DeafSpace: Designing for a Rich Sensory Experience

Navigating the built environment is a multisensory experience. We depend upon subtle visual, tactile, and auditory clues for wayfinding and safety, and the design of a space can profoundly impact the ways in which we experience it.

Navigating the built environment is a multisensory experience. We depend upon subtle visual, tactile, and auditory clues for wayfinding and safety, and the design of a space can profoundly impact the ways in which we experience it. For those experiencing deafness or hearing impairment, navigating the buildings we inhabit involves a different set of senses and cues. Architects who understand the ways in which diverse building users experience the world will be far better equipped to design inclusive, welcoming spaces – including places that meet the needs of the deaf and hard of hearing.

The need for awareness on this topic is significant: in the US, roughly 15% of adults – around 37.5 million people – report some degree of hearing loss.i Approximately 1.8 million people over age 12 experience severe hearing loss, and about 400,000 people over 12 experience profound hearing loss.ii The global statistics paint a fuller picture: 5% of the worldwide population lives with disabling hearing loss, and the total is projected to be 700 million by 2050.iii Designing well for this population requires an expanded tool kit and a deeper understanding of the Deaf experience.

The Emergence of DeafSpace

Gallaudet University was founded in 1864 as the nation’s first school for deaf individuals, and serves as “a beacon for visual learning, visual language, social justice, and full rights for deaf and hard of hearing individuals.”iv Understanding that the deaf community experiences and utilizes spaces entirely differently from hearing individuals, HBHM Architects worked with Gallaudet’s ASL Deaf Studies Department in 2005 to develop guidelines for what is known as “DeafSpace.”v Design, in a multitude of ways, changes how we experience and interact with the spaces we inhabit. During the design process, architects and designers

are accustomed to thinking about acoustics and sound, but often instinctively do so from a hearing perspective. Subtracting hearing from the equation changes the needs of the user and the ways in which a space must function.

DeafSpace is designed so those in the deaf community can communicate freely, with little to no need to adapt to a physical environment designed for the hearing. Many design strategies focus on maintaining visual connections for ease of signing, eliminating trip hazards or blind spots that could lead to collisions, and reducing eye strain. The Gallaudet DeafSpace project identified five “touch points” that play a vital role in the spatial experience: Space & Proximity, Sensory Reach, Mobility & Proximity, Light & Color, and Acoustics.vi

Space & Proximity

Space & Proximity refers to physical distance and knowledge of surroundings. “Proxemic zones,” or comfortable ranges for public, social, personal, and intimate space, are different in the deaf community due to the spatial implications of signed conversations. Typically, conversations are initiated by eye contact or touch, then continue as each individual signs and uses subtle facial expressions and body movements to communicate. To facilitate this conversational style, space should be free of visual and physical barriers, and should allow for an increase in space based on the scope of the conversation. Groups of deaf people in conversation will tend to form a circle for inclusion, so gathering spaces should be designed accordingly. A balance of public and private spaces is helpful; open space offers better visual control and allows a deaf individual to feel secure, and adjacent private spaces can provide respite from sensory overwhelm.

During my studies at Clemson, I attended numerous ASL Socials with the Deaf community. Often we would be located at restaurants where we would need to move chairs and tables to create a circular, oval shape to be able to clearly communicate as a large group. Squared tables and limited large gathering spaces made conversations difficult, and accommodating our unique needs meant creating traffic jams in restaurants. A more inclusive design strategy eliminates this problem.

Sensory Reach

Sensory reach refers to the various ways in which individuals use their senses within a space – particularly visual, tactile, and auditory. For individuals with hearing loss, visual range is extremely important. We often position ourselves in the space to be able to see what’s going on around us better. Without hearing I’ve adapted to be very visual; and occasionally joke about putting a mirror up at the corner of my desk so I can see behind me (though I haven’t done it). Reflectivity is an important tool for sensing motion around us, such as someone approaching from behind.

Glass elements integrated into a design are very helpful, which might include opaque glass or transoms above doors which allow both privacy and visual cues that the room is occupied. Sensory reach ties into space and proximity as well; visual connections are crucial to security and awareness. This includes a visual connection to the outdoors, which helps orient people within the space (beneficial for all building occupants). Tools that provide visual cues (such as by light alarms) or tactile cues (such as an alarm clock that shakes) are also useful for providing vital sensory input within a space.

Mobility & Proximity

Circulation can be a bit more challenging for people who are attuned to a barrage of visual cues. For example, when two people are communicating through American Sign Language (ASL) while walking down a corridor or sidewalk, who keeps an eye on the surroundings? Flows should be as smooth as possible, and pathways and corridors should be much wider than usual to accommodate two people signing side by side. Most sidewalks are designed for two hearing people.

Other strategies for safety include tactile cues such as Braille blocks installed at then end of sidewalks. These may be specifically designed to assist the visually impaired in navigating intersections, but the tactile warning is helpful to others as well. Corridor intersections, likewise, can create a collision hazard - I’m naturally a very quiet person and with my hearing I don’t hear others coming around corners and they don’t hear me. Softer corridor intersections provide more visual cues and more room to maneuver.

Light & Color

Those of us who rely heavily on their vision often experience eye fatigue. This is particularly true in unknown surroundings, because we’re so focused on trying to understand the environment. Careful selection of paint colors, attention to contrast and glare, and a reduction in visual clutter can help minimize fatigue. Strategic use of color can also contribute to wayfinding, such as locating entrances or circulation for those of all abilities.

The element of contrast is particularly important for people communicating in ASL. We must be aware of skin color, the clothing we’re wearing, and our

backgrounds to create enough contrast for our signs to be visible and clear to those around us. Busy, cluttered environments make this harder. Careful attention to acoustics is particularly important to those wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants. Background noise should be minimized to facilitate communication; when background noise such as HVAC systems become barriers to conversation, my brother (who is also deaf) and I often just stop trying to hear or communicate with others. It becomes hard to hear and communicate. Selecting and placing equipment for optimal acoustics is important, as is thinking about proximity of program spaces to other sources of background noise such as traffic.

i. National Institutes of Health/National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders. n.d. “Quick Statistics About Hearing.” Accessed July 25, 2023. https://www.nidcd.nih.gov/ health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing .

Acoustics

ii. Wirth, Jennifer; Hall, Alena; and Jorgensen, Lindsey. Updated June 27, 2023. “Deafness and Hearing Loss Statistics.” https://www.forbes. com/health/hearing-aids/deafness-statistics/ .

iii. World Health Organization. February 27, 2023. “Deafness and Hearing Loss. “ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/ deafness-and-hearing-loss .

iv. Galludet University. N.d. “ About Gallaudet University.” https:// gallaudet.edu/about/.

v. Galludet University. N.d. “Deaf Space.” Accessed July 25, 2023. https://gallaudet.edu/campus-design-facilities/campus-design-andplanning/deafspace/ .

Meet the Author

Conclusion

The five major points listed above are areas in which design should be developed to create a DeafSpace, and each one is critical in allowing deaf individuals to communicate and move freely. DeafSpace is space where people of all sensory abilities can flourish, communication is fully accessible, and unique deaf experiences are encouraged. When we design to accommodate diverse users, we create spaces that are more inclusive, more welcoming, and more engaging for all.

Nicholas Day is an Emerging Professional in LS3P’s Columbia office. A graduate of the School of Architecture at Clemson University, Nicholas brings previous professional experience as a Residential Building Inspector for Richland County. He is a disaster recovery volunteer, and also works with Salkehatchie Summer Services.

DeafSpace: Designing for a Rich Sensory Experience