"Let's talk about something intriguing - Universal Design! Ever wonder why the stuff we use every day is so easy to use? Well, that's all thanks to Universal Design.
Basically, Universal Design aims to create products and environments that are convenient for everyone, from individuals with disabilities to children and adults alike.On August 26th, at the DDP Design Plaza in Dongdaemun located in Seoul, the first seminar on Universal Design for 2023 was held under the theme of "Creating an Inclusive Society for All: Our Collective Endeavor" It provided an opportunity to explore Universal Design in various fields, ranging from our most private spaces like our homes, to services, communities, and content in our daily lives."
Universal Design, Embracing Everyone, Not Just Exclusively
Min-Pyo Song, CEO of CO:ACTUS
Firstly, 'CO: ACTUS' provides a service called 'Silent Taxis.' This service employs taxis driven by hearing-impaired individuals, and it offers communication between passengers and drivers through monitors (or an app) installed in the front and back seats. It's a great example of universal design in mobility services that can be a game-changer for anyone, especially those with transportation needs.
Silent M’: A Mobility Platform Taxi Driven by Deaf Individuals Drivers
When we talk about transportation vulnerable groups, we're mostly referring to people with disabilities, pregnant women, the elderly, and children. The aging population is increasing rapidly, and about 30% of the entire population is considered transportation vulnerable. Among them, people with disabilities, who face difficulties in getting around, especially struggle with using taxis. This is even more challenging for those who use wheelchairs.
Although there are taxis designated for people with disabilities, the supply is much lower than the demand. It's quite difficult to catch a call, and the waiting time for a taxi can feel endless.
What if, instead of having separate taxis for people with disabilities, they could use the same taxis as everyone else?
Black Cap Taxi by. CO:ACTUS
Black Cap Taxi by. CO:ACTUS
"Have you used apps a lot to hail taxis, right? Well, that needs to be accessible too. They talked about improving app accessibility for visually impaired individuals through features like TalkBack and VoiceOver for calling taxis and also enabling deaf individuals to use sign language to request one."
With stories like these, as the availability of inclusive transportation options continues to grow, more and more people will have access to transportation and the frequency of travel will increase. He ended his remarks that this small step will gradually lead to creating an inclusive society as a whole.
Have you ever encountered unexpected stairs?
Let's make a map that's accessible to everyone, together.
Park Soop- bin Park, CEO of Breaking Stairs Club
“Hey there! I've been using a manual wheelchair for 30 years. Right now, I'm in my 10th year on the job, working as a Product Manager, brainstorming ideas for mobile service apps. I just felt I needed a map like this for accessibility. So, it's been three awesome years since I kicked off the 'Breaking Stairs Club' to gather accessibility information.
Now, for my outfit of the day - I've got on these snazzy navy pants from a top-notch universal clothing brand, paired with a crisp white short-sleeved shirt. Zooming around in my slick all-black wheelchair, rocking some cool white shoes. And guess what? I'm all set to give my presentation!"
She provides a detailed introduction of her face and clothing features. You might wonder why she opted for this approach. She said that it was because she wanted even those visually impaired could imagine her appearance while listening to the story.
The 'Breaking Stairs Club,' which started not too long ago, came from the idea that many stairs encountered in daily life can be difficult for someone to access. Through the app, the club members meet and collect information about stairs while moving around, ultimately creating a 'Stair Conquer Map.'
Stair Conquer Map. by Breaking Stairs Club
"Let's go for a walk ?"
Just like a simple game mission, they gathered stair information, and it turned out they collected a wide variety of valuable data. They made sure to accurately assess the gathered stair information. Their club activities usually last for around 2 hours on weekends, and they said they're already so excited to gather even more info in the future!
2023 Spring Season Activities in Breaking Stairs Club.
It isn't just for wheelchair users; in fact, it can be applied to anything with wheels. Put simply, from riding toy cars as kids to imagining situations when we become adults or if we injure our knees or ankles due to accidents, stairs can eventually be uncomfortable for anyone.
Through club activities, we all had a lightbulb moment.
"Wow, there are so many stairs around us"
"They must be quite a hassle, can't they?"
Ultimately, facing numerous stairs in our daily lives allows us to gain new perspectives and experiences on accessibility. The second presentation concluded with a hope for further improvements in the accessibility of stairs.
Creating an Inclusive Society through
the Inclusive Design Process
Byung-Soo Kim, CEO of Mission It
Mission It is a design and research company that focuses on user-centered design for people who have been overlooked, such as individuals with disabilities or the elderly. They expand usability to include not only people with disabilities but also those with conditions like ADHD, anxiety disorders, and developmental disorders. They divide their business into content and design fields. The reason behind this is their belief that when design brings about physical change, it must be supported by changes in content and perception for true social transformation to occur. They shared various research cases and examples from their Social Impact series, demonstrating how their work, sparked by certain questions, ultimately transformed users' lives.
Firstly, let's talk about the case of a school for visually impaired children in India. How do visually impaired children navigate through spaces?
The design project for the school for visually impaired children in Gandhinagar, India, reflects insights gained by architect Anand Sonecha during his five-month volunteer work at the Perkins School for the Blind in the United States.
Typically, to move within a building, one would use tactile blocks. However, this school was different. Spatial consultation was achieved through vertical patterns, diagonal patterns, or dot patterns. Additionally, they planted vegetation on campus, and the scents were particularly strong. When visually impaired students entered the space and caught a whiff, they would think, "Ah, I've entered successfully!" This example demonstrated the consideration given to accessibility.
Various linear patterns are painted on the walls of the visually impaired school in India.
Inside the classroom, students can smell the scent of strong-smelling plants.
©Richard Dougherty Source: Mission It
“The children were recording sounds, textures, and scents in the space with senses that we, as non-disabled individuals, might not be familiar with.”
He also discussed something called 'DeafSpace.' This term refers to the idea that there should be enough spatial room for effective sign language communication. They created spaces with tables and chairs where people could face each other and communicate freely using sign language, even while having coffee.
A scene in DeafSpace areas, where people sit facing each other and enjoy coffee at a table. ©Richard Dougherty Source: Mission It
"In a world, where everyone is glued to their phones all day long, Deaf Space thinks about how people interact face-to-face. When you put down your phone and look into each other's eyes, you can start talking with each other. So, it can be able to become a place where safer and freer place for everyone."
It's all about listening to the feedback from users to create spaces that are really inclusive. They wrapped up by saying that an action that brings someone's life to life is really a design that thinks about accessibility.
Designing Spaces for Every Stage of Life
Universal Design in Everyday Living
Kim Eunji, CEO of Kokjib
It all started with the 'subway,' which is one of the most easily encountered examples of universal design in our daily lives. If you take a look at the subway map, you'll notice some changes. They've added color coding and numbering for each line to make it easier for people with color vision deficiency to identify, as well as to assist those with weak eyesight or the elderly in recognizing subway routes more easily.
01. The traditional Seoul Subway Map
02. The newly revamped Seoul Subway Map by Naver Design
Moreover, the handles on the subway in Korea have also become more diverse to accommodate different hand sizes. Hearing about these changes, it occurred to me that Universal Design is now becoming even more closely integrated into our daily lives.
Handles on the subway can be gripped differently based on height.
“Especially in the places where people spend most of their time, like the 'kitchen' and 'bathroom,' what if older individuals could use them safely without getting hurt?”
In Singapore, they have designated evacuation areas for wheelchair users and other assistive device users, it's a space considering diverse users need to gradually emerge. Additionally, in Japan, public restrooms are equipped with a variety of features, including pictograms that cater to various users from the entrance to the interior. Even in men's restrooms in Japan, there are nursing rooms as well, allowing parents to comfortably enter and use the facilities with their children.
Emergency Exit Guide Icon for People with Disabilities
Nursing Room Icon Guide in Japan: https://www.centrair.jp/ko/service/nursing-rooms.html
Universal design also encompasses actions aimed at tailoring everything in my home to fit me, going beyond accommodating an unspecified multitude including color-blind individuals. Nowadays, many people are raising pets. Even in elevators shared in residential buildings, the presence of pets signals the need for accommodation.
Through this, we were able to explore lifecycle examples of universal design in spaces encountered while living together or alone in our daily lives.
"As the stories of various speakers reach a wider audience, we hope that universal design will seamlessly integrate into our daily lives, becoming so familiar and approachable that it no longer feels extraordinary."