Big and Tall: New Candidates for Universal Design

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Big and Tall New Candidates for Universal
Design?

• Lubomir Popov, Ph.D.Bowling Green State
  University309 Johnston Hall
• Bowling Green, OH 43403-0059lspopov_at_bgsu.edu

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OVERVIEW

• The spirit of Universal Design
• Considering body size implications
• Cases/Examples
• Different sizes, common problems
• Solutions and proposals awareness, advocacy, new
  technologies

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INTRODUCTION Basic premises

• The spirit of Universal Design is about
• -- accessibility
• -- usability
• -- equal opportunities, and
• -- quality of life

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Basic premises

• Universal Design assists people with unusual
  dimensions and motor capabilities that create
  severe handicaps or discomfort.
• Universal Design assists people with decreased
  opportunities to participate fully in activities
  and diminish quality of life.

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INTRODUCTION Implications

• Categories of people who need more support and
  deserve social assistance to maintain quality of
  life.
• Reasons to consider Big and Tall people for
  Universal Design different dimensions, similar
  problems.

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INTRODUCTION Precedents

• Accessibility movement
• Visitability movement
• Other social groups in need of social support and
  resources

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PURPOSE AND GOALS

• The purpose of our project is to
• raise issues
• increase public awareness
• foster research on quality of life

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Scope of project

• Initial step toward fostering research and
  design.
• Highlight issues and provide examples.
• Awareness for biased practices.
• Limited to body size and motor activities.

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Discrimination or economic logic? EXAMPLES

• Garment Industry The pricing of XXXL garments
• Airline sitting Extra cost of tickets for BT
• Automotive Industry Insufficient headroom and
  legroom, less choices, higher prices.

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Health deterioration EXAMPLES

• Children at school suffer
• back deformities as a result of
• sitting on chairs that are
• not appropriate for their size.

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Accidents, health damages, and fatalities
EXAMPLES

• Furniture and devices that are not designed to
  support extra weight and larger size.
• Railings that are too low fall accident or
  murder?
• Minimal dimensions of corridors, stairs, and
  doorways falls, bruises and concussions.

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Automotive design accidents

• Car accidents
• Headrest height and whiplash accidents
• Seat size and back pain
• Economic impact of minor injuries

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CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS

• The common denominator
• Different dimensions, similar problems.
• Commonalities Away from the average.
• The root of the problem Inconsiderate design
  practices.

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Solutions at Level One Promoting awareness

• A common movement for awareness about size and
  discomfort.
• Space standards and regulations.
• Educating designers about special populations.

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Solutions at Level One Promoting awareness

• Contribute to increasing the quality of life of a
  large number of adults, measuring in the
  millions.
• A just and fair society has to consider all types
  of people and to develop design programs that
  will offer fairness for all.

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Solutions at Level Two Organizing advocate
movements

• Advocate movements should work together.
• This discussion can grow into a design movement
  for reasonable accommodation of all individuals.

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Solutions at Level Three Employing new
technologies

• Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing can offer
  small batches and even individually customized
  products.
• The Universal Design Movement will help to
  resolve the usability problems of many other
  populations.

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Summary

• Different sizes, common problems
• Solutions and proposals
• Promoting awareness
• Advocate movements
• Employing new technologies

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Big and Tall New Candidates for Universal Design?

• Lubomir Popov, Ph.D.
• Interior Design Program
• Bowling Green State University
• 309 Johnston Hall
• Bowling Green, OH 43403-0059
• lspopov_at_bgsu.edu
• ph 419-372-7935

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END