So What is Normal? The Implications of Thinking (dis)abilities for Design Education
Developing educational resources which explore different ways of engaging with issues of disability in architectural and design education and practice
Participants
Project leader: Jos Boys, Senior Research Fellow, University of Brighton. Steering group members: Barry Ginley, Disability and Access Officer V&A, Jane Oldfield, Deputy Director RIBA British Architectural Library; Cassie Herschel-Shorland, Access and Museum Design Consultant; Pamela Edwards, ex-Head of Professional Education RIBA and member, RIBA Architects for Change. Researcher for history sections: Katie Lloyd Thomas. Additional web notes by Sarah Pickthall, David Watson and Paul Redfern. Research evaluator: Sarah Pickthall. Web Design: Surface Impression. With thanks to the RIBA British Architectural Library (BAL).
Abstract
This project examined how we might move beyond existing, limited concepts of ‘accessibility’ in teaching and learning about disability in UK architectural education; and developed sample on-line resources for design tutors and students who want to think afresh about disability and difference.
The project was undertaken in 4 stages:
1. Innovative research
Published as a series of theory papers by Jos Boys
Taking a disability-led perspective http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/disabledperspectives
Beyond Accessibility? Re-thinking the user in architecture http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/beyond_accessibility
Challenging the ‘normal’: towards new conceptual frameworks http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/challenging
Occupying (dis)ordinary space (with Pam Shakespeare) http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/occupying
2. Historical study
A related research project, by Katie Lloyd-Thomas, exploring relationships between disabled people and architecture, historically, using the British Architectural Library (BAL) collection at the RIBA.
Stacks of Questions: accessing the BAL Collection http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/Stacks
Researching Disability and Architecture: routes through the BAL collection http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/routes
Timeline of disability and architecture
http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/Timeline2
3. Prototype website So What is Normal?
Suggesting new kinds of resources on disability and architecture
http://www.sowhatisnormal.co.uk/
4. Building a disability-led perspective
Collaborating with disabled and Deaf artists
Making Discursive Spaces
http://www.discursivespaces.co.uk
Architecture-InsideOut
http://www.architecture-insideout.co.u
