From the editors
INCLUSIVE DESIGN IS THE NORM Words Inez Spaargaren
What does the colour purple mean? The first thing that came to my mind was a Friday where young people wear purple clothing once a year, called Purple Friday. On Purple Friday sexual diversity is celebrated. They stand firm for their fellow youth who are bullied or feel marginalized because of their orientation. By wearing purple, they show support for the LGBTQ group. Many schools in the Netherlands are currently striving to be inclusive: accessible to all. But when they hear the school bell, will the environment outside of school also be inclusive, accessible to all?
The American equivalent, Spirit Day, originated in 2010 to show solidarity to gay youth, as the attention on social media was focused on their high suicide rates. Purple was chosen as the representative because in the rainbow flag, it indicated spirit and enthusiasm. To give young people a helping hand. For the new generation of young people, I think the message we should send is to bring all sexual orientations in mutual respect, and that includes the Purple community. Now that diversity emphasizes differences; inclusivity will strengthen interconnectedness. Inclusivity is an increasingly important notion in schools, at universities and at work. But building inclusivity is not limited to institutions; a big question mark about inclusive design is also emerging in the built environment. The ever-increasing diversity in cities reinforces the need for a built environment that supports inclusiveness. There are special assistance programs for the blind and visually impaired, deaf and hard of hearing and hospital patients already in some public buildings. One of such examples includes viewing art through a multi-sensory experience. This is an excellent example for in the built environment, designers should be more committed to inclusiveness because it will foster diverse public. It should not be the case that people are denied access or cannot enter on practical grounds, such as wheelchair users at a museum without an elevator. Or without a 'restriction'-as well as having black skin. For architects and urban planners an example to design according to the statement: the built environment should be as inviting and accessible to all. Inclusive design should be accessible for all types of users: children, adults, all ages, all genders and gender identities, all nationalities, sexual orientations and levels of abilitythe list could go on and on.
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