Journal of Accessibility and Design for All
Journal of Accessibility and Design for All is a semestral, open-access scientific journal that publishes theoretical and empirical peer-reviewed articles, which contribute to advancing the understanding of phenomena related to all aspects of accessibility. JACCES includes contributions, but not limited to, in the following fields: (1) Engineering, (2) Architecture and Construction, (3) Health and Medical Care, (4) Education, (5) Society and Economics. The journal is indexed in databases such as SCOPUS, Dialnet, REDIB, Latindex, mEDRA, DOAJ, Infobase, Índices CSIC, journals4free, GOOGLE Scholars, REBIUN, RACO and UPCommons.
Accessibility Chair of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya
Authors who publish with Journal of Accessibility and Design for All agree to the following terms: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows others to share or adapt the work with an acknowledgment of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. Use of the work for commercial purposes are not allowed. Authors are able to publish the journal's published version of the work in other media (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), as far as they inform the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All of that fact. When publishing their work in other sources, authors must mention the name of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All, its ISSN, the number and issue in which the article was published and a link to the main page of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All. Optionally, they can also include a link to the article published in the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All. Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website), as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
Persons with Disabilities (PWD’s) in Pakistan face significant mobility barriers that exclude them from participating as equal citizens. This exclusion increases their vulnerability, making them dependent and trapping them in a vicious cycle of poverty, keeping them marginalized in society. Hence, an accessible environment is important for an inclusive society. To improve accessibility to services, accessible transportation is necessary. Accessible transport services increase accessibility to essential facilities for everyone, including PWD’s. The research aims to improve accessibility for PWD’s by utilizing Universal Design Principles (UDP). The study used a questionnaire to assess existing features and recommend areas for improvement. Ten Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT) stations were selected as case studies. The results revealed issues such as street vendor encroachment, insufficient ramp slopes, poor public restroom maintenance, inaccessible ticket counters, and unreliable emergency evacuation systems. Recommendations include awareness campaigns, implementing programs for stakeholders, relocating street vendors, providing accessible ramps, lowering ticket counter heights, and adopting bottom-up approach for policy implementation.
Copyright (c) 2026 Khunsha Tamsal, Maham Sultan, Warda Mateen, Kashmala Tahir https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
What makes housing inclusive? Multi-stakeholder perspectives on inclusion and well-being for people with intellectual disabilities
Inclusive housing for people with intellectual disabilities has increasingly replaced institutional models in policy discourse. However, less attention has been paid to how housing becomes inclusive in practice and how accessibility principles translate into everyday living environments. This qualitative study explores what makes housing inclusive from a multi-stakeholder perspective, drawing on five focus groups conducted in Spain with people with intellectual disabilities, family members, professionals, policymakers and community representatives (n = 36). An inductive thematic analysis identified five interrelated environments shaping residential inclusion: physical, social, supportive, community and symbolic. Findings show that inclusive housing cannot be reduced to compliance with architectural standards or small-scale provision. Instead, it emerges from the interaction between accessible and adaptable design, cognitive and sensory accessibility, personalised and flexible support, meaningful social relationships and active connection to the surrounding neighbourhood. Participants emphasised the importance of spatial personalisation, privacy, life-course adaptability and continuity of support as central to experiencing housing as home. At the same time, rigid funding schemes, housing market barriers and gendered inequalities limit real choice and the effective implementation of independent living. The study conceptualises inclusive housing as a lived, relational and place-based process aligned with Design for All principles, linking built environment design, support systems and structural conditions in the production of wellbeing.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mª Ángeles Quesada Cubo, Rosa Mª Díaz Jiménez, Antonio Iáñez Domínguez, Yolanda Mª De la Fuente Robles https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
A web content audit of accessibility and linguistic inclusivity for students with disabilities on SAARC countries university websites
Disability-friendly university campuses and inclusive language play a pivotal role in smooth and motivated learning for students with disabilities (SwDs). This quantitative web content audit study aims at auditing the availability of disability support services information and person-first (inclusive) or identity-first (exclusive) language on official websites of universities in the member States of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Official websites of eight universities (one public and private sector University each) from the capital cities of four SAARC countries (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh), considering the demographics of disability, ranking of universities and geo-political locations have been selected through a purposive sampling technique. An adapted checklist of ten closed-ended questions has been used to collect data on the availability of disability support services. The data on the use of inclusive or exclusive language have been collected through a researcher developed data extraction sheet. The study found a dearth of disability support services information as 40% staple information focusing the building infrastructure and allied disability support services was missing from the websites of sampled universities. India has 50%, Pakistan 40%, however Sri Lanka and Bangladesh 30% information apiece flashed on university websites. The study has also found that sampled university websites have used both person-first (inclusive) and identity-first (exclusive) languages homogeneously. The study recommends uniformed availability of disability support services information on the websites of universities. Moreover, inclusive language is recommended instead of exclusive language. Global policy-makers, organizations, government stakeholders, universities, and web designers should ensure availability of disability support services at homepages of university websites for accessibility. Researchers should explore this novel field of research from different standpoints to contribute for higher education and rehabilitation of students with disabilities. The study will be aligned with SDG-4 Quality Education and SDG-11 Reduced Inequalities.
Copyright (c) 2026 Khalid Mahmood https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Pedestrian accessibility complementation assessment in historical urban environments
Temporally, contemporary and historical cities respond to challenges. This response varies between positive and negative, which makes them suffer from multiple urban problems. It requires appropriate and effective solutions to solve these problems by complementing the morphological system that has changed and transformed. This research aims to assess accessibility Complementarity in the northern and northwestern parts of Kadhimiya city through an analysis of the morphological structure of the urban fabric, and to focus on walking as a primary mode of transportation in organic cities. Accessibility within the study area was assessed using Space Syntax and Geographic Information System methods. Initially, maps representing the open areas of the city were prepared from satellite imagery and then digitised and scaled using AutoCAD 2021 software. Then, the axial and sectoral analysis was carried out in the depthmapX 0.8. Some geometric and topological metrics were calculated using the Space Syntax Tool Kit with depth map X. The main results were discussed in terms of spatial cognition and morphological characteristics. The urban problems arising from these transformations were diagnosed, as this will provide a new approach to design strategies for intervening in and complementing the case study fabric to address deficiencies and weaknesses in the studied urban area, ensuring equitable accessibility of all users and visitors.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mustafa Tahseen Muslim Ismail https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
I don't need sympathy, I just need accessibility
Students with disabilities are attending college in increasing numbers (Pavan & Shore, 2015). This includes students who use wheelchairs on campus (Hoover, 2022). Students' experiences with wheelchair accessibility vary greatly and accessibility can be experienced as an afterthought. The physical environment of campus impacts a student’s ability to learn and communicates inherent messages of belonging (Strange & Banning, 2001). Strange and Banning’s (2001) hierarchy of learning environments frames the movement from a safe and inclusive campus to one in which all members are part of the community. Using this framework and a qualitative content analysis methodology, this research project explores the features of campus that help to create welcoming and unwelcoming experiences for students who use wheelchairs. The findings include the importance of working accessibility features in creating a welcoming environment and a desire for campus leaders to consider the needs of all students.
Copyright (c) 2026 Scott Barrett https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Perception of users with visual impairments regarding adverse events in the use of technologies for diabetes
The lack of usability in diabetes technologies can lead to adverse user events. Currently, the literature provides limited insight into the perceptions of individuals with diabetes and visual impairments who use blood glucose monitors. The objective of this research is to analyze the experiences of people with visual impairments in using diabetes technologies, to identify the occurrence of adverse events, and to propose strategies to mitigate risks. This exploratory study consisted of interviews with 10 visually impaired individuals with diabetes living in Brazil. The data were categorized according to adverse events, accessibility problems with the devices were identified, and strategies were proposed to improve usability. All participants consistently reported not using blood glucose monitors due to usability and accessibility challenges. Instead, they required support from another person to perform measurements or had to rely on health services, as they did not have access to technologies with audio features or tactile indicators for glucose monitoring. Involving users in comprehending technology-related problems is essential to generate evidence of challenges with real world data and establish strategies for technological improvements. The adverse events reported by participants were categorized as difficulties in use, inefficient design, and problems with the reliability of measurement results. Suggested improvements included audible feedback, higher display contrast, and tactile indicators on the device to enhance accessibility. Considering accessibility from the beginning of the project, developing technologies that consider inclusive design, involving users in a collaborative environment, and working in an interdisciplinary team in the Living Lab ecosystem aim to develop safer and more inclusive technologies for all people.
Copyright (c) 2026 Mariana Ribeiro Brandão, João Vitor Fogaça, Jefferson Luiz Brum Marques, Renato Garcia Ojeda https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Perspectives and challenges of physiotherapists, special educators and other healthcare workers in implementing eco-integration for persons with disabilities
Eco-integration, as a multidimensional model of inclusive rehabilitation is designed to bring together environmental, social, and institutional domains to stimulate participation and quality of life for persons with disabilities. Despite its conceptual acceptance, the practical application of eco-integrative in clinical environment is insufficiently researched. This research investigates the perceptions and challenges experienced by 64 healthcare workers and special educators in North Macedonia in implementing eco-integration. With structured questionnaire, the study assessed familiarity with the concept, viewed implementation levels, and factors contributing to social isolation among persons with disabilities. Descriptive statistics and one-way analysis of variance were used to compare perceptions among the professions. Results indicate that while 78.1% of participants reported familiarity with eco-integration, only 7.8% believed it was fully implemented in their workplace. Significant interprofessional differences were observed (F = 4.031, p = 0.022), with physiotherapists more likely to report partial implementation. Key barriers were inaccessible environments, social stigma, and lack of interdisciplinary cooperation. The definitions of eco-integration from the participants included community-based services, assistive technologies, and family-centred care. On the other hand, institutional adoption of these components was limited. The results showed a gap between awareness and operationalization of eco-integration in practice. Responding to this requires strategic policy adjustments, capacity building through interprofessional education, and the development of context-sensitive models to enable systematic implementation. The study contributes new knowledge on eco-integrative rehabilitation and points to the need for a more structured, inclusive, and collaborative approach in disability care.
Copyright (c) 2026 Denis Arsovski, Natasha Chichevska Jovanova https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This study examines Thai elementary textbooks on typography (Years 1–3) published by 11 different publishers, focusing on accessibility and inclusive design. The study analysed 198 textbooks using a Python script, revealing that traditional fonts comprised 75–85 per cent of the material in textbooks, and the font sizes range between 14 and 26 points. Publishers exhibited a systematic approach to font size across year levels, with sizes decreasing from Year 1 (16–26 points) to Year 3 (12–23 points). Mathematics and Thai Language textbooks displayed unique size disparities by employing significantly larger typefaces (18–40 points for Mathematics and 17–35 points for Thai Language) compared with other subjects. The implementation of smaller font sizes at 9 points creates major accessibility barriers which become particularly problematic due to the widespread occurrence of uncorrected visual impairments amongst Thai primary students. This study recommends implementing the universal design framework in setting the minimum font sizes and suggests developing frameworks that balance visual interest and readability. The study also recommends routine analysis of typographic decisions and their effects on learning outcomes facilitate the design of accessible, evidence-based education.
Copyright (c) 2026 Rachapoom Punsongserm, Pittaya Suvakunta https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Experience of remote customer service accessibility for adults with acquired speech disorders in the UK
Businesses and institutions have been increasing their reliance on telephone services over face-to-face interactions, and on automatic speech recognition over human operators. These trends risk disadvantaging people with speech conditions, whose speech is not easily understood. This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews to explore the experiences with customer services of people with acquired speech conditions. Thirteen people from the United Kingdom shared both positive and negative experiences of customer service accessibility, in relation to the use of technology, institutional practices, and interpersonal communication. Some of the main areas of challenge related to the lack of variety in communication channels, and barriers created within the existing ones due to time pressure and high communication demands on the customer, automatic speech recognition not meeting the needs of this population, and a lack of awareness of speech conditions among call centre staff, leading to negative assumptions. Participants shared key recommendations and positive experiences to have their needs met, including opportunity for multichannel communication, reducing time pressure on the customer, checking understanding, and companies keeping record of their communication needs.
Copyright (c) 2025 Cairney M., Fuzesi P., Rai H., Lowit A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Reconceptualizing Accessibility:From the Right to the City to Independent Mobility for Persons with Reduced Mobility
Accessibility is an essential human right for enabling individuals to access urban services. The spatial configuration of urban environments must facilitate unimpeded passage along all potential routes, eliminating barriers stemming from legal, societal, administrative, and physical factors. This paper explores the intersection of accessibility and the Right to the City, highlighting their interconnectedness in fostering independent mobility. Grounded in theoretical frameworks, this study underscores the foundational role of the Right to the City in conceptualizing urban accessibility. The Right to the City posits that cities are inclusive spaces accessible to all individuals. Central to this concept is the notion of unrestricted movement between urban activities and land uses, underscoring the pivotal role of accessibility in realizing this vision. Examining the city's accessibility levels reveals critical insights into who can fully participate in and benefit from urban life. Factors such as the quality of pedestrian infrastructure and public transportation systems significantly influence individuals' ability to navigate and utilize urban spaces. However, disparities in accessibility often result in marginalized groups facing social exclusion and limited independent mobility. Through an in-depth review and analysis, this paper argues that accessibility is inherently tied to human rights principles, with independent mobility as a prerequisite for realizing the Right to the City for all. This study contributes to ongoing discussions on urban inclusivity and equitable access to urban environments by unpacking these connections.
Copyright (c) 2025 Ercetin C. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Adequacy of the national building code (2006) in promoting Universal Design practices in Nigeria
Universal design seeks to develop environments that are accessible to all users, fostering inclusivity and equal opportunity for everyone. Therefore, effective building regulations are essential to support and advance universal design in developing the built environment. This study examined accessibility provisions of Nigeria’s National Building Code (2006), which is an extensive document that provides set standards for how buildings should be designed, constructed and maintained in Nigeria. The National Building Code was examined to identify gaps hindering inclusivity in the built environment, thereby determining their adequacy in promoting universal design practices, towards enabling individuals to participate in society without physical barriers. The study is a review article that employed qualitative research methods to gather, analyse, and present data. A systematic textual analysis was conducted using secondary sources, including the NBC (2006), the 7 Principles of Universal Design, and key accessible design standards. The data were grouped into themes, and the content was analysed. A descriptive approach and thematic categories were employed to explain the findings. To achieve its findings, the study used two objectives, it examined the existing accessibility provisions of the National Building Code in relations to the requirements of Universal Design Principles and used the provisions found to determine the adequacy of the Code in promoting universal design practices in the development of the built environment. The findings revealed that although the Code contained some relevant accessibility provisions, several of them were vague, lacked detailed specifications or dimensions needed to ensure inclusivity. The study submitted that in its current state, the National Building Code (2006) operational in Nigeria is inadequate in promoting the ideals of universal design. The study recommends a detailed systematic revision of the code to address the identified shortcomings relating to accessibility.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sholanke A., Adisa O. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Roadmap to inclusive Artificial Intelligence for persons with intellectual disability
The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) poses significant opportunities and challenges for historically discriminated groups, such as persons with intellectual disabilities. This article proposes a conceptual framework that enables an inclusive and accessible approach to designing generative AI systems. Based on an exhaustive review of legislative, socio-health, and technological sources, key concepts such as disability, accessibility, and usability are defined and related, with intellectual disability serving as the central objective of this work. The need to apply principles of Universal Design (UD) and User-Centred Design (UCD) is highlighted to ensure products, environments, and services that are understandable, usable, and customisable. Finally, specific challenges are identified in the development of generative AI tools in Spain for persons with intellectual disabilities, and specific recommendations are proposed to promote inclusive AI for all.
Copyright (c) 2025 Guasch D., Rodrigo C., Francisco V., Hervás R. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The impact of digital accessibility on the user experience of people with cognitive impairments
The Internet has become an essential part of everyday life and plays a central role in accomplishing various tasks. Despite existing guidelines and laws on digital accessibility, people with disabilities repeatedly encounter barriers on the Internet that make it difficult for them to use. This work examines the importance of accessible websites and aims to compare the normative guidelines of digital accessibility with the real-world experiences of users with cognitive impairments. To explore how specific aspects of digital accessibility affect the user-friendliness of websites for people with cognitive impairments, we conducted a qualitative study. Twelve semi-structured interviews were carried out to examine the target group’s response to three websites that differed in their level of digital accessibility. Three aspects of digital accessibility were examined in more detail: a) easy-to-read language, b) consistent navigation, and c) pause, stop, and hide. The results show that easy-to-read language and clear navigation significantly improve user-friendliness, while moving content has no negative influence. The study results make it clear that there is a lack of understanding of how people with disabilities perceive digital accessibility. The findings of this study can help promote the development of further guidelines for designing accessible websites and enable the digital participation of all users.
Copyright (c) 2025 Volkmann A., Eller E., Hennighausen C. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Patients’ hotel design attributes based on aspects of a healing environment framework and patients’ preferences
The lack of access to advanced medical services forces some patients to travel to medical destinations, which raises concerns about health equity. One of the main challenges for both medical travelers and medical centers is ensuring access to lodging facilities at medical destinations. This study explores the preferences of medical travelers for the design features of such facilities, known as patients' hotels, which are necessary for areas with a potential medical service. The research used a literature review, questionnaires, and statistical analysis to identify the critical elements of patients' hotel design features under three influential categories: "distinctive features of patients' hotels,", "patients' rooms", and "public spaces". According to respondents, the critical elements of the first category are proximity to medical centers, consideration of patients' physical and spiritual needs in the design, and a homelike environment. From medical travelers’ perspectives, patient rooms must have a sense of privacy, additional spaces and amenities, and flexible layouts. The degree of social interaction preferred by patients’ companions is “talking to each other” and for patients, it is “participating in a group activity”. The spaces preferred for this interaction are “green spaces of the surrounding area”, and for decorating public spaces, “using greenery” and “traditional architecture patterns” are preferred.
Copyright (c) 2025 Shariati E., Yousefzamani M., Ghaznavi T. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Designing Reading Platform UIs and Standardizing Accessibility
In an era where everyone will experience a disability at some point (even if temporary), inclusive design is increasingly vital to information accessibility for all users. This study aims to learn the digital reading preferences of various disability communities and address implications for a design for all approach to improve the digital reading experience for everyone. Method. Research questions systematically guided the exploratory review, resulting in 14 studies that underwent thematic analysis with inductive coding. Results. With a lens from the information science, user experience, and disability studies fields, this paper presents five themes identified across the studies. Digital reading preferences of people with and without disabilities and recommendations for digital reading designs are discussed. Conclusion. Culture, assumptions, and misperceptions of accessibility, disability, technology, and literacy play a part in how society and social accessibility impact people with and without disabilities. This paper presents preliminary findings, gaps, and limitations that provide future steps for this project and other research directions. The viewpoint of disability communities may help increase the accessibility, usability, and enjoyment of digital reading more broadly, where design for all can be the tool for standardizing accessibility, which benefits everyone.
Copyright (c) 2025 Miller A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Low-code solution development and accessibility
In recent years, digital communicators and web developers have recognised the importance of producing web applications and content that is accessible to disabled users. Digital accessibility is measured by how closely an app or page adheres to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Numerous browser-based accessibility checkers exist that can help identify accessibility issues and WCAG violations. However, their effectiveness with solutions produced by low-to-no code (L2NC) platforms is mainly unknown. This paper is a research project that investigates L2NC solution development and accessibility, focusing on a custom low-code application built within Power Apps. It investigates the challenges disabled users face in accessing digital content and evaluates the effectiveness of accessibility checkers within low-code solutions. To test the low-code application, two accessibility tools (WAVE and Lighthouse) and the product’s internal accessibility checker were used to test two versions of a specific solution: a staff directory. One version of the staff directory was created to be accessible, whilst the other incorporated several of the most common WCAG violations identified in the literature. User testing was also carried out on both staff directory applications to gauge user perceptions of them. Descriptive statistics were produced to explain the paper's findings. Both WAVE and Google's Lighthouse were found to be ineffective at detecting WCAG violations within low-code solutions but the internal accessibility checker, whilst not able to identify all common WCAG violations within the staff directories, was the most successful utility. However, the inbuilt accessibility checker's rules do not align well with WCAG violations and have issues detecting colour contrasts. The findings indicate that significant accessibility barriers exist within low-code platforms. The 'ease of use' capabilities and other advantages offered by L2NC utilities are achieved by abstracting out complex paradigms, such as accessible design.
Copyright (c) 2025 Steven A. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Dementia is related to weakened cognitive abilities, memory, and behaviour. The increasing number of patients is a threat to the future. Therefore, the built environment and services for dementia patients must be adapted. This study generates a survey to understand how to have a better interior environment and adapted place for dementia patients. It was found that people who are diagnosed with dementia seeks familiarity (%55), good amount of natural light (% 15). They prefer more spacious rooms and kitchen (%50). They are sensitive to noise. % 50 of participants complained about noise problem. % 20 of participants mentioned about insufficient natural light. In house % 30 of participants complained about acoustical insulation problems, % 5 of participants complained about ineffective heating system. Depending on the answers of 20 participants, the design guidelines were created to meet the needs of patients.
Copyright (c) 2025 Kavaz M. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Journey of Journal of Accessibility and Design for All.
This study aims to examine the publication journey of the Journal of Accessibility and Design for All (JACCES). This review article utilised bibliometric analysis to conduct performance evaluation and science mapping. The study employed the Bibliometrix R package (version 4.2.3) through the Biblioshiny interface, along with VOSviewer, to address the research questions. The performance analysis focused on the publication trends, citations, and contributions from authors, institutions, and countries of the JACCES. In addition, keyword co-occurrence and bibliographic coupling analyses were performed to measure the conceptual structure of the literature and the central themes on which the journal has published. The study identifies four themes: inclusive design and tourism for all, accessible tourism: sensory and digital approaches, measuring and evaluating disability-inclusive environments, and digital accessibility in public domains. A future research agenda is also proposed for researchers to work on and provide comprehensive information to fill the research gaps and strengthen the publication journey of the JACCES.
Copyright (c) 2025 Dr. Kumar, Dr. Senthil, Abhinav Kumar Shandilya https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Experiences of cognitively impaired elderly patients with a Brazilian oncology service.
Cancer and ageing are factors that increase the risk of developing cognitive impairments. Given this context, there is a complexity of access to healthcare by cognitively impaired elderly patients in oncological contexts. The aim of this study is to analyse the experiences of cognitively impaired elderly cancer patients with a Brazilian oncology outpatient service from the perspective of inclusive design to outline takeaway messages for the design of inclusive health services for these patients. Non-participant observations of the service and interviews with patients and their caregivers were carried out to understand to what extent the service provides proper care to cognitively impaired elderly patients. Thematic analysis of the data was carried out and categories were generated through an inductive approach. Results show that the service is adequate in terms of inclusion overall, but there are opportunities for improvement. Critical points related to the built environment, informational and communication design, trust in the healthcare team, and empathy were identified as opportunities for service improvement to better include and assist such user groups. Takeaway messages for the design of inclusive health services for cognitively impaired elderly patients were highlighted in this study.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emanuele König Klever, Patricia Raquel Bohn, Leandro Miletto Tonetto, Cláudia de Souza Libânio https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This paper explores knowledge creation in Universal Design (UD) processes that aim to make cities accessible to all. It contributes insights into the practice of urban development in Sweden which, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, shall utilize UD. Workshops and qualitative interviews were conducted in three mid-sized cities re-designing a city square, a street and the building of a new library. Drawing on Aristotle’s typology of knowledge, the analysis shows that different kinds of knowledge were in play in local collaboration. UD was akin to phronesis, i.e. practical wisdom. A number of factors contributed to tensions: organizational asymmetries, divisions between professional and experiential expertise, the perception that accessibility is a limited interest for a specific target group, as well as uncertainties about user legitimacy. To overcome these tensions, the article proposes that disability organizations should be seen as contributors rather than commentators.
Copyright (c) 2025 Emil Erdtman, Lilian Müller, Per-Olof Hedvall https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Novel method to explore the efficiency of e-commerce websites for persons with disabilities
With an expanding number of e-commerce websites, many people with disabilities rely largely on online purchasing because they find it difficult to travel freely. However, many users, including those with disabilities, are unable to access the website's content, creating an inequitable barrier for people with visual impairments. Many websites are sometimes accessible, but it takes a while to understand what the website’s effectiveness means. Therefore, this paper proposes a novel method entitled AMEEW (A Method to Examine the Efficiency of Websites), which computes the efficiency of websites for persons with disabilities. The purpose of the paper is to evaluate the most popular e-commerce sites and provide guidance to website designers on how to create effective websites that are easy to use for all user groups, including those who are disabled. Initially, the data are analysed using four plots, including a run sequence plot, lag plot, histogram, and normal probability plot. The experiment’s findings indicate that 5.08% of top e-commerce websites are ineffective for those with visual impairments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Sonowal G., Kuppusamy K. S., Balaji V. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The impacts of mental health and psychological wellbeing on students' performance during distance learning; Lessons learnt from the COVID-19 lockdown in Jordan
Amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic, strict lockdown measures were implemented worldwide to safeguard lives and limit widespread infections. Accordingly, distance learning methods were implemented at educational institutions. This paper critically examines the adaptation of distance learning methods for university students during this crisis, arguing that insufficient attention was given to mental health and mental and emotional well-being. The situation's urgency led to overlooking psychological factors that subsequently impacted students' learning outcomes and academic performance, especially when compared to traditional learning experiences. This paper focuses on architecture students at the University of Jordan, aiming to reveal to what extent the implementation of distance learning during the COVID-19 lockdown affected their mental health and psychological well-being, thus affecting their overall performance. Using a mixed-method approach, the paper included real-time class observation, reflection exercises conducted during the lockdown, and a survey distributed to architecture undergraduates. The survey aimed to increase our understanding of the intricate connections between mental health, psychological well-being, and the dynamics of online educational environments, thus providing insights for future online learning scenarios. The paper's findings exposed overlooked dimensions during the rapid transition to online learning. The emphasis on technical aspects such as infrastructure, devices, and software side-tracked the end-users importance and performance within the educational process. Concepts like 'toxic positivity,' intensified by increased social media usage during the lockdown, gained prominence. By examining the impact on architecture students in Jordan, this paper underscores key findings, identifies critical issues, and advocates for a more comprehensive approach to distance learning.
Copyright (c) 2024 Deyala Tarawneh, Haneen Al Sawalqa , Maysoleen Al Adayleh, Saleem M. Dahabreh, Hasan Isawi https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
This research paper examines primary healthcare facilities in Montenegro, focusing on outpatient spaces - arrival infrastructure, outside spaces, and inside spaces. In Montenegro, primary health centres provide 80-85% of all health care services and are designed to serve patients within the defined local community. In these facilities, the maintainer of primary care is a chosen doctor (GP), a person most familiar with the patient's conditions and social background. Despite the personal service healthcare centres provide, the architectural expressions of the built facilities do not reflect the intimate nature or personalisation of this service. By examining the user experience and doing field research, we identified several shortcomings in these facilities' exterior and interior quality. Data was gathered through a questionnaire involving users and field research, encompassing large, medium, and small-sized healthcare centres. Participants initially expressed neutral perceptions of existing elements, but when given the opportunity to choose, they became more inclined to suggest improvements. The field study identified rather negative architectural aspects, including inconsistencies in performance across the facilities. The design primarily serves the functional requirements determined by the current capacity, whereas considerations regarding aesthetics and the users' comfort are often neglected. The findings highlight the need to align architectural design with user preferences, emphasising the significance of user-centric healthcare facility design in Montenegro and similar environments.
Copyright (c) 2025 Žaklina Nježić, Zoltán Schrammel, Réka Mandoki https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Low vision users in graphical user interface interaction.
Interaction design is the act of designing the dialogue between people and systems, services or products. User interface (UI) facilitates sensory and emotional interactions by acting as a bridge between users and products while graphical user interface (GUI) refers to graphical or visual presentations of information The accessibility of GUIs directly impacts the quality of experience (QoE) since the sense of sight plays a pivotal role especially for low vision users throughout the interaction process. Though low vision users can use GUIs on their own, they often face challenges that hinder their QoE. Although existing research has explored accessible UI design principles, studies specifically addressing the accessibility issues of low vision users in GUI interactions remain limited. The goal of this research is to evaluate the effects of visual perception differences between people with low and normal vision on home appliances’ GUI interactions and discuss how these differences affect the QoE of low vision users. To this end, we created a total of 12 washing machine GUI cases based on the GUI model of the best-selling washing machine in Turkey in 2021 and tested these cases online with two groups of 7 participants each with low vision and normal vision. The results infer that low vision participants have accessibility issues on GUIs in terms of colour contrasts, text sizes, display options and control panel distances. The study suggests that using an uppercase larger font (22pt) for just the first syllable of the text in text-based displays can improve accessibility of GUIs for low vision users compared to using the same font size (16pt) in sentence case for all text. Overall, this study contributes to a better understanding of the challenges faced by low vision users in GUI interactions and offers practical recommendations for creating more accessible GUIs through a display style proposal.
Copyright (c) 2025 M. Ferit Aydin, H. Guclu Yavuzcan https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Environmental pressures and elderly people in the Guadalajara metropolitan area.
This paper analyses the social, cultural and urban factors influencing the mobility of older adults in Guadalajara, Mexico. Specifically, it addresses the experiences of 18 elderly within their immediate urban environment, identifying the environmental pressures they encounter during their movements. The study maps destinations that satisfy needs shaped by participant’s culture and identifies the emotional resources and social capital that support older adults in accessing these destinations. The findings reveal that mobility barriers arise not only from non-universal design but also from a fragile social-institutional framework, primarily reflected in an environment perceived as unsafe.
Copyright (c) 2025 Bruno Cruz Petit, Pérez-Duarte Alejandro, Fabiola Colmenero Fonseca https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
There is a lack of research regarding the challenges experienced by people with disabilities when taking surveys or participating in usability testing. Websites, digital health applications, and electronic books are products users are recruited to evaluate through surveys and usability tests. However, these products and the instruments used to evaluate them aren’t necessarily developed with the intended users being people with disabilities. Although some products use accessibility and usability practices when designing products, they vary in quality and quantity. Before a product—the website or electronic book—can move to production, it needs to be tested by a sample of people who are potential users but there is a lack of research on accessible instrument design that would make the user testing population and practices more inclusive. The purpose of this case study is to address this lack of research; and understand the experiences, challenges, and preferences of diverse users when participating in research studies through three forms of data collection: an interview, observation, and document analysis. The interview explores the experiences and observations encountered by a disability services professional at a public research institution. This data is triangulated with content analysis from a relevant document that describes 12 disability personas and an observation about accessible web design for people with cognitive disabilities. Two main themes emerged in the findings: Challenges and frustrations for people with disabilities and advice or guidance for information design. The triangulated analysis brings forth accessible design considerations for future research, practical advice for survey and usability testing with the disability community, and new questions for future research on inclusive instrument design.
Copyright (c) 2024 A. Miller https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Applying Post-Occupancy Evaluation (POE) to Investigate Inclusive Design in Library Spaces.
Inclusive architecture aims to create spaces that cater to everyone, regardless of their abilities or disabilities. Public libraries play a pivotal role in this endeavour by providing accessible environments for diverse communities. This study conducts a post-occupancy evaluation (POE) of the inclusivity of three libraries in Shiraz, examining how effectively these libraries cater to the needs of all users through an inclusive design approach. The POE process comprised three steps: planning, implementation, and application. During the planning phase, a checklist of 180 items was compiled and adjusted based on theoretical foundations. These items fell into four general categories: 1-Spatial Design (including spatial design requirements, flooring, ceilings, and walls), 2-Accessibility and Circulation (covering movement paths, ramps, lifts, elevators, and staircases), 3-Amenities and Equipment (such as parking, toilet services, entrances, furniture, and guide signs), 4-Sensory and Atmosphere (addressing lighting, colour, texture, materials, shape, scent, sound, and temperature). In the implementation phase, the evaluation was conducted over three days at the indicator level by a two-person evaluation team. They utilised observation, photography, and metric measurement tools. In the subsequent step, field observations to complete the checklist were carried out, and data entry and analysis were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 software. The results indicated that all three libraries (MLDC, Art and Architecture, and Khwarizmi libraries) exhibit several weaknesses in terms of inclusive design. The average inclusiveness scores assigned to them were 37.50%, 35.10%, and 34.35%, respectively. As the achievements of the application phase, it can be summarised that the findings of this study provide a practical example for POE research on inclusive design, offering insights for enhancing inclusivity in architectural environments.
Copyright (c) 2024 Anis Fathipour, Seyyed Mohammad Hossein Zakeri, Mohammad Nikkar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Experimental study about 3D printed tactile symbols for tactile maps and blind users.
The aim of this paper is to determine whether certain volumetric tactile symbols (3D) have a level of tactile recognition similar to those of low relief (2D). This study evaluates a sample of 3D volumetric symbols produced by means of 3D printing for use in tactile maps. An experimental test was conducted on a group of 26 totally blind users with different levels of experience in tactile exploration. Part of the experiment involved analysing the percentage of correct answers as a dependent variable and the volume in the shape of the tactile symbols (3D vs. 2D) as the experimental stimulus. The results obtained indicate that volumetric symbols have a high level of tactile recognition. In addition, the study shows some of the possibilities that are emerging in the design of tactile maps and models with the development of new techniques such as 3D Printing (3DP). The inclusion of 3DP within the field of tactile map design is leading to a reassessment of some of the basic principles of tangible graphic design, such as using only two-dimensional graphic elements to produce tangible graphics. Other categories of design elements such as volumetric design elements (3D) can now be included. This opens up a range of possibilities in the field of tactile maps, providing the designer and/or the Mobility Instructor with a wider range of variations in shape from which to design or select a set of symbols for use in tactile maps.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jaume Gual Ortí, Marina Puyuelo Cazorla, Joaquim LLoveras Macia, Javier Amat Cozar https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Health and migration are vital parts of the development cycle. Health should be understood not only as a state of physical and psychological well-being, but also of social well-being. Social determinants play a major role in health and, therefore, also in physical and cognitive accessibility. The aim of this study is to link both realities (migration and health), in order to study the variables of quality of life and physical, psychological and social health in the migrant population. There are three main objectives: 1) To understand the perceptions of quality of life and physical, psychological and social health of the migrant population; 2) To identify and describe pathologies and disabilities among migrants; and 3) To determine if there is accessibility to the health system (treatments and control). A quantitative methodology comprising descriptive and correlational analysis was employed. The main tool was a descriptive questionnaire, supported by three scales (The Quality of Life and Health Scale [WHOQOL-BREF]; Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale [DASS-21]; and Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support [EMAS]) previously validated and proposed by international organizations, such as the World Health Organization. The main results were that levels of quality of life, psychological health and social support are moderate in the migrant population. In addition, 47.3% of the migrant population has a health pathology, with only 29% having access to health resources. The main conclusion is that the presence of pathologies and the lack of disease control among the migrant population is a sign of the need to review the actions implemented by government institutions, such as the Common European Asylum System. In addition, there is a need to make health resources accessible to the entire population regardless of social class.
Copyright (c) 2024 Cristina Sampedro, Yolanda De la Fuente, Jes´ús Hernández Galán, Virginia Fuentes https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Level-Up! Comparing accessibility features based on gameplay performance.
This study examined the impact of accessibility cues on hearing and non-hearing players’ performance in a 3D, third-person shooter video game. The intent was to resolve the debate about whether accessibility features unfairly lessen the difficulty of video games for hearing players. In this study, players completed the video game with three accessibility cue conditions (visual, haptic, both) and were assigned to one of two audio conditions (audio, no audio). Hard-of-Hearing (HOH) participants played the video game under all three cue conditions. Performance data indicated that accessibility cues helped players without audio without affording an unfair advantage to those with audio. Qualitative data indicated that participants’ beliefs about the cues aligned with the popular—but inaccurate—belief that accessibility cues afforded them an advantage. This research is a first step in examining accessibility cues in the context of video games. The results can be applied to video game design as well as to other fields that use cues to convey information—such as human perception—and as a method for designing cues for training people in the medical, aerospace, and education fields.
Copyright (c) 2024 Jasmine Granados, Dominic Canare, Lisa Vangsness https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0