Marcus G. Ormerod and Rita A. Newton
The aim of this paper is to report on a study that was undertaken into the practice and process of briefing within the UK. The purpose of the study was to assess the nature and…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to report on a study that was undertaken into the practice and process of briefing within the UK. The purpose of the study was to assess the nature and extent to which accessible environments for new public buildings are considered at the briefing stage of the design process.
Design/methodology/approach
A questionnaire was distributed to 2,017 design practices in the UK, resulting in a usable response rate of 961 questionnaires.
Findings
The analysis of the questionnaires showed that, while designers are keen to ensure that buildings and their environments facilitate social inclusion, there are significant barriers to achieving this, particularly due to a lack of understanding of disability and how a person with a disability interacts with a building, and how the regulations and legislation can support this interaction rather than just providing minimum standards.
Practical implications
The implications of the research are that designers and clients are procuring buildings that are not fully inclusive, thereby excluding people from fully participating in the activities that are undertaken in that building.
Originality/value
The paper provides an insight into the relationship between designers and users by demonstrating that, while designers are keen to ensure that buildings and their environments facilitate social inclusion, there are significant barriers to achieving this.
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Rita Newton, Marcus Ormerod and Pam Thomas
The aim of this paper is to report on a study undertaken into disabled people's experience of the built environment when attempting to access and stay in employment.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to report on a study undertaken into disabled people's experience of the built environment when attempting to access and stay in employment.
Design/methodology/approach
Narratives were collected using semi‐structured interviews with 38 disabled people, all of whom had experience of paid and unpaid work.
Findings
Analysis of the interview narratives shows that disabled people experience a range of barriers and enablers in the built environment both to gaining employment and to staying in employment, and an accessible environment contributes to a successful employment experience.
Research limitations/implications
This is a small exploratory study of disabled people's experience of the workplace built environment. Future research could focus in more detail on whether specific design features reduce the requirement for reasonable adjustments.
Practical implications
The implications are that disabled people are experiencing discrimination when working environments present barriers and reasonable adjustments, as required by the UK Disability Discrimination Act 1995, and 2005, are not made.
Originality/value
This is exploratory research and provides an insight into the experience of disabled people of the physical workplace environment, presenting examples of good and poor practice.
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The Report of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the British Cardiac Society issued in April last was the product of a joint working party, whose aim was to formulate…
Abstract
The Report of the Royal College of Physicians (London) and the British Cardiac Society issued in April last was the product of a joint working party, whose aim was to formulate the best possible advice which can at present be given to medical practitioners towards the prevention of coronary heart disease. It caused quite a stir, particularly its dietary recommendations, and the mass media made the most of it, more from inferences drawn from the measures recommended than from the report itself. Now that the sensation of it has gone and the dust has begun to settle, we can see the Report contains nothing that is new; it tells us what we have long known. Like the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, except that there are three of them, at least for the moment, the causative factors of the rising incidence of coronary heart disease, built into our affluent society, have been working their way at the heart of man for a good many years now.
Joe Kipling, Rita Newton and Marcus Ormerod
The purpose of this paper is to examine access for disabled people to emergency rest centres (ERCs) provision in the UK. ERCs are premises used for the temporary accommodation of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine access for disabled people to emergency rest centres (ERCs) provision in the UK. ERCs are premises used for the temporary accommodation of evacuees during an emergency situation. They form an important part of emergency response, by providing a focal point for receiving people and providing food, shelter, information and support.
Design/methodology/approach
Three case studies of ERCs that were established in different local authority areas within the Yorkshire and Humber region in the UK, during a flooding event on 25 June 2007, were used to determine the level of accessibility and inclusion of disabled people at these centres.
Findings
While uncovering many instances of good practise, the results from the research identified lessons to be learnt, in particular the main barriers to access were: facilities and elements that did not comprise part of the building's normal operation, such as the provision of bedding, medical assistance and effective communication; and facilities that would not normally be expected to be used to the extent, or duration, whilst the ERC was in operation, such as the adequate welfare facilities. The research found that the civil protection legislation within the UK contains limited guidance for those with responsibility for ERC provision, and little impetus for emergency planners to consider the needs of disabled people.
Practical implications
The paper has broad implications for local authorities and national government representatives. It identifies a need for those with responsibility for emergency planning and response to strengthen their knowledge of disabled people, and to adopt a more holistic approach to the provision of emergency planning and response.
Originality/value
The study of access issues in ERC situations, as far as the authors are aware, has not been studied previously.
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IN their schemes of after‐the‐war library work those who prepare them would do well to confine themselves to a few cardinal principles. A London scheme that we have seen appears…
Abstract
IN their schemes of after‐the‐war library work those who prepare them would do well to confine themselves to a few cardinal principles. A London scheme that we have seen appears to concern itself with areas to be covered, actually picking out certain cross‐roads as centres to which traffic runs as suitable centres from which area activity might radiate. All this, as the scheme‐makers themselves rather suggest, seems to be premature and much of it, ingenious as it is, is extremely debatable local topography. We would not discourage such scheme‐making so long as its speculative character is recognized. Yet it might be better if the factors of an adequate library service were first determined. They may not be new; they may indeed be mere affirmations of approved good practice. These considerations, we are sure, have not been overlooked by those who plan, nor by Mr. McColvin in drafting his report on our needs.
THIS scheme of exact classification has now been long enough upon trial to justify the publication of a few explanatory notes, adjustments, and revisions which may be useful to…
Abstract
THIS scheme of exact classification has now been long enough upon trial to justify the publication of a few explanatory notes, adjustments, and revisions which may be useful to present and future users of the system. For an entirely new scheme, which to some extent broke fresh ground, its reception has been extremely kind and flattering, and although it has not escaped criticism, nothing has appeared which has been anything but reasonable and helpful. A surprising circumstance has been that, notwithstanding the very controversial nature of much of the subject, so few points of difference have appeared. These are all more or less directed against the mere placing of certain topics and do not to any extent reflect upon the theory or structure of the system as a whole. One mistake has been made, however, of a more important nature, but this must have arisen either through misapprehension or carelessness. It has been assumed that the Subject Classification claims to be thoroughly scientific, and that each class is arranged in a logical and evolutionary order, so as to modulate or merge naturally into its successor. Any modest claim which may have been made to an attempted logical order is invariably qualified by a statement in the “Introduction” to the effect that such perfect order is only to be expected to a very limited extent. On page eight it is stated that—“The departments of human knowledge are so numerous, their intersections so great, their changes so frequent, and their variety so confusing, that it is impossible to show that they proceed from one source or germ, or that they can be arranged so that each enquirer will find the complete literature of his special subject at one fixed place.” All through the tables and the introduction the same kind of limitation is insisted upon, and it can only be due to misunderstanding to say that I have made such a preposterous claim to sequential perfection. No librarian who has attempted to compile a system of exact classification would ever dream of claiming that he did more than get as near as possible to an ideal arrangement in accordance with his basal plan.
Key drivers that influence space design in today's higher education environment are technology, changing demographics, increased focus on student engagement, and carbon footprint…
Abstract
Key drivers that influence space design in today's higher education environment are technology, changing demographics, increased focus on student engagement, and carbon footprint. Just as important, but not typically on the list, is the growing population of students with Learning Disabilities (LD) for which the physical environment plays an increasingly important role in successful learning outcomes. The research goal was to examine the role of “place” as a component of academic success for those students with LD. Methodology included both literature review and the development of a case study analysis of three post-secondary institutions in the United States. The universities were chosen based on the size of the university, the campus setting, and the mission of the Disabilities Services team. The conclusion of the research surfaced three specific components of the physical environment that hold an increased value for a student with LD. These components are wayfinding, formal learning spaces, and disability services spaces. The key to integrating a sense of place with the needs of students with LD is moving beyond meeting the minimum standards of the legal mandates and bridging the principles of universal design to the built environment.
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The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature on organizational deviance to assess how far this concept has progressed since its…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this study was to conduct a bibliometric analysis of the existing literature on organizational deviance to assess how far this concept has progressed since its introduction in the domain of organizational behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
This study employs bibliometric methodologies (citation analysis, co-citation analysis and co-occurrence of author keywords) using VOSviewer. The Scopus database was used, as it is the largest database of scholarly literature.
Findings
The findings indicate the character and direction of organizational research over the past two decades. Organizational deviance due to psychological contract breach, organizational deviance in the context of organizational cynicism and organizational deviance in the context of psychological capital are the three major themes in the literature on organizational deviance. In addition, the study highlights the most significant authors, journals, institutions and nations in the field of value co-creation research as well as potential future research areas in this area.
Research limitations/implications
The use of a single database and the inability to contextualize the citation structure of papers revealed by the review are limitations of this study.
Originality/value
This study examines the structure of the literature on organizational deviance and charts the field's evolution over time.
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This paper identifies and discusses that parks, as one kind of open space, must be open not only for some people, but for everyone, including those with special needs such as…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper identifies and discusses that parks, as one kind of open space, must be open not only for some people, but for everyone, including those with special needs such as visually impaired people. The paper further identifies a number of key directions for the policy, design and management of park environments and facilities that will promote openness and social inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
The study was qualitative in nature. Case study approach on park environments and facilities was adopted. Used site studies, field observations, interviews with the government officials and professionals of planners, designers and management were conducted. Direct interviews with the visually impaired people were conducted during the field observation. Some of them were also invited to participate in participatory research workshops to give comments and suggestions on the design and management of park environments and facilities.
Findings
Open spaces are important and necessary for all. However, visually impaired people are always indirectly excluded from open spaces such as parks, which are important for the quality of urban life. Three areas that require attention to improve the accessibility of parks: ways of identifying and approaching the parks; overall environmental setting of the parks; and facilities inside the parks. Assistance to visually impaired people can be further categorized into information provided in advance and information provided on-site.
Research limitations/implications
Further case studies are expected to be conducted in other kinds of open space and other cities in order to generate a more comprehensive understanding related to the topic. Continuous studies are also necessary since the park environments and facilities are changing all the time. With the users ' participation, in particular those with special needs, in research is important.
Practical implications
The findings provide reference and direction for the governments, designers and managment to plan, design and manage parks for the needs of visually impaired people. The findings also advocate inclusive and universal approach in planning, implementation and management of parks.
Social implications
The findings identify that visually impaired people most of the time are indirectly excluded from accessing parks as well as other open spaces.
Originality/value
Although the paper was based on a case study in Hong Kong, its practical and social implications are also important to other places. Although barrier-free concept and requirement have been enforced in many places for some years, people with special needs (in particular visually impaired people) still face a lot of “barriers” in their daily life. The findings provide insights for researchers and also policymakers, designers and management to review the needs of the visually impaired.
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Olga Dziubaniuk, Catharina Groop, Maria Ivanova-Gongne, Monica Nyholm and Ilia Gugenishvili
This study aims to explore the range of sustainability-related discourses by the stakeholders within a particular Finnish Higher Education Institution (HEI); interaction between…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to explore the range of sustainability-related discourses by the stakeholders within a particular Finnish Higher Education Institution (HEI); interaction between the discourses and the context of the HEI; and the extent to which different understandings of sustainability cause challenges for the implementation of the university strategy for sustainability. Specifically, the paper explores how the employees within the HEI make sense of sustainability in their teaching, research and daily life and the extent to which sustainability-related discourses are aligned with the university strategy.
Design/methodology/approach
This research draws upon collected qualitative and quantitative data. It focuses on individual discourses by executives, teaching and research staff within an HEI regarding their understandings of sustainability and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Findings
This paper illustrates the key challenges of sustainability and SDG implementation that may emerge in HEIs due to varied understandings. The results indicate a need for efficient HEI strategic vision communication and consideration of the stakeholders’ multiplicity of sustainability values.
Originality/value
This paper sheds light on the challenges involved in seeking to enhance sustainable development in an academic setting with multiple disciplines and categories of staff guided by academic freedom. The analysis thus advances the understanding of academic sustainability-related discourses and framings as well as mechanisms through which the implementation of sustainability-related efforts can be enhanced in such a context.