Meeting the needs of older and disabled consumers
This report provides information about designing mainstream consumer goods so that as many people as possible can use them easily, whatever their age and ability. The report will be useful to manufacturers, researchers and designers. (Not available in print.)
The report was produced in 2000. Contact details have been updated in 2004.
Introduction
The aim of this report is to provide a better understanding of design for all. For the last decade RICA has been involved in an ongoing programme of work to assess mainstream consumer products for their ease of use by older people and people with disabilities. We consistently find currently available products with good and bad features on the same model. Our conclusion is that too often good accessible features are there by chance rather than design.
"Good design enables and bad design disables" Tina Leonard, EIDD
Here we give details of the needs of older and disabled people, and of the practical steps that can be taken by those involved in the standardisation and production of mainstream consumer goods to improve their usability. This report should assist those involved in production to ask the right questions and to know where to ask.
"Good design is about things people can use and respond to" Sean Blair, Design Council
What is design for all?
Design for all means designing mainstream products and services so as many people as possible can use them easily - whatever their age and ability. The concept recognises that ability is a continuum, and the usability of products should extend towards the ends of that continuum.
This does not mean that manufacturers are expected to design every product to be usable by every consumer - there will always be some people who need specialist equipment. But when design for all principles are adopted, the number of people requiring specialist and expensive alternative equipment will be fewer. Mainstream products should also be adaptable to be used with specialist equipment - through standard interfaces, options or accessories.
"Products need to reflect that we are diverse and therefore different in our needs" Sarah Langton-Lockton, Centre for Accessible Environments
There is a growing recognition - mainly among researchers and academics and some designers - the need for the implementation of design for all principles.
Different terms are used for similar concepts:
Terms
- Design for all
- Inclusive design
- Accessible design
- Barrier-free design
- Universal design
- Transgenerational design
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