PubMed · 11473898
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J M Carter, N Markham. 2001-07-28. Disability discrimination.. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.323.7306.178
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A disability access audit carried out at a trust operating over 50 sites revealed that a 2.3m Pounds programme of work was needed. The audit took four months, with the team spending a day at each of the premises. The audit has been followed by a staff training programme in disability awareness. The trust's information systems now show if a patient did not attend an appointment because of difficulties with physical access. All letters to patients are produced in a minimum 12-point type.
PURPOSE: The aim of this paper is to position, define and discuss three concepts crucial for research and practice concerning person-environment relationships, viz. accessibility, usability and universal design. METHODS: Literature review, synthesized with the authors' research and practice experiences. RESULTS: The authors suggest an instrumental, three-step definition to accessibility, highlighting that accessibility comprises a personal as well as a environmental component, and that accessibility must be analysed by an integration of both. Suggesting the introduction of an activity component, accessibility should partly be replaced by the more complex term usability. Universal design is highlighted as a more process-oriented but less stigmatizing concept. CONCLUSION: This paper contributes to the positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships. The definitions suggested challenge current terminology, but can support in developing more efficient research and practice strategies. In order to develop theory for application to societal planning issues, the definition of concepts is a necessary step.