Follow human-centered inclusive design practices

The following is a list of additional verification documents that could provide evidence of achieving the stated inclusive design requirements:

1. Accessibility Audit Reports: These reports, often carried out by specialists, assess the accessibility of a design or environment against established standards. They can provide evidence for a variety of inclusive design principles, such as equitable use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use.
2. User Testing Results: User testing involves observing and recording the experiences of a diverse range of users interacting with the design or environment. These results can demonstrate equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use.
3. User Feedback Surveys: Collecting and analyzing user feedback can help identify how well a design meets the needs of different users. This can provide evidence for all-inclusive design principles.
4. Design Plans: Detailed design plans or blueprints can show the incorporation of inclusive design principles. The presence of universal features, flexible features, fail-safe features, and space considerations can be confirmed.
5. Manufacturer Specifications: These documents detail the features and functionalities of specific products or systems. They can provide evidence of flexibility in use, low physical effort, and size and space for approach and use.
6. Cognitive Walkthrough Results: This usability inspection method is designed to evaluate the user interaction of a system. It can provide evidence of simple and intuitive use.
7. Heuristic Evaluation Results: This is another usability inspection method, which involves experts evaluating the compliance of a system with recognized usability principles (the "heuristics"). This can provide evidence of simple and intuitive use.
8. Content Strategy Documents: These outline the approach to clear, consistent, and intuitive information presentation, providing evidence of simple and intuitive use.
9. Auditory and Visual Contrast Test Results: These tests assess the perceptibility of information, providing evidence for perceptible information.
10. Safety Audit Reports: These reports assess the safety features of a design or environment, which can provide evidence of tolerance for error.
11. Incident Reports and Corrective Action Plans: These documents record instances where the design failed to prevent errors or accidents, and outline the steps taken to correct these issues. They provide evidence of tolerance for error.
12. Ergonomic Assessment Reports: These assessments evaluate the interaction between people and the elements of a system they use, to optimize human well-being and overall system performance. They provide evidence of low physical effort.

Note: User testing results, user feedback surveys, and accessibility audit reports should include the participation of people with a range of abilities, including those with disabilities, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the design's effectiveness.

To determine the overarching categories, we drew upon widely accepted principles and best practices in inclusive design from the Center for Universal Design, School of Design, North Carolina State University, and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), an arm of the UK Design Council. These sources offer insights into the key aspects of inclusive design and provide guidance on creating environments that are accessible, inclusive, and cater to all user needs.

According to the Institute of Human Centered Design, accessibility laws and state codes form a foundational baseline, but they alone do not fully encapsulate the potential of design to enhance independence, participation, and wellbeing for a significant portion of the global population. With lifespans increasing due to advancements in healthcare, most individuals will experience periods of functional limitation during their lives. Recognizing this reality demands a shift in perception — design is no longer about catering only to "special" needs.

Inclusive or universal design, as advocated by the Institute for Human Centered Design, extends beyond the realm of accessible design. It calls upon the innovative spirit and creativity of designers to create places that seamlessly cater to the broadest possible range of potential users. The ultimate objective is to transition from disabling environments — encompassing physical, informational, communicational, social, and policy aspects — towards enabling ones that are universally accessible.

The principle of sustainable design transcends the concept of environmental sustainability, incorporating the facet of social sustainability as well. The demographic evolution of the 21st century underscores the urgency of leveraging the power of design to minimize functional limitations and optimize performance for all individuals. To achieve this, the Institute for Human Centered Design proposes a reimagined agenda for inclusion. This vision of universal design needs to be embedded into sustainable development strategies and organizational policies. By adopting these principles, we can support a more inclusive and equitable world that reflects the diverse needs of our global community.

Additional Resources

• Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) - http://www.humancentereddesign.org/
• Center for Universal Design at the State University of North Carolina at Raleigh - https://www.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/
• Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) - http://www.cabe.org.

• JLL's DEI Standard for the Built Environment
  • Core rating in DEI Standard equates to 60% progress towards the objective
  • Advanced rating in DEI Standard equates to 80% progress towards objective
  • Excellence rating in DEI Standard equates to 100% progress towards objective