Browsing by Subject "Inclusive design"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5

Open Access
Designing for mindfulness and global public health: where inner awareness meets the external environment
(Springer New York LLC, 2024-03-24) Altay, Burçak; Porter, Nicole
In this paper, we offer a commentary on Oman’s article “Mindfulness for Global Public Health: Critical Analysis and Agenda” from the perspective of external environments, be they natural or built spaces. Utilizing the 14 domains of mindfulness and public health identified by Oman, we examine how spatio-environmental concerns are aligned, or have potential synergies with, these dimensions. We consider spatial and environmental qualities and relationships, for example, the presence of nature or a sense of safety, as supportive for public health and formal mindfulness practice, synthesizing a growing evidence base within environmental psychology and design literature. We highlight particular points of alignment, namely the impact of environments on mental health, stress, and attentional qualities. Potential synergies are evident where these domains seek to increase resilience and the sustainability of our planet, communities, and individuals, and through the increasing emphasis on designing places that offer inclusive access to, and direct involvement in, the creation of belief (spirituality) and culture-specific interventions. Although these domains offer the potential for greater holistic research and practice, more interdisciplinary research is needed to bridge gaps and bring this potential into the mainstream.
Open Access
Elderly-friendly inclusive urban environments: learning from Ankara
(Open House International Association, 2013-03) Afacan, Yasemin
The aging population and their expectations have become a growing concern in Turkey as in other countries. This study aims to investigate interactions/relationships between the needs, demands and expectations of Turkish elderly and inclusive urban design principles. It tries to answer the research question: how the inclusive urban life could improve elderly life and contribute to achieve an active aging process. An exploratory study was conducted with a total of 100 randomly selected elderly between the ages 65-95 (45 female and 55 male) from the City Centre of Ankara. A survey instrument based on the streets for life' concept (Burton & Mitchell 2006) was developed to gather data. The participants were asked to identify how important inclusive urban design features were in understanding, using and navigating within an urban environment. The findings of the study suggest that an inclusive open environment allows elderly people to feel safer, and thus encourage more regular use of urban space. Overall the results highlight two important insights, first that accessibility is inevitable for increasing the chance of the aging population to participate in the mainstream of community life and second, plain and simple signage is necessary to achieve more liveable urban environments. The study concludes the most important physical requirements and social requirements for elderly people.
Open Access
Multisensory inclusive design education: a 3D experience
(Routledge, 2017-09-19) Altay, Burçak
Inclusive design should be an integral part of the curriculum in the education of environmental design disciplines, incorporating empathic understanding. Among the empathic methods that are employed, ‘build-to-learn’ that promotes experiential learning is effective in students’ multisensory and bodily engagement with the process and product. This paper discusses an exercise in a Human Factors/Ergonomics course in interior design where students create ‘A 3D Experience’. Analysis of exemplary work suggests various ways in which different senses may come forth into awareness to sometimes enrich and at other times limit embodied space, thus opening up a venue of inclusivity in novel and unpredictable ways. Research conducted on student perspectives reveals that the assignment had positive impact on their understanding and awareness of, and attitudes towards, inclusive design, as well as creative thinking.
Open Access
Older workers and a sustainable office environment
(Routledge, 2015-04-28) Afacan, Yasemin
Compared to 20 years ago, there are growing numbers of older office workers globally. Despite the growing importance of ‘inclusive design’ and a ‘sustainable’ research agenda, there is little knowledge of what the ageing workforce sector requires, and there is little known about the strengths and weaknesses of current sustainable workspace designs for older workers. This study explores ageing workers' experiences through a field survey of 240 office workers (ranging in age from 55 to 75) in three recently constructed sustainable office buildings. It investigates the sets of common factors in a sustainable building system that influence the experience of older office workers, and analyses the correlations from the perspective of the human factors discipline. This paper discusses the implications of the study on practice from two points of view: (i) the ageing workforce and (ii) the sustainable development of office buildings, and suggests a number of future research issues regarding a user-responsive workplace.
Open Access
Public toilets: an exploratory study on the demands, needs, and expectations in Turkey
(Pion Limited, 2015) Afacan, Yasemin; Gurel, M. O.
Provision of public toilets is not only a matter of land use, but also an essential design and planning concern. This study examines the following questions through an explanatory study. (i) What problems do public toilets pose? (ii) What toilet facilities do people require most and/or most emphasize would affect the way they use land and participate in social life? (iii) How do demands, needs, and expectations around public toilets change depending on gender, age, and ability? We conduct a survey of 300 people in fourteen public restrooms in the city centre of Ankara, Turkey. According to factor analysis results, public toilets should be seen as potential urban spaces and initial opportunities for sustainable urban developments and liveable cities.