learners will explore major types of disabilities, along with the assistive technologies and adaptive strategies that support them.
The course also covers important legal frameworks and core principles guiding universal design and accessible content creation. Additionally, guest videos will offer firsthand insights into disability, addressing topics such as disability etiquette, universal design, universal design for learning, accommodations in higher education, campus accessibility policies and corporate accessibility practices.
Let’s be accessible to everyone and anyone!
Module 1: Theory of inclusive and accessible design
Module 1 introduces the essential principles and historical development of inclusive and accessible design. It focuses on how inclusive design benefits society and moves beyond basic legal compliance to create environments that are usable by all.
Key Topics
- 1A. Definitions of accessibility design
- 1B. The differences between inclusive design, accessibility and universal design
Goals
- Understand the context of the inclusive, universal and accessibility design.
- Identify and address the full spectrum of human diversity in their design work.
- Recognise key design principles to create accessible and sustainable spaces, products, and communication methods.
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about this module.Module 2: Historical development of inclusive and accessible design
Module 2 introduces the purpose and history of accessibility and inclusive design, focusing on its evolution, covering historical phases from the first assistive devices to contemporary design philosophies that emphasise the removal of societal barriers. Also this module explores the economic benefits of creating accessible spaces within the built environment.
Key Topics
- 2A. Historical development of inclusive and accessible design
- 2B. Social and economic benefits
Goals
- Understand the historical development of accessible design
- Analyze the socioeconomic and legislative context of accessibility
- Recognise inclusive design principles across key sectors
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about questions related to this module.Module 3: Policy and EU-Level intervention
Module 3 introduces key EU policies and interventions aimed at promoting accessibility and universal design, with a focus on the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and the Union of Equality Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030. It explores how these frameworks support the inclusion of people with disabilities in society by setting accessibility standards for products, services, and infrastructure across the EU, and emphasizes the importance of universal design for an inclusive future
Key Topics
- 3A. Policy and EU-Level intervention
- 3B. Holistic approach to inclusivity
Goals
- Understand the European Union’s policy framework and legislative initiatives.
- Explore the principles of a holistic approach to universal design, including the incorporation of diverse user needs across physical, cognitive, emotional, and social dimensions.
- Understand inclusive design benefits both disabled and non-disabled users by enhancing usability, dignity and access to products, services, and public spaces.
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about questions related to this module.Module 4: Ethical design and accessibility
Module 4 explores the ethical and legal underpinnings of accessibility, focusing on user-centred design and the role of designers in creating truly inclusive environments.
Key Topics
- 4A. Ethical design and accessibility
- 4B. Ethical design in healthcare
- 4C. Ethical design in technology
- 4D. Ethical design in urban planning and sustainability
- 4E. Design techniques: addressing diverse needs and designing for people with disabilities
Goals
- Understand ethical design principles across various sectors.
- Explore ethical challenges and responsibilities in design, especially in healthcare, technology, and urban planning.
- Learn about user-centred design techniques such as contextual research and prototyping.
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about questions related to this module.Module 5: Designing Inclusive and Friendly Cities
Module 5 focuses on the practical aspects of designing inclusive and friendly cities. It includes discussions on the urban design principles that make cities accessible and enjoyable for all, with real-world case studies.
Key Topics
- 5A. Inclusive and accessible cities. Cities that are listening.
- 5B. Characteristics of friendly cities
- 5C. Types of accessible and “designish” city
- 5D. Accessible infrastructure and easy navigation for all users
- 5E. Creating walkable and bike-friendly streetscapes. Case studies.
Goals
- Understand the principles of inclusive and accessible city design to create urban environments that accommodate all residents.
- Identify the core characteristics of a friendly city.
- Explore various innovative urban planning models to understand how cities can integrate accessibility into their development.
- Enable students to develop strategies for creating walkable and bike-friendly streetscapes.
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about questions related to this module.Module 6: Participation in public space designing
Module 6 examines the principles of designing inclusive public spaces, offering practical insights into creating environments that welcome a diverse range of users. Through case studies from Kaunas and other ECOC cities, students will learn about the successful elements of public space design.
Key Topics
- 6A. Participation in public space designing
- 6B. The role of community organizations and NGOs
- 6C. Technological and social innovation in stakeholder engagement
- 6D. Participation methods in designing of city accessible public spaces
Goals
- Understand the importance of inclusive participation in public space design.
- Explore the role of community organizations, NGOs, and technological innovations in promoting stakeholder engagement and co-creation in urban planning.
- Explore various participatory methods that foster community engagement in designing accessible, inclusive public spaces.
- Understand how user-centered design and community-driven projects enhance the functionality, cultural relevance, and social sustainability of urban spaces.
Activity
Quiz: Choose the right answers about questions related to this module.Mandatory/Recommended/Further Readings/Resources
To deepen your understanding, here are some recommended readings and additional resources:
- University of Cambridge. Inclusive Design Toolkit. University of Cambridge, undated. Retrieved August 10, 2019. https://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com/whatis/whatis.html
- Design Council. The principles of inclusive design: they include you. https://www.designcouncil.org.uk/fileadmin/uploads/dc/Documents/the-principles-of-inclusive-design.pdf
- Inclusive Design Research Centre. What is inclusive design? https://idrc.ocadu.ca/about/philosophy/
- Microsoft Inclusive Design. Inclusive 101 Guidebook. https://inclusive.microsoft.design/tools-and-activities/Inclusive101Guidebook.pdf
- Katja Niggl. Accessible design for connected products and services. https://hello.futurice.com/hubfs/Futurice%20Accessibility%20Guide.pdf
- Council of Europe. Accessibility: principles and guidelines. https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=09000016805a2a24
- Sheryl Burgstahler, Ph.D. Universal Design: Process, Principles and Applications. https://www.washington.edu/doit/sites/default/files/atoms/files/Universal_Design_04_12_21.pdf
- Finn Aslaksen, Steinar Bergh, Olav Rand Bringa, Edel Kristin Heggem. Universal Design: Planning and Design for All. https://www.independentliving.org/docs1/nscd1997.pdf
- Luka Kille-Speckter, Farnaz Nickpour. The evolution of inclusiv olution of inclusive design: A first timeline r e design: A first timeline review of view of narratives and milestones of design for disability.
https://dl.designresearchsociety.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3053&context=drs-conference-papers - European Commission. Final Report: Study on the socio economic impact of new measures to improve accessibility of goods and services for people with disabilities https://ec.europa.eu/social/BlobServlet?docId=14841&langId=en
- Centre for Inclusive Design.
https://centreforinclusivedesign.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/inclusive-design-infographic-report-digital-160519.pdf - Kristin Skeide Fuglerud, Till Halbach, Ingvar Tjøstheim. Cost-benefit analysis of universal design.
https://projects.nr.no/sites/default/files/files/NR1032-Cost-benefit%20analysis%20of%20unversal%20design-final.pdf - Mikiko Terashima & Kate Clark. Measuring economic benefits of accessible spaces to achieve ‘meaningful access’ in the built environment. https://www.jacces.org/index.php/jacces/article/view/274/254
- The International Transport Forum/OECD. Economic Benefits of Improving Transport Accessibility.
https://www.itf-oecd.org/sites/default/files/docs/economic-benefits-improved-accessibility-transport-systems.pdf - Kaunas 2022. Accessibility Guide [Accessibility Guide “Kaunas for All”, Accessibility Signage on-site, Guidelines for Events, Accessibility Signage (drawings), Signs (production & digital formats)]https://kaunas2022.eu/en/accessibility-guide/
- European Parliament. The European Accessibility Act. https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/IDAN/2016/571382/IPOL_IDA(2016)571382_EN.pdf
- European Commission. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. European Disability Strategy 2010-2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe.
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM%3A2010%3A0636%3AFIN%3Aen%3APDF - European Commission. Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions. Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030
https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/wp-content/uploads/sites/15/2021/04/European-Strategy-2021-2030_EN.pdf - Trine Falbe, Kim Andersen, Martin Michael Frederiksen. The ethical design handbook. https://www.smashingmagazine.com/provide/eBooks/ethical-design-handbook-sample-chapter.pdf
- Ahmet Atak. Ethical design and responsibilities. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/373806234_ETHICAL_DESIGN_AND_RESPONSIBILITIES
- ISO 9241-210:2019. Ergonomics of human-system interaction. Part 210: Human-centred design for interactive systems https://www.iso.org/standard/77520.html
- Jurek Kirakowski, HFRG and Nigel Bevan, NPL (Eds). Handbook of User-Centred Design. https://uxp.ie/INUSE_Handbook_of_UCD.pdf
- The Department of Computer Science, University of Cape Town. Human Computer Interaction (HCI). https://www.cs.uct.ac.za/mit_notes/human_computer_interaction/htmls/ch03.html
https://www.cs.uct.ac.za/mit_notes/human_computer_interaction/pdfs/chp03.pdf - Kris Rivenburgh. WCAG Checklist. https://accessible.org/Kris-Rivenburgh-WCAG-Checklist.pdf
- Keith Case. Tools for User-Centred Design. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/269372602_Tools_for_User-Centred_Design
- Video – Wizard of Oz Method in UX.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uKMYf-UdRio - Video – WCAG 2.1 guidelines. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esr21c_Vnog&list=PLBF3XTmgreLHH77gQOEa6xCCT2M0IWxo6
- UCLG. Inclusive and Accessible Cities. https://www.uclg.org/sites/default/files/inclusive_accessible_cities_policypaper.pdf
- United Nations. 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda - Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
- New Urban Agenda. https://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/NUA-English.pdf
- U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Creating Walkable & Bikeable Communities. https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/Creating-Walkable-Bikeable-Communities.pdf
- Creating walkable + bikeable communities. A user guide to developing pedestrian and bicycle master plans. https://ppms.trec.pdx.edu/media/project_files/IBPI%20Master%20Plan%20Handbook%20FINAL.pdf
- United Nations. New Urban Agenda. https://habitat3.org/wp-content/uploads/NUA-English.pdf
- United Nations. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/convention-rights-persons-disabilities
- United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Sustainable Development. Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
- The WHO Age-friendly Cities Framework. Global age-friendly cities: a guide. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/43755
- UK Government. A Guide for Inclusive, Accessible,Safe and Resilient Urban Development. https://niua.in/intranet/sites/default/files/2346.pdf
- UCLG. Building Cities for All: Inclusive and Accessible Cities and Territories. https://learning.uclg.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/30_UCLG_Building_Cities_for_All-Peer_Learning_Note-1.pdf
- Julienne Hanson. The Inclusive City: delivering a more accessible urban environment through inclusive design. https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/document?repid=rep1&type=pdf&doi=382c2c57da65e945ba004681aacc526b3fca1486
- UCLG. Inclusive and Accessible Cities. https://www.uclg.org/sites/default/files/inclusive_accessible_cities_policypaper.pdf
- City of Toronto. Toronto accessibility design guidelines. https://www.toronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/8ee5-Revised-TADG.pdf
- Walkable and bikeable cities. Lessons from Seoul and Singapore.
https://www.clc.gov.sg/docs/default-source/books/walkable-and-bikeable-cities.pdf - Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022. COMMUNITY programme methodology. https://kaunas2022.eu/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/Community-programme-methodology.pdf
- Tamara Kocan. Participative processes as tools for designing public spaces. https://www.espacesuisse.ch/sites/default/files/documents/2013_kocan_tamara_ParticipativeProcesses.pdf
- Evans Kimani Njungea, Buket Asilsoy. A Study about Public Participation in the Universal Design of Public Spaces. https://dergipark.org.tr/en/download/article-file/2016090
- Salma Belmoussa. Constructing accessibility in Dutch Public Spaces. https://bouwstenen.nl/sites/default/files/uploads/Constructing%20Accessibility%20in%20the%20Public%20Space%20-%20MSc%20Thesis%20Salma%20Belmoussa%20-%20Compressed.pdf
- Karin Peters, Dahae Lee. Ensuring inclusive and accessible public spaces in an austerity context.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/345740071_Ensuring_inclusive_and_accessible_public_spaces_in_an_austerity_context - Andrew Lacey. Designing an essential guide for public buildings for Accessibility. https://www.bathnes.gov.uk/sites/default/files/siteimages/design_for_accessibility_guide_updated.pdf
- Adam Rallo, Eric Forest, James Kuo, Randal Boutilier, Edmund Li. A Practical Handbook on Accessible Graphic Design. https://people.utoronto.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/RGD_AccessAbility2_Handbook_AbleDocs.pdf
Final Test
This test will assess your knowledge and understanding of the material covered throughout the course.
Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.” Project number 2023-1-CY01-KA220-HED-000160668