This book for architects, interior designers, building managers, students, conference organisers looks at first principles to provide the user with the 'tools' to make their own decisions rather than a 'cookbook' approach. It is intended that designs and product information can be taken straight from the manual and inserted into ongoing projects. For the first time the book considers the needs of people with visual, hearing and mental disabilities, who make up the majority of disabled people in the population, alongside those of people with physical mobility disabilities. Practical low cost solutions to retro-fitting existing buildings are discussed, as well as the methods used to assess the suitability of an existing building, and assembling a project to improve access for disabled people. Specific products and designs are illustrated and discussed - with full working technical drawings, and full specification details. These will reduce considerably the research time needed to produce a cost-effective solution that will improve access for disabled people. A perspective of the standards and legislation dealing with access issues in the UK is compared with those in other countries, and the standards mentioned are compared with the realities of practical implementation carried out in 4 years of design in this area.

The authors in this work focus on and explore human computer interaction (HCI) by bringing together the best practice and experience from HCI and interaction design.

Barrier-Free Theatre is a nuts-and-bolts, hands-on, comprehensive guide for making drama accessible to children and adults with disabilities. Why drama? Drama can "level the playing field" and empower participants of all ages. Dramatic interaction creates relationships that last long after a performance is over. Written for drama teachers, recreation leaders, special educators, therapists, and other group leaders, this book explains in simple, non-technical language how to make accommodations for successful participation in creative drama, improvisation, puppetry, rehearsals for traditional plays, and development of new plays geared to participants' strengths. Actors will gain self-confidence, improve their communication skills, find new ways to express themselves, and work more effectively and creatively with others. Ways to use drama as a tool to teach traditional classroom subjects, such as science, social studies, and language arts, are highlighted, as well as using it for inst

“All too often,” wrote disabled architect Ronald Mace, “designers don’t take the needs of disabled and elderly people into account.” Building Access investigates twentieth-century strategies for designing the world with disability in mind. Commonly understood in terms of curb cuts, automatic doors, Braille signs, and flexible kitchens, Universal Design purported to create a built environment for everyone, not only the average citizen. But who counts as “everyone,” Aimi Hamraie asks, and how can designers know? Blending technoscience studies and design history with critical disability, race, and feminist theories, Building Access interrogates the historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts for these questions, offering a groundbreaking critical history of Universal Design. Hamraie reveals that the twentieth-century shift from “design for the average” to “design for all” took place through liberal political, economic, and scientific structures concerned with defining the disabled user and designing in its name. Tracing the co-evolution of accessible design for disabled veterans, a radical disability maker movement, disability rights law, and strategies for diversifying the architecture profession, Hamraie shows that Universal Design was not just an approach to creating new products or spaces, but also a sustained, understated activist movement challenging dominant understandings of disability in architecture, medicine, and society. Illustrated with a wealth of rare archival materials, Building Access brings together scientific, social, and political histories in what is not only the pioneering critical account of Universal Design but also a deep engagement with the politics of knowing, making, and belonging in twentieth-century United States.

Das Buch vermittelt allen Fachplanern, Architekten, aber auch interessierten Bauherren praxisnahe Grundinformationen und planerische Umsetzungsmöglichkeiten zum Thema der Barrierefreiheit. Es zeigt, wie entsprechende Anforderungen in ästhetisch anspruchsvolle Architektur umgesetzt werden können. Und es führt vor, dass die Berücksichtigung der Barrierefreiheit bereits in der frühen Planungsphase nicht zwingend Mehrkosten gegenüber dem »klassischen« Bauen verursacht. Das Buch umfasst neben einem Überblick über grundsätzliche Planungsgrundlagen auch das damit verbundene Regelwerk sowie deren beispielhafte Darstellung und perspektivischen Entwicklungen im europäischen Kontext.

“Fear deer no more! The best source I’ve seen on the topic!” —Tracy DiSabato-Aust, award-winning garden designer and best-selling author Deer are one of the most common problems a gardener can face. These cute but pesky animals can quickly devour hundreds of dollars’ worth of plants. And common solutions include the use of unattractive fencing and chemicals. In Deer-Resistant Design, Karen Chapman offers another option—intentional design choices that result in beautiful gardens that coexist with wildlife. Deer-Resistant Design showcases real home gardens across North America—from a country garden in New Jersey to a hilltop hacienda in Texas—that have successfully managed the presence of deer. Each homeowner also shares their top ten deer-resistant plants, all welcome additions to a deer-challenged gardeners shopping list. A chapter on deer-resistant container gardens provides suggestions for making colorful, captivating, and imaginative containers. Lushly illustrated and filled with practical advice and inspiring design ideas, Deer-Resistant Design is packed with everything you need to confidently tackle this challenging problem.