Inclusion By Design

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Mismatch

Author : Kat Holmes
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262038889
Total Pages : 173 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Mismatch by : Kat Holmes

Download or read book Mismatch written by Kat Holmes and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2018-10-16 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How inclusive methods can build elegant design solutions that work for all. Sometimes designed objects reject their users: a computer mouse that doesn't work for left-handed people, for example, or a touchscreen payment system that only works for people who read English phrases, have 20/20 vision, and use a credit card. Something as simple as color choices can render a product unusable for millions. These mismatches are the building blocks of exclusion. In Mismatch, Kat Holmes describes how design can lead to exclusion, and how design can also remedy exclusion. Inclusive design methods—designing objects with rather than for excluded users—can create elegant solutions that work well and benefit all. Holmes tells stories of pioneers of inclusive design, many of whom were drawn to work on inclusion because of their own experiences of exclusion. A gamer and designer who depends on voice recognition shows Holmes his “Wall of Exclusion,” which displays dozens of game controllers that require two hands to operate; an architect shares her firsthand knowledge of how design can fail communities, gleaned from growing up in Detroit's housing projects; an astronomer who began to lose her eyesight adapts a technique called “sonification” so she can “listen” to the stars. Designing for inclusion is not a feel-good sideline. Holmes shows how inclusion can be a source of innovation and growth, especially for digital technologies. It can be a catalyst for creativity and a boost for the bottom line as a customer base expands. And each time we remedy a mismatched interaction, we create an opportunity for more people to contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Inclusive Design for a Digital World

Author : Regine M. Gilbert
Publisher : Apress
ISBN 13 : 1484250168
Total Pages : 292 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (842 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusive Design for a Digital World by : Regine M. Gilbert

Download or read book Inclusive Design for a Digital World written by Regine M. Gilbert and published by Apress. This book was released on 2019-12-19 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is inclusive design? It is simple. It means that your product has been created with the intention of being accessible to as many different users as possible. For a long time, the concept of accessibility has been limited in terms of only defining physical spaces. However, change is afoot: personal technology now plays a part in the everyday lives of most of us, and thus it is a responsibility for designers of apps, web pages, and more public-facing tech products to make them accessible to all. Our digital era brings progressive ideas and paradigm shifts – but they are only truly progressive if everybody can participate. In Inclusive Design for a Digital World, multiple crucial aspects of technological accessibility are confronted, followed by step-by-step solutions from User Experience Design professor and author Regine Gilbert. Think about every potential user who could be using your product. Could they be visually impaired? Have limited motor skills? Be deaf or hard of hearing? This book addresses a plethora of web accessibility issues that people with disabilities face. Your app might be blocking out an entire sector of the population without you ever intending or realizing it. For example, is your instructional text full of animated words and Emoji icons? This makes it difficult for a user with vision impairment to use an assistive reading device, such as a speech synthesizer, along with your app correctly. In Inclusive Design for a Digital World, Gilbert covers the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 requirements, emerging technologies such as VR and AR, best practices for web development, and more. As a creator in the modern digital era, your aim should be to make products that are inclusive of all people. Technology has, overall, increased connection and information equality around the world. To continue its impact, access and usability of such technology must be made a priority, and there is no better place to get started than Inclusive Design for a Digital World. What You’ll LearnThe moral, ethical, and high level legal reasons for accessible design Tools and best practices for user research and web developers The different types of designs for disabilities on various platforms Familiarize yourself with web compliance guidelines Test products and usability best practicesUnderstand past innovations and future opportunities for continued improvementWho This Book Is For Practitioners of product design, product development, content, and design can benefit from this book.

Inclusive Design

Author : P.John Clarkson
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1447100018
Total Pages : 611 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (471 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusive Design by : P.John Clarkson

Download or read book Inclusive Design written by P.John Clarkson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2013-06-29 with total page 611 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Inclusive Design: What's in It for Me? presents a comprehensive review of current practice in inclusive design. With emphasis on new ideas for improvement and arguments for wider implementation in future, a unique combination of leading opinions on inclusive design from both industry and academia are offered. The theme throughout encourages a positive view of inclusive design as a good and profitable process and to produce a change to more effective approaches to "design for all". Inclusive Design is composed of two parts with a common chapter structure so that the business and design arguments in favour of inclusive design can be easily compared and assimilated: The Business Case presents the industrial and management benefits of inclusive design. It concentrates on demographic, legal and ethical reasons for all businesses being better off taking inclusivity into account in the design of their products or services. Case histories demonstrating the commercial success of inclusive design are drawn from the experiences of companies such as Tesco, Fiat and The Royal Mail. The Designers' Case focuses on the factors a designer needs to take into account when dealing with inclusivity. "Who is going to use my design?" "What do they need from my design?" "How do I take any medical needs into account?" "Just how "inclusive" is my design?" are all questions answered in this section which presents the necessary tools for effective inclusive design. This part of the book aims to convince a designer that inclusive design is a realistic goal. Inclusive Design will appeal to designers, researchers and students and to managers making decisions about the research and design strategies of their companies.

Building For Everyone

Author : Annie Jean-Baptiste
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119646243
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (196 download)

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Book Synopsis Building For Everyone by : Annie Jean-Baptiste

Download or read book Building For Everyone written by Annie Jean-Baptiste and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2020-08-20 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Diversity and Inclusion to build better products from the front lines at Google Establishing diverse and inclusive organizations is an economic imperative for every industry. Any business that isn’t reaching a diverse market is missing out on enormous revenue potential and the opportunity to build products that suit their users' core needs. The economic “why” has been firmly established, but what about the “how?” How can business leaders adapt to our ever-more-diverse world by capturing market share AND building more inclusive products for people of color, women and other underrepresented groups? The Product Inclusion Team at Google has developed strategies to do just that and Building For Everyone is the practical guide to following in their footsteps. This book makes publicly available for the first time the same inclusive design process used at Google to create user-centric award-winning and profitable products. Author and Head of Product Inclusion Annie Jean-Baptiste outlines what those practices look like in industries beyond tech with fascinating case studies. Readers will learn the key strategies and step-by-step processes for inclusive product design that limits risk and increases profitability. Discover the questions you should be asking about diversity and inclusion in your products for marketers, user researchers, product managers and more. Understand the research the Product Inclusion team drove to back up their practices Learn the “ABCs of Product Inclusion” to build inclusion into your organization’s culture Leverage the product inclusion suite of tools to get your organization building more inclusively and identifying new opportunities. Read case studies to see how product inclusion works across industries and learn what doesn't work. Building For Everyone will show you how to infuse your business processes with inclusive design. You’ll learn best practices for inclusion in product design, marketing, management, leadership and beyond, straight from the innovative Google Product Inclusion team.

Designing for Inclusion

Author : Patrick Langdon
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 3030438651
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (34 download)

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Book Synopsis Designing for Inclusion by : Patrick Langdon

Download or read book Designing for Inclusion written by Patrick Langdon and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-04-16 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This proceedings book presents papers from the 10th Cambridge Workshops on Universal Access and Assistive Technology. The CWUAAT series of workshops have celebrated a long history of interdisciplinarity, including design disciplines, computer scientists, engineers, architects, ergonomists, ethnographers, ethicists, policymakers, practitioners, and user communities. This reflects the wider increasing realisation over the long duration of the series that design for inclusion is not limited to technology, engineering disciplines, and computer science but instead requires an interdisciplinary approach. The key to this is providing a platform upon which the different disciplines can engage and see each other’s antecedents, methods, and point of view. This proceedings book of the 10th CWUAAT conference presents papers in a variety of topics including Reconciling usability, accessibility, and inclusive design; Designing inclusive assistive and rehabilitation systems; Designing cognitive interaction with emerging technologies; Designing inclusive architecture; Data mining and visualising inclusion; Legislation, standards, and policy in inclusive design; Situational inclusive interfaces; and The historical perspective: 20 years of CWUAAT. CWUAAT has always aimed to be inclusive in the fields that it invites to the workshop. We must include social science, psychologies, anthropologies, economists, politics, governance, and business. This requirement is now energised by imminent new challenges arising from techno-social change. In particular, artificial intelligence, wireless technologies, and the Internet of Things generate a pressing need for more socially integrated projects with operational consequences on individuals in the built environment and at all levels of design and society. Business cases and urgent environmental issues such as sustainability and transportation should now be a focus point for inclusion in an increasingly challenging world. This proceedings book continues the goal of designing for inclusion, as set out by the CWUAAT when it first started.

Design for Belonging

Author : Susie Wise
Publisher : Ten Speed Press
ISBN 13 : 1984858025
Total Pages : 167 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (848 download)

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Book Synopsis Design for Belonging by : Susie Wise

Download or read book Design for Belonging written by Susie Wise and published by Ten Speed Press. This book was released on 2022-04-19 with total page 167 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A practical, illustrated guide to using the tools of design to create feelings of inclusion, collaboration, and respect in groups of any type or size—a classroom, a work team, an international organization—from Stanford University's d.school. “This is a beautiful book. Wise has applied the gift and imagination and lenses of the d.school to one of our most precious questions: how to create belonging.”—Priya Parker, author of the Art of Gathering and host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart Belonging brings out the best in everyone. Whether you’re a parent, teacher, community organizer, or leader of any sort, your group is unlikely to thrive if the individuals don’t feel welcomed, included, and valued for who they are. The good news is that you can use design to create feelings of inclusion in your organization: rituals that bring people together, spaces that promote calm, roles that create a sense of responsibility, systems that make people feel respected, and more. You can’t force feelings, but in Design for Belonging, author and educator Susie Wise explains how to use simple levers of design to set the stage for belonging to emerge. For example, add moveable furniture to a meeting space to customize for your group size; switch up the role of group leader regularly to increase visibility for everyone; or create a special ritual for people joining or leaving your organization to welcome fresh perspectives and honor work well done. Inspiration and stories from leaders and scholars are paired with frameworks, tools, and tips, providing an opportunity to try on different approaches. By the end of the book, you’ll be able to spot where a greater sense of belonging is needed and actively shape your world to cultivate it—whether it’s a party, a high-stakes meeting, or a new national organization.

Jigsaw Cities

Author : Anne Power
Publisher : Policy Press
ISBN 13 : 9781861346582
Total Pages : 284 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (465 download)

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Book Synopsis Jigsaw Cities by : Anne Power

Download or read book Jigsaw Cities written by Anne Power and published by Policy Press. This book was released on 2007-03-14 with total page 284 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This new book explores Britain's intensely urban and increasingly global communities as interlocking pieces of a complex jigsaw; they are hard to see apart yet they are deeply unequal. Jigsaw Cities examines these issues using Birmingham, Britain's second city, as a model of pioneering urban order and as a victim of brutal Modernist planning.

Design Justice

Author : Sasha Costanza-Chock
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262043459
Total Pages : 358 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (62 download)

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Book Synopsis Design Justice by : Sasha Costanza-Chock

Download or read book Design Justice written by Sasha Costanza-Chock and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2020-03-03 with total page 358 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exploration of how design might be led by marginalized communities, dismantle structural inequality, and advance collective liberation and ecological survival. What is the relationship between design, power, and social justice? “Design justice” is an approach to design that is led by marginalized communities and that aims expilcitly to challenge, rather than reproduce, structural inequalities. It has emerged from a growing community of designers in various fields who work closely with social movements and community-based organizations around the world. This book explores the theory and practice of design justice, demonstrates how universalist design principles and practices erase certain groups of people—specifically, those who are intersectionally disadvantaged or multiply burdened under the matrix of domination (white supremacist heteropatriarchy, ableism, capitalism, and settler colonialism)—and invites readers to “build a better world, a world where many worlds fit; linked worlds of collective liberation and ecological sustainability.” Along the way, the book documents a multitude of real-world community-led design practices, each grounded in a particular social movement. Design Justice goes beyond recent calls for design for good, user-centered design, and employment diversity in the technology and design professions; it connects design to larger struggles for collective liberation and ecological survival.

Inclusion, Inc.

Author : Sara Sanford
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119849764
Total Pages : 259 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (198 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusion, Inc. by : Sara Sanford

Download or read book Inclusion, Inc. written by Sara Sanford and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2022-05-03 with total page 259 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Design systemic equity and diversity into your organization Inclusion, Inc: How to Design Intersectional Equity into the Workplace moves beyond having tough conversations to deliver an innovative and proven approach to organizational diversity. Eschewing the “mindset-first” approach taken by many diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, author and GEN founder Sara Sanford focuses on countering the systemic barriers that abet inequity by adjusting “cultural levers” to facilitate organization-wide change. Inclusion, Inc offers sustainable and cost-effective solutions that yield real, measurable returns, supported by: Data from thousands of surveys and interviews with executive-level changemakers. Case studies from GEN-certified organizations. Innovations drawn directly from the latest in behavioral economics and design-centered thinking. Perfect for business leaders, human resources and DEI professionals, and scholars and students of business, Inclusion, Inc will also prove invaluable to underrepresented employees and their allies seeking real, evidence-based solutions to the dilemma they frequently face: assimilate, or leave.

What Works

Author : Iris Bohnet
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674089030
Total Pages : 400 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (74 download)

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Book Synopsis What Works by : Iris Bohnet

Download or read book What Works written by Iris Bohnet and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2016-03-08 with total page 400 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Gender equality is a moral and a business imperative. But unconscious bias holds us back and de-biasing minds has proven to be difficult and expensive. Behavioral design offers a new solution. Iris Bohnet shows that by de-biasing organizations instead of individuals, we can make smart changes that have big impacts—often at low cost and high speed.

Equity by Design

Author : Mirko Chardin
Publisher : Corwin Press
ISBN 13 : 1544394446
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (443 download)

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Book Synopsis Equity by Design by : Mirko Chardin

Download or read book Equity by Design written by Mirko Chardin and published by Corwin Press. This book was released on 2020-07-20 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Our calling is to drop our egos, commit to removing barriers, and treat our learners with the unequivocal respect and dignity they deserve." --Mirko Chardin and Katie Novak When it comes to the hard work of reconstructing our schools into places where every student has the opportunity to succeed, Mirko Chardin and Katie Novak are absolutely convinced that teachers should serve as our primary architects. And by "teachers" they mean legions of teachers working in close collaboration. After all, it’s teachers who design students’ learning experiences, who build student relationships . . . who ultimately have the power to change the trajectory of our students’ lives. Equity by Design is intended to serve as a blueprint for teachers to alter the all-too-predictable outcomes for our historically under-served students. A first of its kind resource, the book makes the critical link between social justice and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) so that we can equip students (and teachers, too) with the will, skill, and collective capacity to enact positive change. Inside you’ll find: Concrete strategies for designing and delivering a culturally responsive, sustainable, and equitable framework for all students Rich examples, case studies, and implementation spotlights of educators, students (including Parkland survivors), and programs that have embraced a social justice imperative Evidence-based application of best practices for UDL to create more inclusive and equitable classrooms A flexible format to facilitate use with individual teachers, teacher teams, and as the basis for whole-school implementation "Every student," Mirko and Katie insist, "deserves the opportunity to be successful regardless of their zip code, the color of their skin, the language they speak, their sexual and/or gender identity, and whether or not they have a disability." Consider Equity by Design a critical first step forward in providing that all-important opportunity. Also From Corwin: Hammond/Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain: 9781483308012 Moore/The Guide for White Women Who Teach Black Boys: 9781506351681 France/Reclaiming Professional Learning: 9781544360669

Inclusive Design for Organisations

Author : Jonathan Hassell
Publisher : Rethink Press
ISBN 13 : 9781781333952
Total Pages : 236 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (339 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusive Design for Organisations by : Jonathan Hassell

Download or read book Inclusive Design for Organisations written by Jonathan Hassell and published by Rethink Press. This book was released on 2019-09 with total page 236 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most organisations are oblivious to, or terrified about, web accessibility. In this book, award-winning international accessibility thought-leader Jonathan Hassell shows you how to transform your organisation to consistently and cost-efficiently create websites, mobile apps and other digital products that are usable for all of your customers.

Inclusive Design Patterns

Author : Heydon Pickering
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9783945749432
Total Pages : 308 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (494 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusive Design Patterns by : Heydon Pickering

Download or read book Inclusive Design Patterns written by Heydon Pickering and published by . This book was released on with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: We make inaccessible and unusable websites and apps all the time, but it's not for lack of skill or talent. It's just a case of doing things the wrong way. We try to build the best experiences we can, but we only make them for ourselves and for people like us. This book looks at common interface patterns from the perspective of an inclusive designer-someone trained in building experiences that cater to the huge diversity of abilities, preferences and circumstances out there. There's no such thing as an 'average' user, but there is such a thing as an average developer. This book will take you from average to expert in the area that matters the most: making things more readable and more usable to more people.

Designing Inclusive Systems

Author : Patrick Langdon
Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1447128672
Total Pages : 246 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (471 download)

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Book Synopsis Designing Inclusive Systems by : Patrick Langdon

Download or read book Designing Inclusive Systems written by Patrick Langdon and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-03-09 with total page 246 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Cambridge Workshops on Universal Access and Assistive Technology (CWUAAT) are a series of workshops held at a Cambridge University College every two years. The workshop theme: “Designing inclusion for real-world applications” refers to the emerging potential and relevance of the latest generations of inclusive design thinking, tools, techniques, and data, to mainstream project applications such as healthcare and the design of working environments. Inclusive Design Research involves developing tools and guidance enabling product designers to design for the widest possible population, for a given range of capabilities. There are five main themes: Designing for the Real-World Measuring Demand And Capabilities Designing Cognitive Interaction with Emerging Technologies Design for Inclusion Designing Inclusive Architecture In the tradition of CWUAAT, we have solicited and accepted contributions over a wide range of topics, both within individual themes and also across the workshop’s scope. We ultimately hope to generate more inter-disciplinary dialogues based on focused usage cases that can provide the discipline necessary to drive further novel research, leading to better designs. The aim is to impact industry and end-users as well governance and public design, thereby effectively reducing exclusion and difficulty in peoples’ daily lives and society.

Inclusion on Purpose

Author : Ruchika Tulshyan
Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262548496
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (625 download)

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Book Synopsis Inclusion on Purpose by : Ruchika Tulshyan

Download or read book Inclusion on Purpose written by Ruchika Tulshyan and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2024-03-26 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How organizations can foster diversity, equity, and inclusion: taking action to address and prevent workplace bias while centering women of color. Few would disagree that inclusion is both the right thing to do and good for business. Then why are we so terrible at it? If we believe in the morality and the profitability of including people of diverse and underestimated backgrounds in the workplace, why don't we do it? Because, explains Ruchika Tulshyan in this eye-opening book, we don't realize that inclusion takes awareness, intention, and regular practice. Inclusion doesn't just happen; we have to work at it. Tulshyan presents inclusion best practices, showing how leaders and organizations can meaningfully promote inclusion and diversity. Tulshyan centers the workplace experience of women of color, who are subject to both gender and racial bias. It is at the intersection of gender and race, she shows, that we discover the kind of inclusion policies that benefit all. Tulshyan debunks the idea of the “level playing field” and explains how leaders and organizations can use their privilege for good by identifying and exposing bias, knowing that they typically have less to lose in speaking up than a woman of color does. She explains why “leaning in” doesn't work—and dismantling structural bias does; warns against hiring for “culture fit,” arguing for “culture add” instead; and emphasizes the importance of psychological safety in the workplace—you need to know that your organization has your back. With this important book, Tulshyan shows us how we can make progress toward inclusion and diversity—and we must start now.

Universal Design 2021: From Special to Mainstream Solutions

Author : I. Verma
Publisher : IOS Press
ISBN 13 : 1643681915
Total Pages : 458 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (436 download)

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Book Synopsis Universal Design 2021: From Special to Mainstream Solutions by : I. Verma

Download or read book Universal Design 2021: From Special to Mainstream Solutions written by I. Verma and published by IOS Press. This book was released on 2021-07 with total page 458 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Universal Design is a process for creating an equitable and sustainable society. It is a concept committed to recognizing and accepting each individual’s potential and characteristics, and promoting the realization of a built environment that does not stigmatize users, but enables everyone to participate fully in their community. This book presents 32 articles from the 5th International Conference on Universal Design (UD2021). Previous Universal Design conferences have been organized biennially, but the 2020 conference was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and eventually held online from 9 - 11 June 2021. UD2021 brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts from around the world to share knowledge and best practice with the common goal of shaping the way we design; avoiding stereotyped or discriminatory views and solutions that could stigmatize particular groups of people. The articles are organized into chapters under seven broad themes: universal design and inclusive design; user experience and co-design; access to education and learning environment; web accessibility and usability of technology; architecture and the built environment; mobility and transport; and designing for older people. The current situation has highlighted not only the importance of web accessibility, the user-friendliness of interfaces and remote connections; during the last year, the importance and quality of our daily living environment, access to services and green space has also become ever more obvious. This book will be of particular interest to those working to enable all those with disabilities or impairments to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life.

Accessible America

Author : Bess Williamson
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 1479802492
Total Pages : 290 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (798 download)

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Book Synopsis Accessible America by : Bess Williamson

Download or read book Accessible America written by Bess Williamson and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2020-05-01 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A history of design that is often overlooked—until we need it Have you ever hit the big blue button to activate automatic doors? Have you ever used an ergonomic kitchen tool? Have you ever used curb cuts to roll a stroller across an intersection? If you have, then you’ve benefited from accessible design—design for people with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. These ubiquitous touchstones of modern life were once anything but. Disability advocates fought tirelessly to ensure that the needs of people with disabilities became a standard part of public design thinking. That fight took many forms worldwide, but in the United States it became a civil rights issue; activists used design to make an argument about the place of people with disabilities in public life. In the aftermath of World War II, with injured veterans returning home and the polio epidemic reaching the Oval Office, the needs of people with disabilities came forcibly into the public eye as they never had before. The US became the first country to enact federal accessibility laws, beginning with the Architectural Barriers Act in 1968 and continuing through the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, bringing about a wholesale rethinking of our built environment. This progression wasn’t straightforward or easy. Early legislation and design efforts were often haphazard or poorly implemented, with decidedly mixed results. Political resistance to accommodating the needs of people with disabilities was strong; so, too, was resistance among architectural and industrial designers, for whom accessible design wasn’t “real” design. Bess Williamson provides an extraordinary look at everyday design, marrying accessibility with aesthetic, to provide an insight into a world in which we are all active participants, but often passive onlookers. Richly detailed, with stories of politics and innovation, Williamson’s Accessible America takes us through this important history, showing how American ideas of individualism and rights came to shape the material world, often with unexpected consequences.