From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Design for All (DfA) is a design philosophy targeting the use of products, services and systems by as many people as possible without the need for adaptation. Design for All is design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality (EIDD Stockholm Declaration, 2004).

According to the European Commission, it "encourages manufacturers and service providers to produce new technologies for everyone: technologies that are suitable for the elderly and people with disabilities, as much as the teenage techno wizard."^[1]

Closely related to the concepts of Inclusive Design or Universal Design,^[2] the origin of Design for All lies in the field of barrier free accessibility for people with disabilities, where it has been recognised that this provides benefits to a much larger population.

Background

Design for All has been highlighted in Europe by the European Commission in seeking a more user-friendly society in Europe.^[1] Design for All is about ensuring that environments, products, services and interfaces work for people of all ages and abilities in different situations and under various circumstances.

Design for All has become a mainstream issue because of the ageing of the population and its increasingly multiethnic composition. It follows a market approach and can reach out to a broader market. Easy-to-use, accessible, affordable products and services improve the quality of life of all citizens. Design for All permits access to the built environment, access to services and user-friendly products which are not just a quality factor but a necessity for many ageing or disabled persons. Including Design for All early in the design process is more cost-effective than making alterations after solutions are already in the market. This is best achieved by identifying and involving users ("stakeholders") in the decision-making processes that lead to drawing up the design brief and educating public and private sector decision-makers about the benefits to be gained from making coherent use of Design (for All) in a wide range of socio-economic situations.

Examples of Design for All

The following examples of Designs for All were presented in the book Diseños para Todos/Designs for All published in 2008 by Optimastudio with the support of Spain's Ministry of Education, Social Affairs and Sports (IMSERSO) and CEAPAT:^[3]

• Q-Drums^[4]
• Velcro
• Electric Toothbrush
• Tactile paving
• Automatic door
• Low-floor bus
• Trolley case
• Flexible drinking straw
• Google
• Audiobook

Design for All in Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Design for All criteria are aimed at ensuring that everyone can participate in the Information Society. The European Union refers to this under the terms eInclusion and eAccessibility. A three-way approach is proposed: goods which can be accessed by nearly all potential users without modification or, failing that, products being easy to adapt according to different needs, or using standardised interfaces that can be accessed simply by using assistive technology. To this end, manufacturers and service providers, especially, but not exclusively, in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT), produce new technologies, products, services and applications for everyone.^[1]

European networks

In Europe, people have joined in networks to promote and develop Design for All:

• The European Design for All eAccessibility Network (EDeAN)^[5] was lauched under the lead of the European Commission and the European Member States in 2002. It fosters Design for All for eInclusion, that is, creating an information society for all. It has national contact centres (NCCs) in almost all EU countries and more than 160 network members in national networks.

• EIDD - Design for All Europe is a 100% self-financed European organisation that covers the entire area of theory and practice of Design for All, from the built environment and tangible products to communication, service and system design. Originally set up in 1993 as the European Institute for Design and Disability (EIDD),^[6] to enhance the quality of life through Design for All, it changed its name in 2006 to bring it into line with its core business. EIDD - Design for All Europe disseminates the application of Design for All to business and administration communities previously unaware of its benefits and currently (2009) has active member organisations in 22 European countries.

See also

• Accessibility
• Accessible tourism
• Assistive technology
• Bobby (software)
• Disability
• Knowbility
• Usability
• Visitability

References