Universal Design in Third Level DesignTeaching in Ireland

Marie Callanan, Antoinette Fennell, Anthony Owens, Mark R. Dyer, James Hubbard, Ger Craddock and Heike Owens

Centre for Excellence in Universal Design and TrinityHaus

Project Objectives

• To explore current and enhance future third level teaching of Universal Design at Trinity College Dublin (TCD)

• To conduct a review of international Universal Design teaching

• To conduct Primary research (interviews with third level teachers in Ireland) to help form an overview of Universal Design teaching in Ireland at undergraduate and postgraduate level

• To develop an outline curriculum module on the basis of the findings

Methodology

• Desk Research • Literature review of national and

international practice • A search of relevant literature and

online resources • Primary Research

• Face to face interviews, using a topic guide, were conducted with academic staff in Ireland and the UK, exploring:

– a) Understanding of Universal Design– b) Introduction of Universal Design to

Curriculum– c) Current Universal Design Teaching

and – d) Future Universal Design Teaching

Desk Research Findings

Teaching Universal Design: International Practice (1/2)

• Universal Design often “championed” by centres, groups and often individuals within design institutions

• Generally a range of techniques – including lectures, practical workshops, fora, project work etc. are applied

• Certain countries use design awards to raise awareness and encourage design excellence

Teaching Universal Design: International Practice (2/2)

• User-centred design techniques are of particular interest to Universal Design to teach effective engagement with users.

• Industry collaborations prepare design students for work after college.

• Team projects develop teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Universal Design in TCD Practice (1/4)

Built Environment Policy • “Universal design principles in planning

the development of our physical facilities will be adopted as far as possible and we will aim to improve physical access to our College buildings”.

Universal Design in TCD Practice (2/4)

Web Accessibility Policy • “The College website aims to be

accessible to all users including people with disabilities”

• “all new websites within the College website are required to be universally accessible at priority levels 1 and 2 except in very exceptional circumstances.”

• Training on the application of methods to comply with the policy is available to College personnel with web authoring permission.

Universal Design in TCD Practice (3/4)

Student Services • Heads of student services must “identify

issues of concern to non-traditional students and develop a series of interventions which may include Universal Design, curriculum development initiatives etc. to encourage greater responsiveness by staff and students”.

• TCD’s Centre for Academic Practice and Student Learning (CAPSL) runs ‘The Inclusive Curriculum Project', a 3 year project funded from the Strategic Innovation Fund for a project entitled ‘Auditing the Curriculum for Diversity'.

Universal Design in TCD Practice (4/4)

• Disability-focused • Aspirational• Success of implementation unclear

Primary Research Findings

Understanding of the Term Universal Design: interview

respondents’ views• Universal Design was understood by

most respondents to mean “Designing products, services and processes so that they are accessible to people of all backgrounds and abilities, without adaptation”

• Design of “Environments” and “Buildings” were cited

• “Communications Procedures” and “Organisations” were also mentioned by some respondents.

Inclusion of Universal Design on the Design Curriculum: interview

respondents’ views

• Those teaching the subject are instrumental in having Universal Design included on curricula

• Knowledge of Universal Design resides almost solely with the individuals teaching the material

Future Universal Design in Trinity College: interview

respondents’ views• The TCD teaching staff interviewed were in

favour of more Universal Design in the curricula (bear in mind these people are already teaching Universal Design)

• More analysis needed to determine the form that this should take. No consensus on what teaching format academic staff favour or on the disciplines that should be included.

• The majority identified the best approach as either a module for undergraduates (or part thereof) or as part of a postgraduate course.

• A division was identified, particularly between designers and engineers, as to whether the other is actually teaching Universal Design or even has a valid role in the area

Beneficiaries of Universal Design teaching were identified as:

• “students”• “end users” • “industry”

Drivers to encourage more Universal Design teaching were listed

as: • “Money”• “Growing pressure from Industry”• “Collaboration”• “Legislation” • “Economists and insurance companies”

One respondent stated “most lecturers would see it as a burden”

No respondent mentioned the value Universal Design would have for TCD

Future Universal Design in Trinity College: interview

respondents’ views

Next Steps

Establish a clear understanding of what Universal Design is

• As a result of 1. The nature of Universal Design (most

significantly benefiting those who have experienced exclusion) and

2. The history of the design approach (often most passionately driven by disability groups or individuals with personal experience of disability)

• Universal Design teaching has still remained disability focussed

Teach and further develop Universal Design as a design

process• The interview respondents focused mostly on the

outcomes of Universal Design (i.e. the end product, building or service).

• Little focus was placed on the processes involved in “Universally Designing”,

=> Universal Design is viewed more as a goal than a design process.

• The application of post-design processes to inform future designs (such as post-occupancy evaluations of buildings) were not mentioned by any interview respondents.

• Universal Design at the larger scale (such as urban design or design at the community level) was only addressed by two respondents

Create Universal Design “champions”

• Knowledge of Universal Design in TCD curricula is limited to those individuals teaching of the material.

• Where Universal Design is included in the curriculum, the individual teaching the subject was instrumental in having it included.

• The identification or the creation of Universal Design “champions” appears to be crucial to the introduction, continuation and further development of Universal Design on design curricula.

Please contact:

Centre for Excellence in Universal Design

25 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, Ireland

www.universaldesign.ie

info@ceud.ie

Marie Callanan

TrinityHaus

16 Westland Row, Dublin 2, Ireland

www.tcd.trinityhaus.ie

mcallana@tcd.ie