A recent study found that accessibility is overall recognized and embraced in architectural design practice, however, the adoption of Inclusive Design is limited so far. This challenges was further validated with a large-scale survey in which around one out of ten survey respondents reported that clients and building owners are well informed about the benefits of designing inclusively. As a result of this biased perception the scarcity of client’s awareness was understood as the dominant driver of the insufficiency of clients’ requests and limited design of inclusive, accessible, equitable buildings. To find a possible solution to tackle these challenges and help increase knowledge of Inclusive Design the research team, with the support of several expert stakeholders, developed the IDEA Toolkit, a set of tools to advance Inclusive Design in the AEC (Architecture, Engineering, Construction) sector and across different organizations.
The IDEA Toolkit is composed of the IDEA Audit which helps building industry professionals and business leaders to collect feedback from building occupants on inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility with a scientific approach. On the other hand, the Inclusive Design Canvas supports teams in developing community engagement exercises and co-design processes by considering the variety of human capabilities and needs to redesign spaces and teams with a more inclusive approach. With the IDEA Toolkit researchers, building owners, design teams, developers, facility managers, tenants and organizational leaders can achieve a baseline of understanding of what people feel in regard to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, clearly identify pockets of inconsistency and use data to decide how to address challenges with bespoke action plans to improve the built environment or develop HR policies that effect a positive behavior change and promote a culture of well-being.
Early-stage validation results with the company Motionspot UK proved that these tools represent an impactful advancement in the field of Inclusive Design for designing environments that are inclusive and guarantee diversity, equity, and accessibility for all4.
The IDEA Toolkit seeks to democratize the process of understanding the value of Inclusive Design by increasing awareness and education about inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility across all people and geographies. To this end, the IDEA Toolkit not only offers the opportunity to discover the possibilities of inclusion but has the potential to become a form of social sustainability for future generations through various engagements with different companies.
