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Inclusive design - products that are easy for everybody to use (view report contents)

Summary

This section contains a summary of the report and a summary of the recommendations. For further detail on the recomendations see the section Discussion and recommendations.

Report Summary

Inclusive design means designing products which as many people as possible can use. This seems a simple and common sense idea. However it has been estimated that about a fifth of adults in Europe have difficulty in carrying out everyday tasks. This is made all the more difficult by products which seem to have been designed for the fit and young. Ricability’s assessments of over 200 domestic appliances find hardly any products than can be unreservedly recommended for older and disabled people. A DTI study revealed that a high proportion of commonly used products did not meet the needs of the older or disabled people who used them.

This means that many disabled and elderly people are unable to carry out a range of simple everyday tasks with any ease or dignity. They are forced to choose between the limited range of products which may suit them, and may be forced to buy expensive attachments to compensate for inadequate design.

This is not only unjust but makes bad business sense. Real life examples in the fields of domestic products, housing and transport provide evidence that there is a strong commercial case for inclusive design. It is well known that the population of Europe is ageing. The number and proportion of people with an interest in easy-to-use products will continue to increase. By 2015, nearly one in five of us will be aged 65 or over. This is a big slice of anybody’s market. These consumers will be less tolerant of designs that exclude them and their opinions will show up quickly in the market place.

Moreover, as most products now work at least reasonably well, ease of use will become an increasingly important element in consumer choice.

plug with handle

240 volt power point and modified plug with handle added on rear to make gripping the plug easier.

It has also been shown that products which follow the principles of inclusive design are easier to use and have features which are appreciated by everybody.

Despite these persuasive arguments, and despite some trail blazingly good designs, there continues to be some resistance to the idea of inclusive design. This has been for several reasons. The idea has been misunderstood to the extent that it was considered impossible to achieve. Some manufacturers were wary of the dead hand of regulation. Designers feared that their creativity would be inhibited. There have also been concerns that any requirements for products to be designed to meet the needs of a greater range of people could strangle innovation. And, above all, there have been widespread fears about what all this will cost, and who would have to pay.
Most of these objections have been based on unrealistic ideas about what is involved. All serious definitions of inclusive design are practical and achievable. Inclusive design does not mean uniform or utilitarian products. Most people can be catered for by the introduction of relatively small changes to design, a high proportion of which cost small amounts of money. Even more complex innovations can take up only a relatively small proportion of research and development budgets, and in many cases result in net savings through increased sales.

These various barriers need to be overcome before inclusive design becomes more widespread. On a very basic level, a cultural shift in thinking is needed on the part of design schools, product designers and manufacturers. On a practical level older and disabled people need to be much more involved with product development, right from the start.

Recommendations in summary

Below is a summary of the recommendations made in this report, further detail is available in the section Discussion and recommendations.

  • Legislation
    Legislation is only a possibility on a European level and comprehensive laws which would make inclusive design compulsory are unlikely and probably impractical. However several recent European initiatives are promising. The European Disability Forum are active in this area, and a coordinated campaigning and lobbying strategy needs to be discussed with them.

  • Standards
    Guidelines for those who develop standards are in the pipeline. These will not be mandatory but they mean that inclusive design will be flagged up when future standards are discussed. The take up of these guidelines needs to be monitored.

  • Self Regulation.
    A code of practice is more likely to be obeyed in spirit than a law. Manufacturers should be asked to sign up to the principles behind the new European standards and provide information about any positive action they are taking in the area.

  • Manufacturing.
    A cultural change is needed in some parts of the manufacturing industry. Designers and engineers need closer contact with their ultimate customers. Disability organisations, organisations of older people and others should be assisted in organising high level seminars for major companies to demonstrate the commercial case for inclusive design. Disability, consumer and other organisations should provide practical help to make it easy for manufacturers to consult with potential older and disabled customers. Clear practical guidance needs to be provided for manufacturers which provide, in strictly practical engineering terms, optimal and acceptable ranges for particular and commonly found features of major products, such as switches or rotary controls.

  • Design colleges.
    Manufacturers need to be encouraged to sponsor projects on inclusive design. Competitions on the lines of those organised by the Royal Society of Arts and the Royal College of Art need to be encouraged and funded. Design colleges need to take active steps to encourage disabled people to train as designers. This would raise the disability awareness of both colleges and designers.

  • Awards and labels.
    An independent approval and labelling scheme for popular mainstream appliances should be established to identify products with accessible features.

  • Some procurement agencies have the muscle to insist on better design.
    In the USA Federal agencies are obliged to buy IT and communication products which are accessible. The EU are considering similar rules for some products. As soon as it is possible under Community law, government procurement agencies should ensure that only accessible products are purchased with public money. Non government agencies should be encouraged to include accessibility considerations in their specifications

  • More information for consumers.
    Finally consumers need information about products on the market so they can choose appropriately. More independent assessments are needed and the results of these need to be widely disseminated.

    Note: this paper has been researched and written by Ricability, a charity that carries out research for older and disabled consumers.It is published by the DRC as a discussion document and does not necessarily represent their views or policy.

     

 

Report Contents

Summary
Introduction
What is inclusive design?
The changing market place

Extent of the problem
Misunderstandings and barriers

Discussion and full recommendations

Pictures of example products
References

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