︎ D.I.S.Ability
Designers Integrating Strategy
By Nick Hennessey︎
Hypothesis
According to WHO, the World Health Organization, about 1 billion people have some kind of functional diversity, about 15% of the global population and additionally about 25% has some kind of temporary or permanent limitation in the use of the physical environment. The IBC, the International Building Code, and the ADA, the American with Disabilities Act, set a minimum threshold, which sets a framework for the building environment to allow most to function within a space.
According to WHO, the World Health Organization, about 1 billion people have some kind of functional diversity, about 15% of the global population and additionally about 25% has some kind of temporary or permanent limitation in the use of the physical environment. The IBC, the International Building Code, and the ADA, the American with Disabilities Act, set a minimum threshold, which sets a framework for the building environment to allow most to function within a space.
- Why
In todays-built environment, inclusion is many times overseen to create an environment for MOST of the people, but not ALL. This design intervention program called D.I.S.ABILITY or Designers Integrating Strategy for Ability would be an educational organization that questions existing codes and programs of the built environment through traveling installations which test environments through people of variable abilities.
- What?
Implementing test environments of existing architectural codes in public gathering spaces within the educational organization D.I.S.Ability will improve the general awareness of architectural accessibility and aim for a long-term effect of changing architectural code and practice to create a more equitable builtenvironment.
The design outcome.
Design to Outcomes
As codes can continuously evolve with the changing public, a small change can have a large impact on not only the built environment but individual’s well-being. The goal is to spur conversation on how communities can begin designing a more inclusive environment; To not necessarily provide the answers but bring forth the questions and conversations.
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Works Cited
1.Burns, Crosby, Kimberly Barton, and Sophia Kerby. “The State of Diversity in Today’s Workforce.” Center for American Progress, June 2012.
2. Lupton, Ellen, Thomas Carpentier, and Tiffany Lambert. Beautiful Users Designing for People. New York: Princeton Architectural Press - Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2014.
3. Hamraie, Aimi. Building Access: Universal Design and the Politics of Disability. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2017.