Article:

When talking about the Accessibility Chain, one can easily identify the points where a person with disabilities cannot continue with the activity he or she was doing. But, when talking about Inclusive Design, it is much more difficult to assess whether the products or combination of products represent more a barrier than an aid, in developing any daily activity in public spaces. By analyzing products from within the chain, it becomes more obvious where the braking points are and what characteristics or lack of features make the products become either a nuance or essential, or even if some characteristics should be found together in a single object or unbundled in several. From this point of view, the question is if the degree of usefulness of any given product found in public spaces can be measured as to assess a degree of inclusiveness for any and all of disabilities; and so the purpose of this investigation is to try to attain a well balanced evaluation instrument to assist such enterprise, by identifying the critical points in direct relation with visual dysfunction and the task performed, in a specified public surrounding. By inferential observation and the active involvement of diverse users, we can identify the most relevant needs that people with disabilities have and the features that cover them in a most satisfying manner; translating them into categories, and variables, and logically relating them for measurement. As a byproduct of this research, it would be desirable for designers to take into consideration the needs of people with disabilities and come up with more inclusive mainstream products and also, for the general public, to be familiar with them and thus to promote a broader culture of inclusion and non-discrimination towards people with disabilities and vulnerable populations.