Industry Response to Inclusive Design: a Survey

1 INTRODUCTION Inclusive design (ID), that is, design for a wide range of potential users, including those who are older or have disabilities, can have significant commercial benefits, tapping into a large and growing number of older and disabled consumers [1], as well as meeting legislative requirements (e.g. [2]). However, while many companies agree with this, many still choose to target young, able-bodied people. As part of the research into ID, it is important to understand why this is so. 2 OBJECTIVES We therefore conducted a study into industry's response to inclusive design, seeking in particular to identify barriers to and drivers for the adoption of ID by industry. Furthermore, we sought to identify whether there are any groupings amongst companies based on their current response to ID that would influence their future adoption of ID and their response to strategies for convincing them of its usefulness. Such groupings can be used to help tailor ID materials to meet the needs of different kinds of companies, by emphasizing different barriers and drivers and their application to companies' particular needs. 3 METHODS A questionnaire survey was conducted of industry's response to inclusive design in the UK. The questionnaire comprised six main parts: company profile; understanding of ID; company position on ID; drivers for it; barriers to it; and approaches to increase its use. Respondents indicated agreement or disagreement with a set of possible barriers and drivers, derived from those identified by Dong et al [3]. This allowed investigation of what the barriers to and drivers for ID are and how they are influenced by companies' profiles and current response to ID. The questionnaire was distributed by post and on-line. Complete responses were obtained from 99 distinct United Kingdom (UK) companies and organisations, representing manufacturing, retailing, ICT, design and communication industries predominantly in the south of England. 4 RESULTS The companies' responses were examined to identify whether there are any groupings amongst them that would influence their adoption of ID and their response to strategies for convincing them of its usefulness. Key groups of companies were identified using a hierarchical cluster analysis of the companies on the basis of their questionnaire responses. Factor analyses of the companies and of the questions were also conducted to increase confidence in the groupings. The main groups or clusters of companies and some resulting suggestions for how to encourage and equip them in ID are described …