Reviving Buildings: Why Part M Alone Won't Do

Introduction

Good day everyone. Welcome to this CPD session where we'll be focusing on universal design and why we believe it's essential to resilient design.

As educators, we spend most of our time teaching, but we also conduct research that feeds back into our curriculum. Much of what we'll discuss today will appear in third-year community center projects and second-year housing projects as we work to infuse universal design principles into the curriculum.

While what we're presenting today might seem like common sense, these principles are fundamental to creating inclusive environments.

Universal Design vs. Part M

Universal design has been around for quite a while now. The title of this talk is about why Part M alone is insufficient, particularly when considering existing buildings. The question is: how do we make our existing building stock more resilient rather than expecting users to be the resilient ones?

When we revive a building, we naturally seek to increase its standards. One obstacle to making buildings more accessible is that Part M requirements are often merely tacked onto existing buildings. This approach is frequently expensive and can result in solutions that are both unattractive and stigmatizing for users. Universal design goes much further than that.

Universal design is about creating joined-up environments and considering how all elements work together. While much of it may seem obvious, establishing these connections is the challenging aspect that we can teach.

Changing Attitudes Toward Disability

Universities widely accept universal design as a desirable goal. It has had an enormous impact on how people view the built environment, not just in Europe and America but worldwide.

Attitudes toward disability have changed rapidly over the past 50 years. Originally, we approached design for special needs from a medical perspective, but we've since shifted to a social perspective that recognizes that users are the most important consideration—buildings exist to support them.

We no longer talk about "handicapped" people (a term now considered politically incorrect), but we recognize that people are handicapped by the built environment itself.

Buildings can be accessible without being inclusive. This distinction is important to remember as we proceed.

Medical vs. Social Models of Disability

There are two primary schools of thought in disability discourse. Some individuals identify as "persons with a disability," reflecting the medical model where disability is something acquired. Others view themselves as "disabled persons"—individuals who are disabled by their environment. This social perspective is an important distinction to be aware of in these discussions.

Universal Design Principles

As a reminder, universal design was developed in the 1980s by Ron Mace, who established seven key principles:

1. Equitable use
2. Flexibility
3. Simple intuitive use
4. Perceptible information
5. Tolerance for error
6. Low physical effort
7. Size and space for approach and use

These principles apply to goods, services, and product design, as well as the built environment. The last two principles are particularly relevant to architectural design, while equitable use is foundational throughout.

It's worth clarifying that while architects might think of "UDL" as a "uniformly distributed load," in this context, UDL refers to "Universal Design for Learning." This is a relatively new term focused on neurodiversity and teaching methods. While we're aware of and involved in these approaches, our specific focus today is on the built environment.

Focus on Ability, Not Disability

When discussing universal design, we should focus on ability rather than disability—considering what people can do rather than what they cannot. People of different heights, sizes, and at different stages in their lives may be permanently or temporarily disabled by their environment.

As writer Shakespeare (not the one we studied in school) noted, most of us are "temporarily able" during the course of our lives. If someone forgets their glasses or walking stick, they'll encounter problems navigating the environment.

Universal design isn't just about addressing visible disabilities. Many disabilities are hidden—autism, heart conditions, arthritis, hearing impairments—and these affect a wide range of people who aren't using wheelchairs or walking canes.

Socioeconomic Implications

There are socioeconomic dimensions to universal design. In wealthier societies, people can afford assistive devices, and communities can adapt their built environments. In poorer economies where people have less earning power, implementing these adaptations becomes more difficult.

For example, wheelchair users require accessible roads and streets. However, some conditions like dementia present unique challenges, as the solutions that work for universal design generally don't always address the needs of people with dementia. Cathy Dalton will likely cover this topic in her talk in two weeks.

The Elderly Dimension

The aging population was one of the key factors that precipitated interest in universal design in the 1980s. Demographic predictions showed a significant increase in the elderly population—people who may not have specific disabilities but have reduced abilities compared to their younger selves.

Including this larger demographic creates a critical mass that justifies implementing universal design. Rather than categorizing people as "elderly" or "disabled," we should consider everyone and the range of abilities our designs must accommodate.

Existing Environment Challenges

Our inherited environment continues to present obstacles for many people. Cracked pavements, hazardous streets, and inaccessible buildings will remain challenges for a long time. Some hazards may not be apparent until it's too late—a trip hazard that transforms an elderly person into a disabled person with potentially life-changing consequences.

Why Universal Design Matters

Poor or non-existent design reduces quality of life and denies people independence. Personal independence is increasingly valued worldwide, making universal design not just desirable but essential.