Are you an inclusive designer?

The first thing that stands out about Julie Fleck’s book ‘Are you an inclusive designer?’ is that it is itself inclusive; with a large typeface (13 point) and printed on uncoated paper to improve legibility. This attention to detail is also reflected in the contexts delivered within the text. Fleck’s book is an excellent overview of the key issues in inclusive design that includes a number of case studies of excellence in practice as well as examples of the continuing failures we observe in our built environment. Fleck also presents the history of inclusive design from a legislative and technical perspective and presents the myriad of legislation and design guidance in a clear and coherent way.

The book begins with the overview of how far inclusive design has permeated the mainstream of built environment design. Fleck shows how this has moved from a design approach that specifically focused on elements of separation and ‘special needs’ to a more cohesive inclusive design approach – instigated by disabled peoples themselves through the social model of disability, changes in legislation and challenges to design. For students wishing to track such legislative influences in design, Fleck neatly captures legislation, standards, policy and other key design guides in a graphic timeline to conclude the opening chapter.

Chapter two presents one of the greater challenges within inclusive design in the built environment in the case of heritage. Fleck shows the City of London as a case study of how heritage concerns have been creatively encountered and turned some of the country’s most iconic buildings such as St Paul’s Cathedral into more accessible environments. Interestingly, Fleck presents these cases much like an archaeology of access, demonstrating how little gains are made through non-stepped access but emphasising that the project to improve accessibility within this area of London is an on-going process.

The third chapter captures what could be considered one of the UK’s greatest achievements of inclusive design, The 2012 Olympics and Paralympics Games. In this chapter Fleck shows how disabled people were at the heart of the decision making and design processes used to develop the Olympic park in East London, as well as extending the inclusive design brief to include the local community, and therefore emphasising in practice and delivery that not only does inclusive design ‘place people at the heart of the design process’ but also creates ‘environments that are convenient and enjoyable to use’.

Chapter 4 presents a series of case studies of buildings that have been designed from an inclusive perspective, that include overviews of project costs, those who commissioned and funding for the projects. These cases provide an interesting illustration of a range of projects from schools, museums, entertainment complexes (both modern and historical), walkways, bridges and beaches. Such a wide scope and variety of places and spaces that have engaged inclusive design further illustrate – not only how this process can be incorporated at the beginning of a project and deliver award winning buildings, but also how the historical built environment can be sensitively reimagined for increased accessibility. However, this chapter also highlights the continued barriers to access created by not thinking inclusively and includes a number of examples of failings that can contribute to making buildings and environments illegible, littered with obstacles, inaccessible and possibly quite dangerous.

The fifth chapter presents some of the details that inclusive design negotiates such as legislation policy and regulations – that some designers may find off-putting or merely a ‘tick-box’ exercise. Fleck presents this information clearly and in a common sense manner that highlights, not only it’s importance but given the case studies of the previous chapter, how such detail can inspire creative outcomes when designers and users work together to address a challenge. Yet Fleck points out that inclusive design is not a fait accompli especially within housing development, which woefully lacks inclusive options for many older and disabled people (as well as older disabled people).

The final chapter looks towards the future of inclusive design, from education of future designers, the needs for accessible environments to tap into the market of the purple pound, and initiatives to improve access on professional levels. Case studies are also included within this chapter to illustrate how an inclusive approach helped stimulate business.

Are you an inclusive designer? is not a ground-breaking academic critique on the state of inclusive design, disability and society. It is a practical book that would make a natural accompaniment to the British Standards BS8300 guidance presenting examples of where aspects of the guidance have exceeded the minimum recommendations. Fleck’s work does not explore elements of conflict in inclusive design such as the case of tactile paving for blind and visually impaired peoples’ navigation of the built environment and how, if poorly designed and implemented, itself can result in barriers for access to older people and some people who use wheelchairs and walking aids (Ormerod et al, 2015). Neither does the book present some of the challenges of inclusive design, such as accepting that given the complexity of people’s ability and diversity, someone will always be excluded (Keates and Clarkson, 2004). However, Fleck’s work successfully captures and presents the successes of inclusive design practice and outcomes, and more importantly the work does so in an inclusive way, in the clarity of content and its presentation. Fleck’s book will make an excellent primer for students new to inclusive design as well as professionals with a need to understand how inclusive design is just good design.

Jo-Anne Bichard
Royal College of Art, London, UK
[email protected]