The Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) recently collaborated with Ability Works on Inclusive Experiential Access Design at the Keon Parade Level Crossing Removal Project.
Inclusive Experiential Access Design ‘harnesses the experience of human diversity to improve products, services, physical environments and digital experiences for the benefit of everyone’.
Ability Works provides people with diverse vision, hearing, mobility, cognition, and mental health conditions the opportunity to consult with organisations such as the LXRP, providing insights to uncover design gaps that create barriers for people with disability.
This insight improves the usability and accessibility of our infrastructure projects, helping to avoid costly retrofitting.
The organisation first collaborated with Ability Works in 2022 for Reservoir Station, which won the Prix Versailles World Architecture and Design Award in 2021. Ability Works provided feedback on the station layout and facilities, identifying areas of improvement.
For the Keon Parade project, Ability Works was involved as part of the design process, to ensure the designs met the needs of people with disability.
The Ability Works team, consisting of avid public transport users, provided their insights into the proposed project. This included:
- more descriptive audio directions when exiting lifts, directing commuters to the correct platform, or other public transport, reducing stress for commuters in a hurry
- highly visual emergency management cues on platforms for people who are deaf, Hard of Hearing, or using noise-cancelling headphones
- hearing loops located in front of information screens for people who use hearing aids.
These insights were presented at an Innovation Showcase, highlighting how their feedback can be widely adopted across LXRP and other infrastructure projects.
The Keon Parade Design Manager, Don Edwards, shared how the engagement with Ability Works enabled his team to have a better understanding of the experience of people with disability and the usability of public infrastructure.
“When engaging with the team from Ability Works, I quickly found myself walking in their shoes – and learning how our designs impact their ability to use our infrastructure,” he said.
“All too often we design infrastructure, including accessibility infrastructure for commuters with complex support needs, where our design is driven by accessibility code requirements. These requirements don’t always address the actual needs of everyone in our community.”
Social Procurement Lead, Quentin Mercier, was delighted that they could provide this opportunity for Ability Works to shine.
“I think our team left this session with a different mindset because of the power of experiencing and understanding the barriers people with disability are overcoming every time they take public transport,” he said.
Ability Works has also provided advice for the Bell and Preston stations project as well as well as the upcoming Melton Station designs.
Over time, and as Ability Works is engaged in more infrastructure projects, they’ll develop a growing ‘body of knowledge’ that can be shared with government stakeholders to improve the experience over and above minimum standards.
If you’re interested in learning more and applying inclusive design to your work, contact Ability Works.
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