Edenspiekermann

Animated pictograms from edenspiekermann. (Click to see animation.)

Sassoon

I've been researching the typeface Sassoon that I was talking about on Tuesday. Not much info available but from what I could find, it was originally designed as a more legible font for infants, learning to read. The Family was then expanded to include Sassoon Sans, Sassoon Book, etc. and the typeface’s creator, Rosemary Sasson, considers it a legible, unintimidating font for adults also. Got this screen grab from Fontshop:



























Not shown in its best light there but I have seen it used to good effect. Check out this signage for the children's area in the basement of the Science Museum, Designed by Norman Hathaway—who said the following about Rosemary Sassoon:

“Rosemary Sassoon is the only person I know of who has done extensive readabilty testing with children. Her resulting typeface features details that help dyslexic kids differentiate between characters. Aside from all that, I think it’s an attractive face. I like that Sassoon doesn’t consider herself a designer, but a researcher. Perhaps that mindset made for the innovative end result.”

Read more here.

Tactile Learning

I was just reading this page, and apparently children with down syndrome are primarily tactile learners.
http://www.brighthub.com/education/special/articles/93950.aspx

ASOTYPE,Animated System Of Typographic Picture Education

Communication via signage is based on function and purpose. The traffic signal is a good example of how a single color communicates without further explanation. When people cross a street they press the button on the traffic signal column. Then, the signal turns red to green in the crosswalk as the signal for the drivers turn green to red. In this case the human shape in the crosswalk signal is quite unnecessary because the effect is not the form but the color. A way to improve the efficiency of the form, the green light should show a human shape actually walking and the red light should show the shape stopping. In addition, since the signal lights on streets already implement a form of animation, blinking, adding simple motion to the existing system is not far from present practice.

Inaccessible Design?

Just a thought—Accessible design, or design that adheres to accessibility standards and guidelines can often have a kind of clinical feeling, lacking any kind of texture. However, as we’ve learned from our visits to St Michael’s—it is often tactile sensation that has the biggest impact on some of the service users. Could the use of texture, or even the appearance of texture, create a more accessible kind of design in this case?

'Design for All': Socially Responsible Design or just good sense?

A fragment from a book 'Design for All': Socially Responsible Design or just good sense?

Perhaps by far the most cogent of all these factors is the voice of the users themselves. For many disabled or socially excluded people, technological advances have given them the means to communicate with the world. The Internet and the support it offers for activities such as shopping, banking, voting, entertainment, and education, not to mention the lifelines provided by various online communities, have opened up opportunities that were not possible for these users before. With these communication channels they are also able to make their voices heard, and their need for accessible content, input and output mechanisms, is being proclaimed loud and clear - for those who have ears to hear.



there is the link to more publications
http://www.universaldesign.ie/teachamplearn/resourcesbooksamparticles

10 things to know about Universal Design

http://www.universaldesign.ie/exploreampdiscover/10thingstoknowaboutud

48-hour Inclusive Design Challenge in Seoul

Arts and Disablitity Ireland

www.adiarts.ie—About page for Arts and Disablitity Ireland, a great organisation that promotes the inclusion of people with disablities in the Arts on all levels, as spectators, creators or participants. Ties in nicely with the Advocacy side of the organisation.

European Standards on Accessible Information

New document on the European standards for accessible information from Inclusion Ireland.

Inclusive Design Principles

Found this publication—It's focus is mainly architecture/interiors but it gives a handy and simple introduction to Inclusive design.