New research produced by the University of Cambridge has identified key strategies to better effect a widespread implementation of inclusive design beyond its current status as a nascent set of concepts that have yet to be fully adopted by practitioners in almost every sector.

The paper’s lead investigators, Dr. Matteo Zallio and Professor P John Clarkson, surveyed a total of 114 different practitioners of architecture to produce an assessment of the current perceptions and challenges inherent in designing for inclusivity. The results are a reminder of how far the industry still has to go in terms of raising awareness and dispelling misconceptions about inclusive design by identifying critical gaps in client and practitioner awareness.

For example, the paper states “only 41.6% of clients were reported to have requested guidance on regulatory and legal compliance in the pre-design process.” A post-design evaluation of occupants' usability using available tools is another key lagging area, compounded even further by project budgets and time constraints.

The study calls for further efforts to develop post-occupancy evaluation tools for architects, access consultants, and facility managers. The development of such assets is a hurtle that can be bridged, the paper concludes by saying. A new, AI-driven IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility) Audit tool that was produced through the research will be made available later for the benefit of each key group.

"This narrative encapsulates a transformative journey, interweaving the challenges, opportunities, and the shared vision of architectural practitioners working towards a future where every design inherently embodies principles of inclusivity, diversity, equity, and accessibility," the authors state in summation.

The results of the study can be found here.