Inclusive Design in London inspires new directions for Massachusetts pt. I

Today, MCC Executive Director Anita Walker, IHCD (Institute for Human-Centered Design) Executive Director Valerie Fletcher and Worcester Art Museum Executive Director Matthias Waschek presented at ABX 2013,  Architectural Boston Expo to discuss MCC's exciting new direction for arts organizations in Massachusetts. They are developing guidelines for inclusive design in the cultural sector.

Our tour to London in September gave us the opportunity to observe London's team approach to accessibility and inclusive design, to start gathering ideas about what our program in Massachusetts might include.   


We began our tour at the London College of Design where we met Rama Gheerawo  Deputy Director of the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, who gave us a wonderful perspective on inclusive planning teams--including designer, caregiver and user at the table from the start. His students created innovative designs for living, only after the designers met with people in the community to get a true perspective on their needs.  

---

Later, we visited the Royal Court Theater where we learned of the extensive renovation that was done on this historic theater. Every floor is now fully accessible. The theater's backstage is also accessible to accommodate any actors and crew with disabilities. 
      In addition, the Theater has developed a series of regularly scheduled  Accessible Performances:  

• Captioned Performances
• British Sign Language Interpreted Performances
• Audio- Performances
• Relaxed Performances for people with autism spectrum disorders

In Massachusetts, the American Repertory Theater has begun to implement similar programs, inspired by the work at the Royal Court Theater. 
Here is a link to their new programs

---

Why London? When London won the summer Olympics and the Paralympics, they realized it was an opportunity and imperative to renovate and innovate their City.  This has led to a flurry of creative design over the past 5-8 years.  While there is always more to be done , especially in an old City like London, but we came away with a sense that what has really changed most is the heightened universal awareness of universal design and how it helps the entire community. 

For example: Given the need for accessible sidewalks, the City Planners and designers worked together with wheelchair users in planning.  The renovated sidewalk were smooth, but with patterns suggestive of the old London cobblestones. The new walks are wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers. 

---

The Royal Portrait Gallery raised its ceiling, brought in natural light and improved its audio guides so everyone could see and enjoy the art more clearly. 

The Natural History Museum engaged an artist who could create bronze tactile models of fossils so everyone could touch and feel the contours of the trilobite and Nautilus.

We are blessed to be in such a rich and knowledgeable community here in Massachusetts. While there is still much to learn as we design an initiative that seeks ways to broaden the conversation about accessibility and universal design in our community – to make this a universal conversation--we have experts in Massachusetts in the worlds of design, education, health, culture and arts who can all come together to share knowledge.

This isn’t just for the person you know who is a wheelchair user, the friend who is visually impaired, or the child who wears a cochlear implant for his congenital deafness. It’s for the mother with a baby on her back and a sleeping toddler in a stroller; it’s for the all-star athlete who is in a straight-legged brace for his torn ACL; and it’s for the father-in-law who can not hear in restaurants or navigate the halls in low lighting.

Designs that make our Commonwealth and our cultural institutions more accessible to some will make them more accessible to ALL.