Question
How do we get architects, builders and product developers to think about Universal Design principles before they plan their buildings or products, not after, in order to make spaces and products accessible to all people with and without hearing loss?
Answer
That's an excellent question. One thing I think that we need to do is to educate architects and product developers about design considerations for hearing while they are still in school. They do consider designs for other areas of accessibility, and if we can get into the architectural schools and engineering programs, we can get them thinking about hearing from the start as well.
I was at a conference a few years ago that included architects and other designers along with audiologists discussing aging issues and hearing issues. The architects and designers were very happy to participate and they told us that they had never considered these issues until our discussion. There is a need for a forum across disciplines to talk about hearing accessibility and universal designs for hearing.
There is a new long term care facility in my area that was built with the primary focus of being for persons with dementia. It is a very nice building, and when you enter, you come upon a beautiful solarium. It is impossible to hear conversations in the solarium, although it is certainly a beautiful space. In addition, the facility's meeting room has a kitchen in it with a large industrial refrigerator and a dishwasher. It has windows all around the room with no soft surfaces at all. We were called in because the facility was using the room for presentations for residents, outpatients and families, and even when using microphone no one could hear the presenters. So here's an example of a beautiful building that is impossible for communication, and it speaks to your question of how we need to reach architects, builders and product developers sooner in the design process.
This question was taken from the recorded course, Universal Design for Hearing: Considerations for Examining Hearing Demands and Developing Hearing Friendly Workplaces. To view the presentation, register here.
Mary Beth Jennings, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, National Centre for Audiology and Communication Sciences and Disorders, Faculty of Health Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
