Research for More Inclusive Design Changes the Shape of Our World
Anthropometric researchers in ISE are collaborating with UB’s departments of rehabilitation science and architecture to develop new information that will support the design of environments and products that can be used effectively by a wide range of target user groups, including older adults and those with physical disabilities.
The database currently used for accessibility standards in the United States was developed in the late 1970s. Since that time, both the technology of wheeled mobility and the demographics of device users have changed dramatically. The primary goal of this research is to develop a database that reflects the sizes, abilities, and space needs of contemporary users and devices. A secondary goal is to identify, develop, and disseminate reliable and valid research methods that can be used by many research groups effectively to increase knowledge and inform design and code development over the long term. A third goal is to disseminate our findings and provide technical assistance to standards committees, government officials, and designers to help improve accessibility to the built environment by wheeled mobility users.
A multi-year project funded by National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) and the U.S. Access Board involves the development of a comprehensive anthropometric database of wheeled mobility device users that will yield an extensive set of 3-dimensional digital human models for design. The database has been used to demonstrate that current accessibility guidelines on size of space may not accommodate many of today’s wheeled mobility users.
Another study, part of a $4 million NIDDR grant for the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design, is attempting to develop new design guidelines and human performance measurement tools that will help designers better accommodate those with limitations, who are often ignored in the consumer market.
