Welcome to the Jones Consultancy blog
This is where I will be sharing news and ideas about inclusive design with a focus on the built environment.
Listen to the audio version by clicking the play button above.
In my experience most of us think providing access to and within buildings that allow people with impairments to have the same or similar experiences as those without impairments is the right thing to do. My thinking is that by offering ideas and knowledge about how we work toward that goal in New Zealand and what people in other countries are doing to make buildings more useable might reveal how we can integrate this into our built environment.
And that in doing so we might be reminded of the wide variety of people who use buildings. Or have our attention drawn to the details in a building that, if designed with the intention of being usable by all, can make a positive difference for someone. Plus we might be surprised to see how a feature intended for the benefit of a particular group of people ends up being advantageous to many more than expected.
Currently 24% of Kiwis have an impairment causing disability.
The impairment itself is usually not what keeps people from using buildings, visiting parks or using transport. Often it is the barriers in the built environment that reduce or eliminate the ability to participate, causing the dis-ability.
Small, purposeful changes in the built environment can reduce dis-ability. These changes make it easier for people with impairments to use spaces, but surprisingly there are often benefits for many other people as well.
I hope that sharing my existing professional knowledge, insights and new ideas learnt as I go about my business, and promoting a more considered approach to the built environment will positively affect that 24%, as well as family members, friends, work colleagues and others who want to share experiences together.
I hope too that for whatever reason you find yourself reading this – either as a professional or a member of the general public, you too will be inspired and learn how to make more of a positive difference through universal design.
