Making SenseMichael Westley, Landscape Architect, Program Manager, Sensory Trust, UK The Sensory Trust promotes inclusive environmental design and management to widen public access and enjoyment of open space, and to develop links between the environment and people's health and well-being. Our work addresses all types and scale of public open space, including urban parks, gardens open to the public, and rural areas. This paper explores how the Sensory Trust combines technical solutions to accessibility with measures that enhance quality of experience for the wider audience, with a particular emphasis on disabled and older people who often experience the most extreme barriers. Public places may be full of potential sensory enjoyment and have great sense of place for those who can reach them. However there is a wide range of physical, intellectual and social barriers that prevent or dissuade use of the outdoors by people with disabilities. Often the solutions are straightforward; sometimes the significant steps are more to do with attitude change than huge capital investments. A key to change is to regard accessibility in its broadest sense. This means in part avoiding an exclusive focus on one or two images of disability, or on one aspect of site design, such as the physical detailing of paths, ramps etc. We also need to address the quality of experience, diversity of use, community involvement and sustainable approaches. The overriding message is that designing in an inclusive way brings benefits to people in general. In particular, we will outline our work with multi-sensory engagement to involve people in accessible place making. Through reference to case studies drawn from our project work involving: public parks, historic landscapes, residential / community spaces, health care environments and learning environments, we will demonstrate universally applicable principles of inclusive practice. We will also show how these practices are an integral part of sustainable design by promoting positive social impacts. Too often sustainable design is equated with environmental criteria and the social aspects are overlooked. |