Environment Midterm

What is universal design?

• The intent is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost

• Creates products and environments that are more usable by everyone, regardless of age or ability

What is a benefit of universal design?

Does not segregate users and does not become less usable by persons who are not disabled

Examples of universal design

A level entrance, wider hallways/doors/washrooms, color contrast between walls/floors/stairways/entrances, wayfinding, and lever door handles

Why do we need universal design?

For aging society, human rights laws, changes in building codes and standards, and desire for more functional designs

What are goals of universal design?

1. Body fit

2. Comfort

3. Awareness

4. Understanding

5. Wellness

6. Social integration

7. Personalization

8. Cultural appropriateness

What is body fit

• Accommodating wide range of sizes and abilities

• Use static and active body measurements

• Need to design so everyone can interact with the environment

What is comfort

• Keeping demands within desirable limits of body function

• Use biomechanics

• Adjust and reduce level of effort

What is awareness?

• Ensuring that critical information for use is easily perceived

• Use perception to measure

What is Understanding?

• Making methods of operation and use intuitive, clear, and unambiguous

• Incorporate universal symbols

• Use features that elicit positive emotional response

What is Wellness?

• Contributing to health promotion, avoidance of disease, and preventing injury

• Wellness of individual and community

• Support policy efforts and be aware of health and wellness initiatives

What is social integration?

• Treating all groups with dignity and respect

• Provide socialization space

• Provide public and semi-public spaces

What is personalization?

• Incorporating opportunities for choice and the expression of individual preferences

• Provide mechanism to regulate privacy

• Design to give the choice to engage

What is cultural appropriateness

• Respecting and reinforcing cultural values and the social and environmental context of any design project

• Implement design participation strategies

• Reduce discrimination

What are the 7 principles of universal design

1. Equitable use

2. Flexibility in use

3. Simple and intuitive use

4. Perceptible information

5. Tolerance for error

6. low physical effort

7. size and space for approach and use

Further development for universal design

1. Knowledge of the universal design theory

2. Knowledge of codes, standards, and guidelines

3. Skills to interact with designers, architects, and builders

4. Knowledge of best practices in universal design

5. Knowledge of environments beyond housing (streetscapes, parks, commercial buildings)

6. Ability to review architectural drawings

What can OTs do in universal design?

• Providing consultation with the universal design team on building projects

• Providing education to designers, architects, contractors

• Serving on accessibility committees and building codes and standards committees

• Developing new assessment tools

• Working as researchers with a universal design team

What is one example of an area of research in universal design?

Determining dimensions in the environment to accommodate scooters and power wheelchairs

How to develop knowledge in universal design?

1. self study

2. attend conferences and workshops

3. serve on access, codes, and standards committees

4. networking

5. collaborating with people in other fields

6. keeping up to date on new developments in the field

What are 4 studying outcomes of using universal design?

1. Adding a new environmental assessment tool that uses universal design principles to the OT assessment protocol and keeping track of the results

2. Asking clients to be user-experts and identify what they need in terms of universal design and environmental modifications

3. Developing a “best practice protocol” for universal design in an area of practice and evaluating the protocol over a specific time period

4. Setting up a program evaluation of new services that use universal design principles and including client questionnaires or interviews as part of the evaluation

What do we need to understand in order for people to be able to engage in health-giving occupations of personal, social, and cultural meanings within their communities?

We need to understand the impact of environmental factors on what is possible and what needs to be the focus of change

What is included in health and well-being?

Socio-political environment—> what people do—> healthy behavior: fitness & appearance and energy & vitality in work and relationships—> well working organism—> health and well-being

What is a primary occupation of children?

Play

Play is often used to ____ the child in therapeutic activities

interest

What do childhood occupations contribute to?

Social, cognitive, emotional, and physical development

Play should be _____, ______, and ______

pleasurable, self-motivating, and engaging

What do childhood occupations facilitate?

problem-solving, creativity, flexibility, achievement, motivation, morality, and social attitudes

Aspects of environment can either _______ or ______ functioning and participation in daily activities

facilitate or hinder

What kind of analysis can OTs apply in the environment to see what is contributing to or hindering a child?

A PEO analysis

What does the social environment include?

it includes other playmates and caregivers

Routine helps foster _____, _____, and feelings of control

independence, security

What do children learn in semi-structured play?

sharing and turn-taking

Play materials should be _____ to children

accessible

It is important for OTs to serve as ______ and _______

advocates and educators

What is the team composed of in school based practice?

educators, therapists, caregivers, and anyone in direct care of the student

What does the medical model focus on?

focuses on reducing deficits or difference to increase capacities

What does sociocultural competence result from?

results from interaction of individual with others during activity

How can we enable participation in schools?

1. Support education’s system goal to prepare youth for adult roles and responsibilities, post-schoolwork, and community living

2. Shift from medical model approach working on component skills to a sociocultural framework

3. Focuses on inclusion

4. Value of functional performance assessments vs. measures of impairment

5. Utilize PEO model to determine good “fit”

6. PEO relationship is unique for each students and defines their occupational performance in school and activities

What is PEO?

Person, environment, and occupation

What is PEO in regards to students?

Person: student

Environment: cultural, physical, temporal, social, and institutional dimensions

Occupation: establishing and maintaining friendships, participating in academic and special subject areas, pursuing co curricular and extracurricular activities, managing classroom and school work roles

What is the typical age of discharge from pediatric services?

18-21 years old

Transition to adulthood in typically seen in _____ model and rehab

medical

What is equitable use?

Design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities

What is flexibility in use?

Design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities

What is simple and intuitive use?

use of design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level

what is perceptible information?

Design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities

What is tolerance for error?

Design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions

What is low physical effort?

Design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue

What is size and space for approach and use?

provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility

What is a main role of OT when helping individuals transition to adulthood?

They focus efforts on the environments around the person

All people are ____ of their environment as well as their inherited constitution. Both impact each other.

products

What was a landmark document that laid out a clear statement of action that continues to have resonance for health workers around the world

The “Charter”

Describe the health model that was proposed for OT practice by the WFOT

• Centered on a balance regime of age-appropriate work-play activities for people prior to the advent of disease or disability

• Client/community centered practice to enrich development of people’s physical, mental, emotional, social, and vocational abilities

What are the five directions?

1. Build healthy public policy

2. Create supportive environments

3. Strengthen community action

4. Develop personal skills

5. Reorient health services

What does build healthy public policy entail?

• Type of economy

• Cultural values

• National policies and priorities

• Justice

What does create support environments entail?

• Ecology

• Environmental management

• Technology

• Commercial factors

• Education

• Media

• Fair systems

• Gender issues

• Recreation

• Access/space

• Comfort/beauty

What does strengthen community action entail?

• Enable

• mediate

• advocate for

  • opportunity

  • friendliness

  • sharing

  • stability

  • support

  • accessibility

  • belonging

  • development

  • flexibility

  • openness

  • potential

What does develop personal skills entail?

• Enable

• Mediate

• Advocate for:

  • Energy

  • Balance

  • Opportunity

  • Challenge

  • Exercise

  • Rest

  • Relaxation

  • Pleasure

  • Growth

  • Purpose

  • Meaning

What does reorient health services entail?

• Enable

• mediate

• advocate for:

  • inclusion of various occupations toward social development, economic development, and individual goals

• Accessibility of occupational opportunities and resources

What are the environmental factors in the PEOP model?

Cultural environment, social support, social determinants, social capital, health education and public policy, physical and natural environment, and assistive technology

What are policies with the physical environment?

The clean air act, the occupational health and safety act, the consumer product safety act, safe drinking water act, etc

What are some issues of social injustice?

Chronic unemployment, absence of a supportive family structure, poverty, homelessness, substance abuse, violence, and despair which can affect the health of people as much as harmful viruses or pollution