Socially innovating architectural design practice by mobilising disability experience. An exploratory study
Open accessAbstract
Well-considered building codes turn out to be insufficient to ensure inclusive building design, suggesting a need for change in how building accessibility is addressed in architectural design practice. This article presents Rent-a-Spatialist, an attempt at socially innovating architectural design practice based on the skills of disabled people. Due to their particular interaction with the built environment, disabled people are able to appreciate spatial qualities architects may not be attuned to, which would contribute to a more inclusive built environment. Because this ability is rarely used in architectural design practice, and disabled people have a vulnerable position on the job market, we explored the potential of mobilising disability experience as a consultancy service to inform architectural design practice, which connects improving material conditions with improving social relations. To this end we probed the interest in such a service by interviewing 34 built environment professionals involved in building design and construction or exploitation in Belgium or the Netherlands. In addition, seven disabled people and 12 HR experts specialised in workforce diversity were interviewed about the potential of the envisaged service. Findings suggest that the service could strengthen disabled people's position on the job market by enabling them to gain work experience. However, efforts are needed to convince built environment professionals of its added value, and to clarify issues related to disabled people's employee status.
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In certain cases, the limited application of Inclusive Design is also due to the lack of economic incentives or funding.
“Given that legislative challenges are a relevant problem for the profession, in certain cases the limited application of ID is also due to the lack of economic incentives or funding [23].”
From Inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility in the built environment: A study of architectural design practice (2021) · cites this paper as [23]
In “Interest from architectural design practice” (page unavailable), interviewees describe limited economic incentives to attend to disability experience. A building operator also says hospitals must cut costs. These passages support an economic barrier in some cases, but they concern interest in a disability-experience consultancy service rather than directly establishing that lack of funding limits Inclusive Design generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)
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Career Management Strategies of People With Disabilities
Kulkarni, M., & Gopakumar, K. V. (2014) · Human Resource Management · doi:10.1002/hrm.21570 · Cited by 109 · see citing works
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Zallio, M., & Clarkson, P. J. (2021) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2021.108352 · Cited by 161 · see citing works
Ten questions concerning inclusive design of the built environment
Heylighen, A., Van der Linden, V., & Van Steenwinkel, I. (2017) · Building and Environment · doi:10.1016/j.buildenv.2016.12.008 · Cited by 149 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Heylighen, A., Schijlen, J., Van der Linden, V., Meulenijzer, D., & Vermeersch, P.-W.
- Affiliations
- KU Leuven (BE)
- Corresponding author
- Heylighen, Ann
- Venue
- Architectural Engineering and Design Management
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2016-04-11
- Volume
- 12
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 253-265
- ISSN
- 1745-2007 (ISSN-L)
- 1752-7589
- OpenAlex
- W2340152426
- Cited by
- 25
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 2 · 2025: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 3 · 2019: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2016: 1
- FWCI
- 4.07
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- lirias.kuleuven.be
- Licence
- other-oa
- Locations
- Architectural Engineering and Design Management (publishedVersion)
- Lirias (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Funders
- European Research Council (335002)
- KU Leuven Industrial Research Fund (HB/14/001)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Rights and Representation
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Disability Education and Employment
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
- Keywords
- disability experience, building accessibility, workplace diversity, employment of people with disabilities, built environment professionals
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