CAPSTONE
| UNIVERSAL design | accessible lavatory
Tutor comment:-
The tutors have warned that this proposal will not be glamorous for my portfolio. And they told me don't narrow so specifically just yet onto the redesign of the toilet.
What I understood from the tutors, I think at initial stage of my capstone, I should look at an issue from a broad perspective and do more research to discover an opportunity for design.
So I will change my capstone proposal later, and rethink on what other issues there maybe, or other areas that could need redesigning, such as the bathroom.
Introduction
The issue I want to address is the problem with accessibility to
toilet by disable people and mobility restricted people.
The problem is significant as there are 4-million people who have long
term disability in Australia, and this number grows as the Australian
population ages. 50 per cent of 4-million are people aged over 55.
The current 4-million people are potential customer, client and
employee. Therefore there is an opportunity to design to cater the service and
need for the people who are disabled.
There are many business and public spaces that have restrooms that
are inaccessible to a disable person. By Australia legal legislation, new
buildings must have equitable access to services by disability. Otherwise, if a
service is inaccessible, then under the Disability Discrimination Act, legal complaint
can be forwarded by the disable person.
The proposal of a universal toilet hopes to benefit the people who
are affected by disability, e.g. wheelchair user. Since the proposal adopts the
principle of universal design, the product should be accessible by all users,
including young children.
The idea is a product that can be safe, comfortable, generate positive
experience and positive emotion, that can be achieved for all types of users.
Approach
I have the interest in the subject of Universal design and Ergonomics
and I look forward to generating ideas that could universally benefit all kind
of users.
For this product – water closet, I want to remove the barrier of
discrimination, so as to create an equal positive experience for all users.
To help me understand the problem I will interview with a person
who is having difficulties in using the rest room in a home, workplace,
business establishment and public areas – hospital, school, and college. Also
to identify their coping strategies to their difficulties. Perform an empathy
test – e.g. using wheelchair in rest room. Explore the types of disability user
– e.g. vision impaired, and injury.
Literature sources that I can read to begin my study on ergonomics
and anthropometric. As well as complying with the Australian standard and
guideline to assist my approach to the proposal.
