Sensibilisation Walk

Perceive the space with altered senses

A sensibilisation walk took place in March as part of the Inclusive Design course.

Voice output, guidance systems, tripping hazards, ramps, touch screens - everyday life in urban spaces is characterised by numerous obstacles. Good design and the use of aids make it easier to use public spaces. The students were able to experience this for themselves in the Inclusive Design course.

The Hilfsgemeinschaft der Blinden und Sehschwachen Österreichs (Austrian Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired) actively promotes the interests of people with impaired vision and does important work to raise awareness. We were able to familiarise ourselves with this great and necessary work during a walk through Linz. Equipped with simulated glasses for eye diseases, long canes and blindfolds, we were able to experience how the environment can hinder or support people. Whether guidance systems on the ground, voice output on bus displays, touch screens on ticket machines or directions in Braille on escalators - the infrastructure offers many details that need to be taken into account during planning.
Thanks to the support of L. Baar Orthopädietechnik GmbH, we were able to use two wheelchairs to test accessibility for people with mobility impairments in the city.

Students were able to directly experience how the space is perceived with altered senses and how diverse the needs are. These multi-layered experiences make it clear how important it is to design our environment to be inclusive and as universally usable as possible. A very important realisation for budding architects.

Thank you to everyone involved!