Inclusive Design—Designing Barrier-Free Public Spaces

Abstract

Interior design as a discipline places humans at the heart of the process and has an underlying commitment to inclusivity. The British Standards Institute (2005) defines inclusive design as: ‘The design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible … without the need for special adaptation or specialised design (Inclusive Design Toolkit).’ Inclusive design embraces diversity and enables cohesion among age groups, ethnicities, genders as well as mental and physical abilities. In the context of the Indian scenario, however, inclusive design is not incorporated into mainstream design. Thus, many public spaces remain inaccessible to a large chunk of the population—including the elderly, people with temporary, situational and permanent disabilities among others. Though there are government bodies entrusted to formulate guidelines for making certain buildings barrier free, the ground rules are silent on the implementation of accessible design in public spaces and built environments. This study aims to address the need for inclusivity in designing public spaces and proposes an interior design model that can be accessed by diverse individuals and communities.