Universal Design - Architecture without barriers

"Environments make you disabled, not the fact that you use a wheelchair," says Quadriplegic Association of South Africa - Qasa - National Director Ari Seirlis ... read more...

Accessible Environments - articles written for the Rolling Inspiration magazine by Joan Seirlis -

Winter 2004

Spring 2004

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ARCHITECTURE WITHOUT BARRIERS

Universal Design recognises the changes that everyone experiences during his or her lifetime, taking all people - young, old, tall, short, and persons with various disabilities - into consideration.

The importance of architects being intimately involved in providing environments which are accessible, and enabling their clients to comply with the legislation which arises out of the Constitution is the main thrust of this practice.

We provide a comprehensive architectural and consulting service while specializing in accessible, barrier free environments that afford access for the greater number of people with focus on the physical environment, including fixtures and loose fittings.

The participation of disabled people in everyday life, including the workplace, is seen as a necessity in our desegregated society. This can be achieved by applying universal design principles in every project. It is deemed to be imperative that all public buildings are suitable for the largest range of people of all abilities both as consumers and as workers in our democratic society, and to this end that specialists in this field should be given the opportunity to add value to these environments.

Inclusive design incorporates:
• Design that considers the potential ability of all people - the elderly, the disabled, pregnant women, mothers, children.
• Maximises the benefit of products and environments to the largest number of people who wish to participate.
• The creation of products and environments that everyone can use, regardless of age, physique, and degree of disability.

In some forms the social model argument can seem overly confrontational: pitting disabled people against a malign society, and placing all responsibility for change with others.

At a 2 day conference - Educating the Architect - jointly held by the University of Kwazulu Natal and the Kwa-Zulu Natal Institite for Architecture at Howard College, on 24 September 2005, Joan Seirlis gave this talk...

An ICTA Scientific Programme was held at the ICC in Durban, South Africa on 2 October 2003 from 14.30 to 18.00 and formed part of the RI African Conference with the theme The Renaissance, African Disability from 01 - 03 October 2003'- read the abstract for the talk given by Joan Seirlis...

Joan Seirlis gave a talk at a launch Workshop organized by The Department of Labour, KZN "Technical Assistance Guidelines on the Employment of People with Disabilities" at the Suncoast Casino on Wed 3 Dec 2003. The title of her talk was "Enhancing Accessibility to Buildings". The focus is on Reasonable Accommodations as set out in the Employment Equity Act.