OUGD603 - Brief 07 - Loneliness - Research: Accessibility

When researching into the background and statistics of elderly loneliness I found that some of the factors holding back elderly people in participating in more social activities are disability and sensory loss (hearing and sight). Whilst it can be easy to overlook those with disabilities, it is crucial to consider them in this project, as elderly loneliness should be combatted for all, not just those in good health.

Inspired by this, I have researched into designing for accessibility. Gov.uk provide a fantastic infographic on designing for a variety of disabilities. Whilst it is more for on-screen design, some of the points will be considered.

The main points identified for those with disabilities and affected physical health are to:

• Align text to the left and keep a consistent layout
• Use good contrasts and a readable type size

• Use images and diagrams to support text

• Use simple colours

• Use simple sentences and bullets

• Write in plain English

Whilst Gov.uk cover a large range of disabilities, one aspect that they do not consider is people who are blind. This is one area of design that I have never even considered before. Research online has highlighted that blind people read and write entirely through braille. A useful video highlighted the most common way in which blind people write.

To look further into this I watched a Ted Talk by Chris Downey entitled 'Designing with the blind in mind'. Essentially, he explained how his perception of things changed entirely after becoming blind. The main quote that I took from his talk was:

'If you design a city with the blind in mind, you design a city with a robust, accessible, well- connected mass transit system that connects all parts of the city and the region all around.'

What I took from this is that if you design something with the blind, and disabled, in mind, you are connecting everyone. This equality and community element that he raises really highlights how important it is to consider all audiences when designing. According to an article on The Guardian there are 1.3bn people with disabilities in the World, highlighting that it should not be overlooked. For this reason, I aim to focus ideas on creating resolutions that are suited for everyone.