Access Insight - Summer 2021

SUMMER 2021

Accessible and Inclusive Workplaces

Accessible fitout design Conducting virtual meetings and conference events accessible to people with disabilities Emergency evacuation from workplaces for people with disability Inclusive office work stations Touch-free is the future of design, but what does that mean for accessibility?

Working from anywhere: the role of access consulting Hearing augmentation requirements and communicating in a socially distant environment

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

IN THIS ISSUE

ACAA COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT

From the President’s Desk............................3 Congratulations from the Committee of Management................................................4

PRESIDENT: Lindsay Perry

ACAA State Access Consultants Network.......4

VICE PRESIDENT: Farah Madon

Attention Victorian Members.........................4

SECRETARY: Mrs Anita Harrop

Meet our new Committee Members...............5 ACAA website..............................................6

TREASURER: Mr Howard Moutrie

Working from anywhere: the role of access consulting........................................8

ORDINARY MEMBERS:

Accessible fitout design..............................14

Nick Morris John Moulang Lynda Wilem Mr Francis Lenny Mr Richard Seidman

Conducting virtual meetings and conference events accessible to people with disabilities...........................................18 Emergency evacuation from workplaces for people with disability.............................22 Hearing augmentation requirements and communicating in a socially distant environment...............................................28 Inclusive office work stations: because having accessible buildings is only part of the puzzle .............................................30 Touch-free is the future of design, but what does that mean for accessibility?.........34 Hot apps and websites...............................36

Address: 20 Maud Street, Geelong VIC 3220

Review......................................................37

Email:

office@access.asn.au

Phone: +61 3 5221 2820 Web:

www.access.asn.au

Editor:

Anita Harrop aieditor@access.asn.au

Summer 2021 Issue Cover photo credit: iStockphoto Please email the Editor if you would like to showcase your project on the Cover of the next Access Insight

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK

by Lindsay Perry

President of the Association of Consultants in Access Australia

F

ebruary is already here and 2021 is off to a flying start. I hope everybody got a break of some description and also some rest.

2021 has the potential to be an exciting year and I personally am embracing the opportunity to make change in the access world.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the ZOOM CPD event towards the end of last year – which seems like a lifetime ago. Feedback has been positive in terms of the format and timing – and we have taken it on board as we prepare for upcoming events.

This year, we are presenting ten (yes 10!) CPD webinars. These will be national events and be held on the last Friday of each month from February through to November. I am excited to announce that all the presenter spots have been filled. Thank you to all our upcoming presenters for the voluntary contribution of your valuable time and knowledge. The series will provide a variety of technical, theoretical and informative information including changes to legislation, practice management considerations and technical dos and don’ts. A full program will be sent out in the coming weeks with details – as a sneak peek, some of our speakers will be Eric Martin, Access to Heritage Buildings; Jane Bryce, Braille Signage Content; and Howard Moutrie, Running a Successful Business.

Our new committee is busy planning the way forward for ACAA and we are in process of establishing sub-committees to look after various topics / housekeeping. If you are interested is assisting, we welcome your support and would value any contributions you can make. Feel free to contact me personally for more information. Remember your committee are all volunteers and we do try our best to address any concerns our members have.

This issue of Access Insight opens our eyes to accessible offices. From fit-out to emergency evacuation, working from home to office equipment, and the virtual world. Things that are often overlooked but very important in achieving an inclusive workplace environment.

Thank you to all our contributors for your wisdom and knowledge.

If you have ideas or suggestions for upcoming issues we would love to hear from you. An enormous amount of work goes into producing each issue of Access Insight and contributions are always welcome.

Enjoy this issue!

Summer 2021

3

ACAA MATTERS

Congratulations from the Committee of Management

ACAA State Access Consultants Networks

The ACAA Committee of Management congratulates the following members on upgrading to Associate membership and welcomes our new Affiliate members!

NEW SOUTH WALES Contact: ACAA NSW Chairperson

Robyn Thompson

Congratulations all!

ASSOCIATE MEMBERS • Suwat Phonswat

AFFILIATE MEMBERS • Caila Ihle • Gregory Roberts • Christopher Lovewell • Todd Shardlow

SOUTH AUSTRALIA Contact: ACAA SA Chairperson

Grant Wooller QUEENSLAND Contact: ACAA QLD Chairperson

Angela Chambers VICTORIA Contact: ACAA VIC Secretary

Mr Paul Eltringham WESTERN AUSTRALIA Contact: ACAA WA Chairperson

Anita Harrop

Attention Victorian Members

D

ue to Covid 19 and other factors, the Victorian Chapter of ACAA has lost momentum. In re-establishing the Victorian network, were proposing to gain feedback on what the Chapter would like. We would ask members the following:

1. What composition should the meeting/event have – formal presentations or social event?

4. Would you support a “dinner” event with or without a presentation?

2. How many events or meetings a year would you support?

5. Would you be prepared to pay a fee to attend?

3. Would you support a lunch “social” event without or without a presentation?

Please submit your responses to melbourne@mgac.com.au

4

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

ACAA MATTERS

Meet our new Committee Members JOHN MOULANG John Moulang is an ACAA accredited consultant and is registered as an assessor for SDA and LHA projects.

He is an Associate and Business Development Manager at Morris Goding Access Consulting (MGAC) where he has been for 5 years.

His intended contribution to the ACAA is to evolve the status of accredited consultants to give wider and better advice than the minimum compliance tick box compliance as a norm.

To support corporate organisations, educational institutions and the like to formulate their own accessibility policies that are best practice and keep up with evolving trends.

NICK MORRIS Nick Morris a former Paralympian, a Director of MGAC is an accredited Accessibility and Universal Design expert and advisor.

Nick Morris holds a degree in Human Movement, ACAA Accreditation, degree qualifications for both the secondary and vocational educational sectors and is a qualified Livable Housing and Changing Places Accessor.

Nick’s status, experience and commitment has seen Nick to become a role model within the industry, a mentor to many organisations Australia and worldwide, assisting in Olympic and Paralympic bids, organising committees and event staging on how to implement accessibility and universal design, while creating a positive culture change within the community at large.

LYNDA WILEM Lynda is a senior access consultant at Philip Chun Accessibility. She is an ACAA accredited member and architect with over 20 years experience gained at Philip Chun and the university sector. Lynda is interested in all aspects of accessibility and Universal Design but has particular interest in the accessibility of public transport, the public domain and pedestrian networks. Lynda has been involved for a number of years in disability advocacy in her local community in Castlemaine, Victoria. Lynda would like to work to support the growth of the Victorian chapter of ACAA.

RICHARD SEIDMAN Richard is the principal of iAccess Consultants who for the past 11 years has provided access consulting services to government and non-government clients, including the Sydney Opera House, Netball Central, Health Infrastructure, Schools infrastructure, University of Sydney, University of Technology and Macquarie University.

His involvement in the provision of accessible residential accommodation commenced with the implementation of the 2009 Rudd NBESP where he was part of the client side team which delivered 1500 adaptable and universal design dwellings across NSW. Since 2010 he has been involved in the provision of access consulting services of more than 1300 projects across many market segments.

He holds a Bachelor in Architecture and a Diploma in Access, as well as accreditation with ACAA, LHA and SDA. He has spoken on access topics at the 2019 Planning Institute Australia National Conference, the 2019 UDIA conference, speaker at IMC15 Montreal, Canada and is delivering three papers at IMC17 in 2021 Gothenburg Sweden.

He brings to the committee a depth of experience in the application of the access provisions in the architectural and project management arena.

Summer 2021

5

ACAA MATTERS

ACAA website

T

his edition, we are going to take a quick look at the overall structure of the ACAA website and where to find information relevant to accessibility and to ACAA member’s accounts.The website has one main menu that takes you to all the functions you need and we will talk about each main section of this menu in this article.

Each top level menu item has dropdowns below it (touch the arrow to the side on mobile to expand) for the sub sections of each main section of the site. Some sub sections also have sub menus below them as well and will fly out (or have arrows on mobile) when you hover on them.

webmaster or read our FAQs. If you have a question about membership, CPD or general accessibility, send an enquiry to the ACAA office administrator. If you have a query about using the website or finding your records, etc. send an enquiry to the webmaster.

Some menu items are only visible AFTER you have logged in if they are for members, administrators or committee members only.

Last but not least is the link for your account (also found under the member’s portal in membership).

Login to this section to find your membership records, event records and CPD records. You will not see any of the links pertaining to your records until you have logged in to this section of the site.

This is to help us keep your information safe and secure. Once logged in, you can see dropdowns to manage your profile, membership, events, CPD and some other functionalities that are available only to members, sponsors, approved event providers, administrators and committee members.

Section 1 of the menu is ACAA and it covers the relevant information about the Association, it’s objectives, history, articles of association, committee members, office bearers and policies and procedures.

Section 2 of the menu is our directories, the Accredited consultant’s directory, the ACAA member’s directory and the Accessibility Products directory.

Section 3 is all about membership, membership requirements, career pathways and CPD and the base links contained in the member’s portal. The member’s portal links are primarily for INFORMATION pertaining to ACAA membership.

Again, some of the links and information available in the member’s portal is only visible AFTER you have logged in. All information relating to CPD is found under Career Pathways. The members portal also contains the link to the private, member’s only discussion forums.

Section 4 is our resources section and contains information relating to accessibility including legislation, standards, links, publications, etc.

Section 5 is our communications section. Here you will find the latest news, upcoming events and Access Insight archives.

Section 6 is our support section. Click through here if you need assistance from the office or the 6

Please take the time to have a quick browse through the site and it’s links in order to familiarise yourself with what is available to the public and to our members.

Warm regards and happy web browsing Jacqui Blanch (ACAA webmaster)

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

ACAA MATTERS

Summer 2021 Training Calendar Courses will be delivered via video/teleconference using Zoom Commencing 17 February and 18 March CPP50711 Diploma of Access Consulting - 11 days Diploma of Access Consulting for Building Surveyors - 8 days Diploma of Access Consulting for Occupational Therapists - 9 days FRIDAY

Commencing 17 February, Commencing 18 March CPP40811 Certificate IV in Access Consulting - 8 days Certificate IV in Access Consulting for Building Surveyors - 5 days 3 March Understanding Access Legislation and Universal Design in Buildings 1 day 9 March Understanding and Applying the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Design Standard 2.5 hours

12 March LHA Design Guideline Assessor Update Session 2 hours

9 March Livable Housing Australia-Design Guideline Assessor Course 2.5 hours 16 March Accredited Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) Assessor Course 4.5 hours 29-31 March Bridging Course for CPP50711 Diploma of Access Consulting 3 days

FEATURED ARTICLE

Working from anywhere: the role of access consulting

by Mary Ann Jackson and Saumya Kaushik

Mary Ann Jackson is a registered Architect, Planner, and Accredited Access Consultant.

Mary Ann is currently undertaking a PhD focused on built environment accessibility at neighbourhood scale and is Director of Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd. Saumya Kaushik is a registered Architect and Project Services Manager of Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd.

W

orldwide, COVID-19 has materialised a ‘new normal’. This short ‘thought piece’ invites discussion on the role of access consulting/consultants in the increasingly normal scenario of (government/ professional services) office workers, facilitated by communication technology, working from anywhere, where ‘anywhere’ is, frequently, one’s home and/or the nearest cafe and/or other neighbourhood location.

8

Government-issued work-from-home (WFH) directives have seen office blocks emptied of workers, instigating increased use of digital work/ communication platforms accessed from ‘unintentional’ workspaces. In Australia, while restrictions have eased in early 2021, ongoing concern about the epidemiological safety of public transport has resulted in reduced patronage and increasing private vehicle use, likely counteracting climate change mitigation. In Victoria, almost everywhere one looks, much is being posited about Melbourne’s post-pandemic ‘new normal’. A focus on active travel (cycling, walking etc) and street level reactivation are common themes. And, indeed, at first impression, Melbourne’s ‘new normal’ within the public realm pedestrian environment, particularly in the CBD and inner urban areas, appears to be the proliferation of parklets for increasing outdoor dining space, more street art, and heightening attention to bike lanes. Although much is being put forward there is not necessarily consensus on

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE

priorities. Prioritisation is indeed difficult given the potentially competing tensions of the perceived economic imperative of getting the city running again as quickly as possible, dwindling government assistance to small and medium sized businesses, and the ramifications of the Victorian Government infrastructure blitz.

Built environment design and detailing has entered societal consciousness for several reasons. In the housing arena workers’ own experiences of WFH, the latter often combined with childrens’ remote learning, illuminated the pros and cons of existing housing design, including that of apartments. The locking down of Melbourne’s public housing towers highlighted significant infrastructural/ design shortcomings. On the other hand, the temporary housing of people experiencing homelessness and Victorian government social housing announcements illustrated that compressed timeframes are possible when there is political will. Also, positively, WFH requirements and more particularly the 5km radius restrictions prompted deeper engagement with the neighbourhood, including awareness of the increased pedestrian space required for achieving physical distancing and the viability, or otherwise, of shared spaces to facilitate same and accommodate childrens’ bicycling needs.

In the quest of preventing disease spread, improving hygiene in office buildings and offices therein has required attention to be paid to air-conditioning systems, lift capacities, high touch areas such as reception areas and door handles, desk spacing and design (eg, proliferation of sneeze guards/upstands), meeting room layouts, hand sanitiser stations, bathroom usage, and arguably most importantly, communication

methods. Hybrid work situations prompted by the apparent success of WFH, government-imposed staggering of return to work, and workers not attending when sick, are also leading to re-thinks in office design. If, for example, only 50% of the office workforce are on-site at any one time, and they are predominantly on-site to engage in professional-social interaction, how much and what type of space is actually necessary?

In this projected new normal it is necessary to think about the location, form, content, and detail of the office environment at several scales. At the macro scale, lockdown, with its WFH instructions for office employees, generated on-going discussions about CBD revitalisation.

On other hand during lockdown many suburbs experienced more vibrancy, particularly inner-city areas where ’20 minute neighbourhoods’ are already extant. Due to housing affordability challenges, however, many office workers live in outer ring suburbs dominated by housing estates.

At the meso scale, eg, the office (building) envelope’s interface with the public realm and overall form/ content, building regulations routinely impose various requirements, including accessibility provisions for people with disability.

Detail considerations revolve around the actual workspace, including ergonomic, privacy, and technological requirements. Weighing up this micro scale, many employees are willing to return to ‘the office’ as soon as possible, their current living arrangements not facilitating working from home on an ongoing basis.

In the Australian legislative system, as most readers would know, (government/ professional services/ commercial) office buildings are classified as Class 5 under the Disability (Access Summer 2021

9

FEATURED ARTICLE to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2010 (Premises Standards) and the Building Code of Australia (BCA) with concomitant ‘access for people with a disability’ requirements. However, the cautious return to (large) offices is resulting in significant levels of WFH continuing. For many reasons (professional development/social interaction for example) full-time WFH is often unsatisfactory. Melbourne’s 5km radius travel restriction enabled many office workers working from home to discover more about the local neighbourhood; many are desirous of continuing this new-found neighbourhood connection. But, if the office workplace is within the home, or somewhere else in the neighbourhood, who decides whether it is suitably accessible for whom and in accordance with what standard?

Also, in this supposed new normal, the voice of people with disability has been overlooked, particularly in regard to the built environment’s agency status in equitably supporting people with disabilities’ work-life (Martel et al., 2021).

Worldwide, including in Australia, people with disability struggle daily with accessing the public realm pedestrian environment, public transport built infrastructure, and housing. Lack of enforcement and/or misinterpretation of built

10

environment accessibility legislation has also been identified as a major impediment (Jackson, 2018).

Leading contemporary urban/disability scholar-activist, Victor Santiago Pineda (2020), has written extensively of the shortcomings of the urban environment including the ways in which conventional design and delivery contributes to spatial and social injustice. Australia’s Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (DDA) legislates non-discrimination in employment. Built environment accessibility is a precondition to (social) inclusion (Pineda et al., 2017). Built environment inaccessibility at neighbourhood scale is therefore problematic if working from anywhere, in the neighbourhood, is the new office.

Sharam et al., (2018) found that there is still a lack of quantifiable data regarding accessible housing in Australia as had Bridge, (2005) more than a decade ago. Sharam et al., (2018) also stated that “[t]he Australian private sector housing, like much of the Western world, has, in the absence of universal accessibility standards, failed to provide appropriate housing for people with physical disability” (p. 31). Aitken et al., (2019) concluded that people with disability reported poorer housing quality and significantly more dissatisfaction with their neighbourhoods and homes than people

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE without disability. However, currently no Australian scheme routinely funds modifying a dwelling for work purposes; modifications are restricted to those supporting ‘activities of daily living’, particularly within the NDIS. Current regulations in Australia exclude private dwellings from ‘access to premises’ regulations that apply to conventional locations of office work such as public and commercial (office) buildings. Although the Australian Building Codes Board (ABCB) is currently investigating mandating (some degree of) accessibility in all new private dwellings from 2022, it is certainly not guaranteed that will eventuate, any new legislation will not retrospectively apply to existing housing, and the DDA as it currently stands does not require housing to be accessible.

In a new normal of mobility to, between, and in, coworking (office) hubs, community buildings (eg, libraries), cafes, and houses as places of work, reliance on complying with current accessibility requirements for buildings alone is insufficient.

While the Premises Standard and the BCA requirements for Class 5 are immediately applicable for determining accessibility to and within all areas normally used by the occupants in coworking hubs, libraries would generally be

classified as Class 9b and Cafes as Class 6, potentially triggering differing considerations and requirements. While many existing office buildings and most government/ community buildings now have accessible entries and toilets, many existing cafes, particularly the small, cool, cafe culture ones on which Melbourne prides itself, still do not. Most Australian houses do not even meet the Livable Housing Design Guidelines Silver Level (ANUHD 2020).

Recent months have demonstrated that, in pandemic conditions, our modern era of pervasive technology deployment has enabled work environments to change quickly. Legislation that facilitates equitable working conditions for all, however, changes very slowly. In light of this, we think that Access Consultants have a role in ensuring that unintended/informal/un-defined working spaces are indeed working-accessible, at both home and neighbourhood scale. But how, beyond compliance, can Access Consultants be effectively involved within this new role? We believe that built environment designers need to better understand Australia’s commitments to international human rights instruments (particularly the UNCRPD), the DDA and its associated Disability Standards, state and local governments’ Disability

Summer 2021

11

FEATURED ARTICLE Policies including Disability Action Plans, and Universal Design. However, as built environment designers often have little direct contact with people with disability and little understanding of people with disabilities’ lived built environment experience (Jackson 2018), Access Consultants are well-placed to play an influential advocacy role. We therefore appeal to the access consulting community to educate built environment designers on people with disabilities’ work-life needs when designing neighbourhood and home environments that may, temporarily but somewhat predictably in modern circumstances, become work environments.

References Aitken, Z., Baker, E., Badland, H., Mason, K., Bentley, R., Beer, A., & Kavanagh, A. M. (2019). Precariously placed: housing affordability, quality and satisfaction of Australians with disabilities. Disability and Society, 34(1), 121–142. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2018.1521333 Australian Network for Universal Housing Design. (2020).

“Let’s do it right first time” Response to the Consultation Regulatory Impact Statement Proposal to include minimum accessibility standards for all housing in the National Construction Code. www.anuhd.organuhd@anuhd.org Bridge, C. (2005). Accessible Housing in Australia: HMMinfo Consultation Paper Response Publication History. www.homemods.info Jackson, M. A. (2018). Models of Disability and Human Rights: Informing the Improvement of Built Environment Accessibility for People with Disability at Neighborhood Scale? Laws, 7(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/ laws7010010 Martel, A., Day, K., Jackson, M. A., & Kaushik, S. (2021).

Beyond the pandemic: the role of built environment in supporting people with disabilities work life. Archnet IJAR International Journal of Architectural Research. https://doi.org/10.1108/arch-10-2020-0225 Pineda, V. S., & Corburn, J. (2020). Disability, Urban Health Equity, and the Coronavirus Pandemic: Promoting Cities for All. Journal of Urban Health, 97(3), 336–341. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11524-020-00437-7 Pineda, V. S., Meyer, S., & Cruz, J. P. (2017). The Inclusion Imperative. Forging an Inclusive New Urban Agenda. The Journal of Public Space, 2(4), 1. https://doi.org/10.5204/jps.v2i4.138 Sharam, A., Byford, M., Karabay, B., McNelis, S., & Burke, T. (2018). Matching markets in housing and housing assistance. In AHURI Final Report (Issue 307). https://doi.org/10.18408/ahuri-5315301 12

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

ADVERTORIAL

Counter Sound Transfer Systems

With the onset of COVID -19 in 2020, Perspex screens have been installed in retail and customer service environments in order to provide a measure of protection and safety for both staff and customers. There has however been an unintended consequence, with both staff and customers challenged to hear the person on the other side of the screen.

BCA D3.7 is prescriptive in regards the requirement for hearing augmentation where the public is screened from the service provider. Until 2020, we would have seen such screens at ticketing booths, in banks and in secure office environments.

Since COVID-19, solid Perspex screens have been introduced into a wider variety of locations where there is face to face contact, typically between staff and customer. The use of a counter sound transfer system in conjunction with a hearing loop can combat the issues facing staff and customers, amplifying the speaker’s voice plus feeding directly to a customer’s hearing aid, while retaining the solid protective barrier between staff and customer. The counter sound transfer system should be identified with the International Symbol for Deafness, to alert the customer of the provision of the listening system.

Suitable applications for a counter transfer system: • Secured or screened reception counters • Banks • Customer service counters at train stations and other similar services • Ticket booths

Contact Hearing Loop Australia, your consultation, design, training and education specialists in: • Hearing augmentation

• Counter loops

• Fixed loops

• Speech transfer systems

• Portable systems

1300 669 721 www.hearingloop.com.au

info@hearingloop.com.au

Summer 2021

13

FEATURED ARTICLE

Accessible fitout design

by Eric J Martin AM

Eric Martin has practiced architecture since 1973. He is a life fellow of the Australian Institute of Architects and has a Masters degree in building conservation. After working with Government and private practice he established his own architectural practice in 1998 offering a full range of services with additional expertise in architectural conservation and access for people with disabilities. In 2019 the practice was awarded the Australian Institute of Architects Professional Practice of the Year for the ACT. Eric is the Australian Institute of Architects International Representative to the UIA Region IV Access and Heritage Committees and the Building Codes Committee. He is a member of Standards Australia ME64 committee on disability access and the Institute of National Practice Committee. He is also the current convener of the Institute’s National Access Working Group.

Eric is an accredited access consultant and is past National President of the Association of Consultants in Access, Australia. He is currently the Australian Institute of Architects representative on the Building Codes Committee.

In 2006 Eric was granted the award of Member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his contribution to heritage and conservation and disability access matters in Australia.

14

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE

A

S 1428.2-1992 Design for access and mobility – Enhanced and additional requirements – Buildings and facilities exist and is still referenced in the DSAPT (Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport) but is substantially out of date being more then 25 years old but there is little current documentation available that designers have ready access to for the designs of fitouts.

There are the Australian Institute of Architects (the Institute) Acumen Design Guides that cover a wide range of topics that AS1428.2 included and provides a very valuable source of information on

a range of topics. These were developed by the Institute’s National Access Work Group members and Association of Consultants in Access Australia (ACAA) members to be best practice guidelines for the Institute and ACAA Members.

They are reviewed regularly by the Institute to keep them up to date.

These include: accessible change cubicles, accessible fitting rooms, accessible baby change room, accessible reception counters, accessible tea points, accessible ticket office, accessible utility rooms, junior ambulant toilet, water filling point and accessible drinking fountains and taps.

Accessible Drinking Fountain - Acumen Design Guidelines

Accessible Reception Counter – Acumen Design Guidelines

Summer 2021

15

FEATURED ARTICLE

Accessible Tea point – Acumen Design Guidelines

It is pleasing to see that Australian Standards are looking at updating AS1428.2 to become AS1428.6 under the ME64 committee to be called “Fixtures and Fittings”. Substantial work was done in late 2019 and the first half of 2020, but it has stalled while Part 1 corrections and Part 5 rewrite have taken precedence. Part 6 is also intended to review some details and

16

undertake some further research on reach and spatial needs for a wide range of activities.

Part 6 is intended to include: • Details of wheelchairs such as is in AS1428.1 supplement 1993 which are very useful regarding reach ranges supplemented/ amended as a result of further details of reach ranges based on additional research.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE

• Visual distance and height of writing so that it may be read by users especially on information signs.

Building Elements will include: • Floor surfaces and review the specification for carpet that includes underlays.

• Ceiling and wall finishes including improved detailing to assist vision impaired.

Lighting levels for various tasks and luminance / colour contrast / glare / reflection to be covered to ensure easy legibility for all.

Furniture and fitments is a large section and will build on the Acumen Design Guides and cover details for all types of counters and waiting rooms.

Other fitments to be covered are mailboxes, food buffets, drinking fountains, storage systems such as wardrobes, seating and table heights, kitchenettes, tea points, laundries, utilities in the office environments etc.

Spatial needs for work stations, dining areas, bedrooms are also included.

Reach to elements that are part of daily life will also detailed such as windows, power points, room controls and access to waste disposal.

Special areas will be included such as change facilities for adults and children, lecterns and facilities in lecture/seminar/conference venues.

As you can see the scope is far reaching but will be an invaluable standard for architects, designers and access consultants. The task is taking time and if any reader has anything to contribute they are welcome to do so. The exact programme for the final circulation draft is not currently set but it is on the agenda to restart in 2021. In the mean time the Acumen Design notes are probably the best guide to use.

Summer 2021

17

FEATURED ARTICLE

Conducting virtual meetings and conference events accessible to people with disabilities

by Art Phonsawat ACAA Associate Access Consultant Vista Access Architects

Art is a qualified Interior Designer, qualified Access Consultant and an Associate member of the Association of Consultants in Access Australia. Art has been with Vista Access Architects since May 2020.

2

020: what a year that was! We had to adapt to an unprecedented and unpredictable global situation in response to a pandemic that has changed the shape of our day to day lives going forward. In this ‘new norm’, most of us had to learn to work from home, and while that seemed a novel idea to begin with, it has posed its own challenges. For some of us, these new issues have been amplified by existing hurdles that many Australians face in working with a disability, whether it be vision impairment, hearing, speaking, or physical impairments.

18

It has always been important to provide an inclusive working environment for everyone, and now more than ever, it is essential to know how to conduct a virtual meeting or interview with these factors in mind. Conferences can span the gamut of tiring, informative and interesting (and we’ve all been in every one of those meetings), but to a person with a disability, these meetings can be a daunting experience or a labor-intensive endeavor, as they try to grasp and follow the information being delivered. A lot of tools and apps help, but technology alone is rarely intuitive.

Being in a position where you can aid this process, there is an unspoken responsibility for you to strive to make any virtual meetings and interviews as inclusive as possible.

Planning is a key step for any success, and a few extra steps can make a huge difference to your presentation and ensure an inclusive meeting.

Here are a few ideas to think about when planning your next virtual meeting:

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE CHOOSING YOUR PLATFORM Perhaps the first step is making sure the platform you are using to deliver the information has features and accessibility functions designed to help you get your information across to a diverse audience. Programs like Skype and Zoom have a light and dark mode setting as well as high contrast for their texts and menus but Skype has options to increase the font size and zoom in and out.

Zoom offers a closed captioning option where you or a nominated user can type out the closed captioning which will be seen by all within the meeting, other options are third party apps that work in Zoom to provide live captioning but with most of these apps the only available language is English (US). Websites such as rev.com provide this service at $20USD a month and boasts an 80% accuracy rate.

Microsoft Teams have a built in live captioning setting which is easy to turn on as shown below. This is a free service which Microsoft provides and is also available in Google Meet.

Making sure all content within the meeting is available and distributed beforehand, or linked within the chatbox or meeting invite, will help prepare the audience for the meeting.

KNOWING YOUR AUDIENCE Finding out who is going to attend the meeting is a great way to be prepared, knowing what materials to prepare and structuring your slides and presentation to keep the audience interested and above all understandable.

Finding out who is going to attend the meeting is a great way to be prepared. This can inform any additional materials you need to prepare or any restructuring required to keep your audience interested, and ensure that all audience members are able to understand your content. If providing an invite or a registration form, it’s easy to include a couple of questions on any accessibility needs required by the participant.

INTERPRETATION For major meetings delivered to a larger audience, budgeting for a sign language interpreter will be highly beneficial to clear up any confusion and to ensure the information being delivered will be received and avoid confusion. A text captioning service can also be used to aid the meeting.

Be mindful of the duration of meetings when using an interpreter, as most interpreters will need a break every few minutes. For meetings

Image from Microsoft support

HAVING ACCESSIBLE MATERIAL Screen sharing has been revolutionary in this period of working from home and virtual meetings. It saves time, and can speed up virtual training for new employees, but screen sharing poses a problem for people with a vision impairment as most of the time screen readers are used to aid in meetings and day to day work.

Summer 2021

19

FEATURED ARTICLE that have an extended duration, a good idea is to have two interpreters on hand to cater for rest periods. Most organisations that provide sign language interpreters will ask you how long will the meeting go for, as well as general topics being discussed, in which they can advise you on the best way to go.

APPEARANCE MATTERS Another point to think about is, ‘Will the person running the meeting have their camera on?’

This has potential to allow people who have a hearing impairment to follow along with visual cues as well as lip-reading, but with the camera on there are a few things to consider: • Adequate lighting for the presenter. Ensuring the clearest image possible.

• Avoid using virtual backgrounds. This can be confusing for people with a visual impairment as most virtual backgrounds often “bleed” onto the presenter's face and clothes on screen.

• Avoid sitting with your back to a reflective surface or a window as it causes a glare and the face will be almost blacked out.

20

STRUCTURING YOUR PRESENTATION • Colour contrasting on the pages of the presentation to make it easily distinguishable.

Apps used for contrast checking are available online.

• Identifying the person who is speaking at the beginning of their turn.

• Font sizing and style should be a minimum of 12pt and avoid using all uppercase, non-serif fonts are the best for this application • Image descriptions should be attached to all images and distributed beforehand to the audience. A brief caption or blurb on the imagery can provide context relating to the particular section being discussed or presented.

• Video and audible content should be accompanied by one another; any videos added to the presentation should be accompanied by an audio description, and audio content should be transcribed to be displayed during the presentation.

• Avoid screen presenting a scrolling page as this is can be hard to follow for a multitude

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE

of people as texts can be harder to read and follow along.

• Be mindful of jargon, slang, and assumed knowledge to be inclusive of all attendees.

• Ensure your slides are uncluttered and consider using images to help explain concepts.

• Leave ample time for questions.

• Avoid meeting fatigue. Presentations that go on and on can be taxing for all involved and be even harder for those of us that have a disability.

Situations will dictate what extra provisions will be needed and every meeting should be planned for individually, but a lot of these structures and points should be developed as a general practice as they demonstrate a great level of understanding and preparation.

Remember that we are all learning in this new working environment, but having these skills and preparation levels ensures that we can still provide an inclusive work environment for all to engage, enjoy and hopefully deliver a successful meeting.

It’s all about access & freedom Para Mobility specialises in the design, manufacture and distribution of disability equipment. Our key Australian made products include: • • • • • •

Pool access hoists Pool access platforms Lift and change facility equipment Ceiling hoists & tracks Wall mounted adult change tables Building code compliant equipment

Phone 1300 444 600 sales@paramobility.com.au www.paramobility.com.au

Summer 2021

21

FEATURED ARTICLE

Emergency evacuation from workplaces for people with disability

by Hank Van Ravenstein MRICS

Hank is a Principal with LCI Consultants, being a highly experience and accomplished building regulatory, fire safety, risk management access and equitable professional and is also a chartered surveyor, with an outstanding track record of performance in government agencies and private sector companies, including as an independent consultant and regulatory specialist. He has published many papers on Fire Safety, Evacuation and Regulatory compliance as well as presented numerous papers at multiple national and state industry events over his 35 year career.

Contact: hank.vanravenstein@lciconsultants.com.au

22

B

ased on 2020 Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS] data, Australia’s population numbered 25,687,041 as of 30 June 20201.

Considering the 2018 statistics on the number of persons with disability being 17.7%2 of the population, there are over 4.5 million persons with disability in Australia. Based on the 2018 ABS percentage figures for working age, there are 2.14 million people with disability and of that 53.4% are in the workforce, being 1.15 million people with disability.

1 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/national-state-and-territory-population/latest-release, viewed 19 January 2021.

2 https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/disability/disability-ageing-and-carers-australia-summary-findings/latest-release, viewed 19 January 2021.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE Lessons learnt from the devastating loss of life in the World Trade Centre [9/11] (USA) and high-rise accommodation fires at Grenfell Tower fire3 (UK) have shown deficiencies in the design and construction where evacuation is required by occupants who cannot negotiate exit stairs without assistance or are not sprinkler protected.

Issues like these need to be addressed in any planning for buildings and workplaces. The challenge is when implementing fire safety and other emergency procedures into their safe work practices.

ARE THE CODES UP TO DATE? It is commonly assumed that compliance with the Deemed-to-Satisfy (DtS) provisions of the National Construction Code Series Volume One (BCA) is sufficient to achieve a satisfactory level of performance and safety. However, it needs to be understood that except for access considerations, the DtS provisions have been largely written around people without disability.

Modern office building designs are generally multi-storey, having mixed occupancies, such as retail, childcare centres and residential accommodation, not to mention public open spaces. With buildings being constructed that provide for people with disabilities easier access in, the question arises, has emergency evacuation really been considered in the design?

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenfell_Tower_fire

The Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cwth) (DDA) imposes duties on organisations and designers in how they are to manage the way emergency evacuations from workplaces and buildings of persons with disability is achieved in a dignified, non-discriminatory and safe manner.

Under State and Federal Legislation, it is unlawful to treat people with disabilities any less favourably than a person without disability, such as noted in Hall-Bentick4 where Greater Union were held to have indirectly discriminated against the wheelchair-bound complainant by not providing wheelchair access in its cinemas.

Therefore, it follows that it is the responsibility of those who have control of or have safety and compliance obligations to ensure that arrangements are in place for safe and timely evacuation of all occupants in the building in an emergency.

A typical example is the minimum width of an exit path (corridor) in the BCA is 1.0 m, whilst AS 1428.1–2009, clause 6.5.1, states that ‘the circulation space required for a wheelchair to make a 60° to 90° turn shall be not less than 1500 mm wide and 1500 mm long in the direction of travel. This space may be splayed across the internal corner as shown in Figure 1 below, taking into account the 90th percentile-based footprint for an occupied wheelchair as detailed AS1428.1 – 20095.

In some buildings, the width of the corridor (egress path) does not consider the circulation space required for people using a wheelchair.

Whilst this is a minimum defined in the Australian Standards, taking the dimensions relevant to the 90th percentile based on the findings of research undertaken by Bails6 in 1983. Since that time wheelchairs have evolved with the advantage of technology has result in them becoming larger, 4 Hall-Bentick v. Greater Union Organisation Pty. Ltd. (2000) EOC 93-107 5 Figure 1 (page 6) AS1428.1 – 2009 6 Bails, J. H., 1983. ‘Project Report of the Field Testing of Australian Standard 1428—1977.’ (Comprises a series of separate investigations).

South Australian Department of Housing and Construction. (Now Housing SA)

Summer 2021

23

FEATURED ARTICLE heavier whilst at the same time giving the users greater control over their mobility and freedom.

Whilst access design, in terms of undertaking a Performance Solution7 is generally taken for a person who uses a wheelchair, there are other disabilities such as hearing, visual and mental impairments including a combination thereof that should also be considered.

Whilst the DtS requirements of the BCA, is lacking, it is picked up and addressed by the BCA in the Performance Requirements, DP48, DP69 and DP710 in that you must consider ‘mobility and other characteristics of occupants’ and DP111 access must be provided to ‘access work and public spaces. It is therefore important when designing a building that you consider, the type, occupant profile, use and type of building and holistically address all the requirements outlined in BCA Performance Requirements.

EMERGENCY EVACUATIONS The safety of all people is of paramount 7 Definitions in Schedule 3 National Construction Code 2019 Building Code of Australia Volume One. 8 Section D – National Construction Code 2019 Building Code of Australia Volume One, pages 121-122 9 Ibid 10 Ibid

importance, whether they are persons with or without disability and as such should not be discriminated against. All occupants need must be taken into account when designing and planning any building design, especially evacuation provisions. Whilst it is agreed that it not always possible to plan for every situation that may occur, in an emergency, like what happed at the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center (USA), it is possible to prepare for emergencies if designers understand their obligations and occupant characteristics.

Factors such as how person with disability are notified of a building emergency, an understanding of how will they respond to a potentially catastrophic event, what features or systems are provided to assist them during an emergency, and what planning and operational strategies are in place to help ensure “equal egress” will be provided during an emergency.

It is better to design buildings from a risk perspective so as to limit the likelihood of a serious fire event. This can be achieved through good holistic fire risk safety design coupled with proper maintenance regime of the fire safety systems. The design should also consider the movement of people with disability within and outside of the building (horizontal and vertical movement) and the development of an associated

11 Ibid

24

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE

Figure 2 - Emergency Plan

Emergency Management Plan, refer to Figure 2, that can be practically and efficiently implemented in the event of an emergency.

difficulties in firefighting, evacuation client characteristics and rescue operations during emergency evacuations.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

EVACUATION REQUIREMENTS

Firstly, community expectations for the care of people with disability are continually rising, based on better education, knowledge and technical advancements and their integration into the mainstream workforce as it should be.

Accountability of design engineers, building surveyors and regulators needs to be intensified through post incident analyses and industry design. Owners, developers, Regulators and design professionals must adopt a far more robust processes to justify their designs and approval processes, which is implicit in the DDA.

Australian Standard AS3745-201012 ‘Planning for emergencies in facilities’, is a framework to enhance the safety and welfare of people in facilities, Providing a framework for emergency planning, being that it applies only to the human/ life safety aspects of emergencies within facilities, implying that a number of other requirements need to be addressed for people with disability, not to mention the requirement of the DDA. For example, staff and visitors with a disability must be included in an organisation’s emergency planning; whilst there are some fire engineering reports referencing AS 3745, they do not go into detail on how it will impact or is incorporated in the final design and construction of the building.

The Fire Engineering design needs to consider how evacuation models are used in the design process and its relationship to that of the performance-based design approach now being more widely used. In terms of the BCA and the relevant Australian Standards, they only establish the minimum requirements in the design of buildings. In most cases, there is a need for additional fire and life safety measures, to mitigate the complexity and the additional

The evacuation process of a high-rise building particularly for persons with disability is 12 Originally Published by Standards Australia on 25 November 2010, Standards Australia is the nation's peak non-government, not-for-profit standards organisation.

Summer 2021

25

FEATURED ARTICLE influenced by the characteristics and types of vertical egress provisions provided. With present day buildings are being constructed higher as well as having larger open spaces such as atriums, these factors need to be considered and assessed against the backdrop of the occupant’s demographics and characteristics.

Stair evacuations do present some significant problems for people with disabilities, in the literature studied, different evacuation problems have been analysed13 such as the ability of the occupants to use stairs with or without an aid, its impact on the evacuation process for those that are assisting them14, and the use of dedicated stair devices on the variability of the possible confusions on others using the stairs.

In planning and designing an emergency evacuation, it is all about planning for the unexpected, and people with a disability are no different from anyone else. Whilst there are 13 Boyce KE, Shields TJ(1999) Towards the characterisation of building occupancies for fire safety engineering: capabilities of disabled people moving horizontally and up an incline. Fire Technol 35(1):51–67.

14 Shields TJ et al. 2009 – Fire Safety Journal 2009 – ‘The behaviour and evacuation experiences of WTC 9/11 evacuees with self-designated mobility impairments.

26

procedures and requirements in place for most types of buildings, they are not always integrated with the original criteria of the Fire Engineering design. The purposely designed evacuation lifts, fire-fighting lifts and evacuation chairs, have special features and measures in place which could allow for their use in the event of fire. What needs to be understood is that persons with disability should not be required to wait for the main flow of people to leave the building before they are evacuated.

CONCLUSION There are many complex issues associated with design for the evacuation of person with disability in emergencies of which fire is only but one; albeit it a very important one. It is therefore imperative that all stakeholders such as fire safety engineers,designers, building surveyors/certifiers including relevant Authorities, need to understand the requirements of people with disability or for that matter any person, is to ensure that they can be evacuated as safely and quickly as possible in a dignified and proper manner to safety in the event of an emergency.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

RBA’s new range of Designer Grab Rails is now available in Matte Black, White and Bright polished finishes.

Finally you don’t have to compromise looks for performance and strength.

Select from shower, ambulant and straight configurations for your next project.

www.rba.com.au

ClearaSound B R I N G I N G

C L A R I T Y

T O

H E A R I N G

HEARING Augmentation specialist

PA SYSTEMS Counter loop FM & Infrared systems

INVISIBLE

Hearing loop installation

02 9481 9750

www.clearasound.com.au sales@clearasound.com.au

Summer 2021

27

FEATURED ARTICLE

Hearing augmentation requirements and communicating in a socially distant environment

by Bruce Bromley

T

he COVID-19 worldwide pandemic is a devastating and highly contagious disease that is affecting us all, particularly people with disability.

The key principles of prioritising public health and safety to protect people against infection, compliance with public health guidelines, working with governments and public health authorities, and changing our behaviours such as social distancing and hygiene measures are being practiced at every opportunity.

BUILDING CODE OF AUSTRALIA The Building Code of Australia provides definitive requirements within part D3.7 Hearing Augmentation for when the public is screened from service providers/ assistants

(a) A hearing augmentation system must be provided where an inbuilt amplification system, other than one used only for emergency warning, is installed—

28

(i) in a room in a Class 9b building; or (ii) in an auditorium, conference room, meeting room or room for judicatory purposes; or (iii) at any ticket office, teller’s booth, reception area or the like, where the public is screened from the service provider.

The provision of PPE (personal protective equipment) especially masks or face shields in some regions is now strongly recommended or mandatory.

Viruses are transmitted between people, usually when a person is exposed to the secretions of an infected person. The current route of transmission of the coronavirus is unclear, but past experience has shown that exposure to the body fluid that an infected person coughs or sprays or shaking hands with an infected person leads to infection.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

Australian businesses have also risen to the challenge and are adapting to the new COVIDNORM and it is becoming clear that many of these changes are here to stay.

Plexiglass sneeze guards have been around for many years but are now commonplace in a large portion of service-based businesses, but these sneeze guards have brought about a new challenge to communicate with many people on both sides of the screen unable to hear.

FEATURED ARTICLE

HEARING AUGMENTATION SIGNAGE

Audio frequency induction loop system (AFILS) An amplified transmitting sound system that is connected to a loop cable that generates a magnetic field, which is utilized by a person wearing a hearing aid with a built-in T-switch.

For people in the community who are hearing impaired, masks with transparent screens have also been introduced to aid in lip reading, however, these masks do not benefit all people.

To help, Hearing Loop Australia have sourced a plug and play solution that has speakers and microphones on both sides of the screen that incorporates hearing augmentation technology.

This solution will help any business wanting to improve customer service for people with and without hearing loss. This Speech Transfer Package is a flexible system that is well suited to counters, reception desks, retail outlets and many other applications.

This new solution is available to help people with and without hearing loss on both sides of the counter communicate better. The speakers benefit people without hearing impairment whilst the hearing augmentation technology allows people with T-switches that are built into hearing aids to connect directly to the amplification system.

More information available here: https://www.hearingloop.com.au/shop/ packages/counter-sound-transfer-package/

Signage design from Braille Sign Supplies

Again the Building Code of Australia addresses the required signage to be provided along with Hearing Augmentation

D3.6 SIGNAGE In a building required to be accessible— (b) signage including the international symbol for deafness in accordance with AS 1428.1 must be provided within a room containing a hearing augmentation system identifying— (i) the type of hearing augmentation; and (ii) the area covered within the room; and (iii) if receivers are being used and where the receivers can be obtained; Please Note: Equal Access Group has no affiliation or financial interests with Hearing Loop Australia or Braille Sign Supplies. The details provided within this article is for information purposes.

Summer 2021

29

FEATURED ARTICLE

Inclusive office work stations: because having accessible buildings is only part of the puzzle

by Rachel Whymark (Positive Access and Sustainable Solutions (PASS) Building Consultants)

Rachel’s passion and advocacy for a more accessible (and sustainable) building environment began as a trainee building certifier in the UK 33 years ago. Specialising in interpretation of legislation, particularly of Part M (Access to and use of buildings), Part L (Conservation of fuel and power) and Part B (Fire safety) of the UK building regulations.

She went on to be part of the specialist building control team at the National House Building Council, judged the RIBA housing design awards, and worked as a project manager for the Movement for Innovation’s Housing Forum.

Arriving in far North Queensland 16 years ago, her attention turned to working for builders and developers and enabling the construction of many award winning homes in far North Queensland with an emphasis on sustainability and accessibility.

E

nsuring that a building is compliant to meet legislative requirements is one thing, but having truly inclusive work places is an entirely different animal, and just as important.

Of course there are the social contexts of the organisation, which will to a greater or lesser degree determine how far they are willing to go in terms of providing comfortable and useable working environments for as many people as possible. But this aside, there is an incredible array of furniture and accessories that can support a very wide range of people to enable office work spaces in particular to be extremely versatile, and in doing so, provide a fundamentally important part of the puzzle that completes an inclusive workplace. Without consideration of how individuals will be needing to carry out their work in their personal workspace, opportunities to support staff with disabilities may be missed. Meaning that not only individuals miss out, but so does the company employing them.

In 2018, Rachel decided to become an access consultant aiming for Accredited membership of the ACAA, undertaking her Diploma in Access Consulting. She has also completed the Specialist Disability Accommodation (SDA) assessor course, and Liveable Housing Australia (LHA) course.

Rachel is based in Cairns and works as an access and sustainability consultant for projects all over Australia.

30

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE YOU EVEN REACH THE DESK Where desks are located in relation to accessible bathrooms, lunch areas, required facilities such as printer rooms, meeting rooms and also a safe means of access (and egress) should be taken into account. It should be a given that spatial requirements of the building structure are met, but building management is going to play an important role in ensuring that the building is functional and safe for all its occupants. Piling boxes full of archived files, or reams of paper or spare chairs in printer rooms for example, if they impede access, is going to be a problem for most people, but especially those who may not be able to easily negotiate around the obstacles or move them.

But let’s focus on the furniture and tools that can facilitate the work space.

WHICH DESK? AS1428.2 1992 goes into detail in terms of reach ranges, height, depth and width recommendations, knee and toe clearances, etc. for a number of areas including tables, counters and worktops. Try and consider not just work stations, but also conference room tables, lunch area tables, makeup areas in restrooms and other furniture (fixed or moveable) that is likely to be used by staff and/or visitors.

In Australia, there is access to a good range of suppliers who specialise in custom furniture for people with disabilities, but it may questionable as to whether this would be necessary in some cases. An adjustable height desk of any kind is a good starting point, as long as there are no obstructions for knees/toes.

Moveable furniture of course is ultimately going to give you the most flexibility, rather than fixed cabinetry, but even here, there could be elements which are adjustable, connected to fixed elements (being mindful of junctions between and prevention of injury or trapping/pulling cables).

Furniture need not be expensive, even doing a quick search, I found prices (in Australia) for a 1500mm wide x 650mm depth table in many different colours at $412.00 with upgrade options for electric adjustment, tilting, cut outs,

locking castors and different heights available (to cater for people of all heights).

CAP Electric or hand wound height adjustable tables come in a variety of sizes and colours.

CAP Furniture tables start from $350.00 for a 950mm x 650mm hand wound table. Electric lift tables (1200mmx 650mm) from $820.00.

Think also about space and facilities for walking aids (or an assistance animal) for people who do not use their mobility aid as their working chair.

Crutches constantly falling over, or becoming a dangerous tripping hazard is a level of detail that may need to be taken into account when planning where work stations are located.

Looking for a smart meeting room table? Meeting room and cafeteria tables should ideally enable anyone to sit anywhere without table legs or bars getting in the way. Thinking ‘inclusive’ at the outset will result in better choices at the outset.

This Ropox table is available in many sizes, with the largest being 3000mm x 3000mm ($3,800).

Tables such as this 4Single Ropox example are ideal for lunch rooms or meeting/conference rooms.

In some instances, an individual may be prescribed specific equipment items that will aid a comfortable or ergonomic working posture, whether that be in the home or office Summer 2021

31

FEATURED ARTICLE environment. An example includes the Ropox “Vision Table”, which are incredibly adaptable to a wide range of requirements with tables being able to tilt (either fully or part of the table), electric or manual, with magnetic attachments such as document holders and pen holders. Ranging from $5,000 up to around $10,000 depending on which options you choose.

Ergotron Workfit-S is around $1,000 and is fixed to an existing desk.

Ropox ‘vision table’. With so many configurations available, they can be single users, or for up to a group of 4 people.

OTHER OPTIONS FOR WORK STATIONS If you are needing to adapt a fixed desk for example, then you have options such as the Ergotron Workfit-S single LD Sit-stand workstation which can be retro-fitted and enables your keyboard and monitor to move up and down simultaneously with a gentle push or pull action.

These are great for people who need to vary their work position.

32

CHAIR OPTIONS All staff should be provided with chairs which support healthy sitting postures. It also improves productivity, so a win-win all round. Chair selection is very dependent on the needs and requirements of the individual and their work environment and assistance may need to be sought to choose an appropriate ergonomic chair to suit your requirements. Chairs with adjustable arm rests (if these are appropriate to your desk set up), headrests, lumbar support, seat depth/ backrest configuration and seat tilt can all aid to create a supportive and comfortable sitting environment.

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE they require lower shelves, or pull out drawers be provided to ensure ease of access?

If storage is electronic, are naming conventions clear, are things easy to find and are monitors and programs set up to have large, legible fonts and other information?

KEYBOARDS, PHONES AND MICE Voice activated apps or devices is a whole area in itself, as well as the accessories to support a more inclusive work station, including special mice, wrist/arm supports (fixed or moveable), specialist keyboards, phones and monitors.

Ergonomic chair with head, arm and lumbar rests, around $1,000.

Keyboards such as these from Maltron are designed with one handed use in mind.

Happily, there are more and more assistive technologies and products which are freely available to support people with disabilities in the workplace. It is often just a question of whether organisations are prepared to invest a little bit of extra initial time, and possibly money to ensure they can get the very best out of all their team members.

No more pain ergonomics Kneeling Chair $295

STORAGE, FILING AND RETRIEVAL If filing, or retrieval of documents is required (which is not electronic), are these accessible? Do

Acknowledgements: Thanks to HLS Healthcare for their time in discussing products and the furniture solutions they have provided to a variety of clients.

Summer 2021

33

FEATURED ARTICLE

Touch-free is the future of design, but what does that mean for accessibility?

by Zip Heaters (Aust) Pty Ltd (a member of the Zip Industries Group) and Eric J Martin AM

T

he COVID-19 pandemic has spurred a wave of innovation, with a number of businesses pivoting to create touch-free equipment for shared commercial spaces, including office buildings, hospitals and aged care facilities, to reduce the risk of virus transmission.

One new contactless innovation that has carefully considered accessibility as part of the design process is the Zip HydroTap Touch-Free Wave, a contactless version of its flagship HydroTap system dispensing instant filtered boiling, chilled and sparkling water.

But what does this mean for accessibility? What about vision impaired people who rely so heavily on their use of touch? And what if sensors require users to stand to operate them, what does that mean for wheelchair users?

The product was developed when Zip Water identified that there was growing demand for contactless equipment to create COVID-safe workplaces.

Research conducted by commercial fit-out specialists, Aston, found that a person will come into contact with 43 different touch points on an average workday.

In addition, according to a global survey conducted last year by market researchers Qualtrics, 74% of people working remotely through COVID-19 wanted employers to focus on taking action to make them feel confident about returning to work.

The design uses proprietary sensor technology detecting hand motions to operate the system within a range from 15mm to 50mm. Direct contact with the tap will not operate it.

The safety lock for boiling water is also contactless, with a twin sensor activation command, so that boiling water is dispensed only when two of the four sensors are engaged, which can be done only through a very intentional hand motion.

34

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

FEATURED ARTICLE From initial concept to installation, Zip Water was able to get the product to market within six months – a process that would usually take up to a year. Zip Water is manufacturing the HydroTap Touch Free Wave out of its factory located in Condell Park, Western Sydney. This gives the company complete in-person oversight of every stage of the product design and manufacturing process.

Accessibility is an important consideration in the design of any new product. The Zip Water team thought about this carefully when designing the HydroTap Touch-Free Wave.

Zip Water Marketing & Strategy Director, Mike Abbott, says: “Many vision impaired people use touch as their main source of information, particularly with the use of Braille. With the right training, the Zip HydroTap Touch-Free Wave may be easier to operate than traditional taps, especially for vision impaired people who find it difficult to operate taps with lever handles, or buttons.

From design and delivery to installation and maintenance, we provide a one-stop-solution for governments, health care operators and private citizens under the NDIS. With a commercial builder’s license in every state and four generations of experience behind us, we are trusted to deliver.

Balancing a national distribution network with individual care, bringing a quality of respect to everything we do.

changingplaces.org.au placeable.com.au 1800 010 246

“Zip HydroTap Touch-Free Wave dispenses instant boiling, chilled and sparkling water with a simple wave of a hand”.

Zip Water Product Development Manager, Kevin Moult, added: “Following feedback from customers including wheelchair users, we created a touch-free bottle-fill function, which once activated enables continuous flow for chilled or sparkling water for 15 seconds. Ease of use has been improved for people who use wheelchairs by removing the need for users to hold their hand consistently over the sensor and stand over their bottle to monitor when it is full.”

The new wave of touch-free equipment should encourage further research and development around accessibility. Whether or not future touch-free innovations will consider people with disabilities is something to follow with keen interest.

Innovations such as the Zip HydroTap Touch-Free Wave will be critical for preventing the spread of germs and disease. However, it will be crucial, that like Zip Water, new innovations consider how people with disabilities use these facilities as an integral part of the design process.

Australia’s only Type A inspection body accredited by the National Association of Testing Authorities, Australia (NATA) for slip resistance & recognised globally through the ILAC mutual recognition agreement to AS ISO/IEC 17020 for the inspection and conformity of slip resistance and luminance contrast testing.

02 9621 3706

www.SafeEnvironments.com.au

Summer 2021

35

HOT APPS

HOT APPS AND WEBSITES

By Jen Barling

EN 301 549 Accessibility requirements suitable for public procurement of ICT products and services Did you know that in 2016, Australia adopted the European standard EN 301 549 for the procurement of accessible ICT (Information and communications technology)? It establishes a minimum standard to ensure that websites, software and digital devices are accessible. The standard ensures that all Australians can access information and use services electronically by public authorities and other public sector agencies during the procurement process.

The standard is free to download at: https://www.etsi.org

MICROSOFT EDAD AND TEAMVIEWER Remote IT support is essential to provide support for staff who use and rely on the compatibility of assistive technology and Government ICT systems. This is important for employees that work remotely as well as employees using assistive software such as screen readers. Support systems may include services such as Teamviewer or microsoft’s eDAD (Enterprise Disability Answer Desk) 24 hours a day software support service. https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/ accessibility/enterprise-answer-desk https://www.teamviewer.com/en-us/ products/teamviewer/

ONLINE ACCESSIBILITY TOOLKIT This informative website, recently released by the South Australian Government, has been co-designed with the community and industry experts. https://www.accessibility.sa.gov.au

36

THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA

REVIEW

Prepared by Cathryn Grant

AN INTEGRATED LITERATURE REVIEW OF THE CURRENT DISCOURSE AROUND UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT – IS OCCUPATION THE MISSING LINK? Authors:

Published online: Journal:

Valerie Watchorn, Danielle Hitch, Cathryn Grant, Richard Tucker, Kathryn Aedy, Susan Ang and Patsie Frawley 17/05/2019 Disability and Rehabilitation, 2021, Volume 43, No.1 , p.1-12

This research aimed to explore the current universal design (UD) literature with regards to the built environment and the promotion of social participation.

Method: Thirty-three articles met the inclusion criteria and were reviewed as a part of this integrated review.

The Person-Environment-Occupation model, a model of practice used by Occupational Therapists was used, to analyse the articles.

Discussion: Most articles were from Northern America or Europe, and a range of study methods were found (including quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods.)

Overall, most of the discourse related to the person and the environment components of the Person-Environment-Occupation (PEO) model.

This is not surprising as UD was initially focused

on the removal of physical barriers to enable access to buildings (Environment) for people with a disability (Person). The O – Occupation is less discussed ie: what activity is going to be done in the building. There was however brief examples within the literature of the integration of Person-Environment-Occupation, for example people with a specific disability (Person) prefer a certain environmental design (Environment) to support the completing a task (Occupation).

The article concludes that increasing the focus on the occupations that people perform in built environments may assist in achieving the ideal of UD including increased social participation and wellness. A wider range of perspectives (culturally, professionally/disciplinary and user) will also enrich the current discussion and understanding of UD.

Summer 2021

37

ADVERTISING OPPORTUNITIES

CLICK HERE CLICK HERE for our

Advertising Rate Card

to fill in a quick survey to help us improve Access Insight

CLICK HERE for a Free Subscription to Access Insight

The content of this magazine is for information purposes only and opinions expressed in articles are those of its author and not ACAA. ACAA assumes no liability or responsibility for any inaccurate or incomplete information, nor for any actions taken in reliance thereon. Advertised products and services that appear in this magazine have been provided by such organisations without verification by ACAA. ACAA does not guarantee, support nor endorses any product or service mentioned in this magazine, nor does it warrant any assertions made by the manufacturers of such products or services.

Users of are recommended to obtain independent information and to perform independent research before using the information acquired from this magazine.

In this magazine, you will find links to other websites. ACAA cannot be held liable for the content of these websites nor for the way in which these websites handle your (personal) data. For information in this regard, read the privacy policy, disclaimer, copyright notices, general terms & conditions, if available, of any website you visit. No part of the magazine may be reproduced without the prior written consent of the ACAA Committee of Management.

20 Maud Street, Geelong VIC 3220 +61 3 5221 2820 office@access.asn.au

www.access.asn.au