Universal Design:
Why isn’t it happening?

Jane Bringolf

Ingrid Schraner

Urban Research Centre

Social Justice Social Change Research Centre

School of Economics & Finance

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Introduction

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Economic actors in
Australian housing industry

Demand side:

• Home owners, renters

• Visitors, carers, tradespeople

• State housing instrumentalities

Supply side:

• Property developers

• Designers

• Builders

• State housing

instrumentalities

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Costs of NOT having UD

• These are expected to be significant

  • Not borne by design, property or construction industries

  • Are borne by society, particularly weakest members

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Market Research Approach

• Consumers unaware of advantages – donft ask for it

• No consumer demand registered by suppliers

• Conflicting economic interests between government departments means no action

IS THIS WHY IT IS NOT HAPPENING?

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Market Research Approach

• Can use a market research approach to check on suppliers – is gno consumer demandh the whole story?

• Based on work carried out with

  • Master Builders Association of NSW

  • Building Designers Association of NSW

  • Independent Living Centre NSW

other possible inhibitors were identified

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Hypotheses

Possible inhibitors to roll-out of UD:

• Misunderstanding the concept

• Fear of restrictions to creativity

• Fear of reduced market demand

• Ignorance of how to do it

• Rules and regulations prevent change

• Current market determined by whatfs currently available – not what is technically and economically possible

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Conceptual Framework

1. Identify how much it costs to overcome key inhibitors listed

2. Identify how much it costs society NOT to have UD

3. Identify the difference to convince key players of benefits

Assumption: Costs to society will be significant

But will potential savings convince key players ?

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Another hurdle?

• Encountering difficulty convincing now

  • needs much explaining

• If UD needs so much preaching it fails on one of its own principles

  • simple and intuitive to use

• Find a universally designed way to market and sell UD to suppliers and consumers, or

• Does UD need to change itself?

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Project Expectations

Whilst working on PhD with suppliers expect to:

• Discover real and perceived inhibitors

• Discover economic costs

In so doing:

• Likely to discover a way to make UD comply with its own principles, and

• Possibly find a way to sell UD to all

Comments and feedback welcome on email

Jane: uws.edu.au Ingrid: uws.edu.au

AT Economics Page