2007 Planning Institute Australia National Congress

Ralph Green, director of Visionary Design Development, will deliver an oral presentation at sight>lines<site, the Planning Institute of Australia's 2007 National Congress.

The presentation titled, "The Universal Mobility Index - a new tool to measure the accessibility of the built environment", will take place on Wednesday 2nd May 2007 at 4.35pm. More information on the PIA congress can be found at their website.

21st February 2007 – South American Study-Promotional Tour Completed

28 January 2007 - UMI Latin America promotional tour generates keen interest

Now at the halfway point of their Latin American tour, Ralph and Mary Ann have been kept extremely busy by the number of organisations wishing to learn more about the Universal Mobility Index. The support and assistance of Austrade has been invaluable in the planning of this tour.

Latin America Tour Gallery

January  16th 2007, meeting in Bogota Colombia with Arcangeles Rehabilitacion Integral.
Back Row (L to R): Mary Ann, Natalia, Ralph
Front Row (L to R): Eduardo, Juan Pablo, Edgar
January 23rd 2007
Rosita Carvajal, VDD translator and South America assistant with Mary Ann and Ralph in Lima, Peru
January 23rd 2007
With Dr Fernando Pilco of CONADIS, (background photo is Alan Garcia, President of Peru)

Urban Design Forum No. 76: December 2006
Universal Mobility Index – a world-first innovation

My Masters Thesis in Social Science (International Development) at RMIT University involves a unique approach to the study of disability by providing for the first time a conceptual framework on how physical access can be measured across the built environment. Anchored in the rights-based approach to social justice this composite quality-of-life indicator, the Universal Mobility Index (UMI) views people with disabilities from the perspective of the World Health Organisation’s International Classification of Functioning Disease and Health as sanctioned by Disabled Peoples International.

An evolving canon of literature in the social sciences, international, human and community development disciplines relies on Composite Indices such as the United Nations Development Program’s Human Development Index to communicate the status and change of complex systems. Much more than a rigorous academic exercise, the UMI has direct practical application illuminating how barriers to mobility discriminately constrain the autonomy of people with disabilities (PwDs), violating their human rights and compounding their oppression and stigmatisation. This new Index comparatively and longitudinally quantifies access for persons of all abilities to private dwellings, commercial buildings, public buildings and infrastructure for the first time across the total built environment reflecting the real life experience of denial of access. The unique methodology of the UMI empowers People with Disabilities drawn from within the local community by placing them at the centre of decision making on assessing and prioritising barrier removal. They remain actively involved in decision and are intimately involved during all phases and final outcomes.

In Victoria the concept of the UMI has generated considerable interest. Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), Local Governments, Built Environment organisations and professional groups have all been extremely supportive. VDD is endeavouring to initiate pilot projects in partnership with progressive local governments and Disability Reference Groups (or equivalent) both in Australia and internationally. Due to in-house knowledge and skills VDD, in an international context, specifically want to team up with Latin American governments and disability organisations. Implementing a world-first series of pilot studies will demonstrate how innovative policy, practice and partnership can collaborate with key stakeholders to promote a new approach to promoting accessible communities resulting in increased participation of persons of all physical abilities.

Using the Universal Mobility Index will allow local governments and their authorities to:
• Assess what changes to the built environment persons with disabilities want to be made
• Prioritise these changes in accordance with the wishes of People with Disabilities
• Assess, reassess and longitudinally track their record of access provision
• Measure success, informing all stakeholders ...............

thereby improving and increasing opportunities for people with disabilities to participate and be included in all areas of community life.

Ralph Green, Director, Visionary Design Development

18 NOVEMBER 2006 - UNIVERSAL MOBILITY INDEX GATHERS MOMENTUM

Words@bld50 on 3rd August 2006 (see below) featured a presentation entitled “access all areas” by Optometrist and Social Science post-grad student Ralph Green, co-director of Visionary Design Development Pty Ltd – a business member of AfP. Ralph introduced an innovative concept he was working on that measures equity of access in the built environment.

The thesis which develops a theoretical and methodological framework for a “Universal Mobility Index” (UMI) is now complete and generating considerable interest from government, architects, planners, Disabled Peoples Organisations and building industry stakeholders as well as internationally.

The UMI is a unique tool to quantatively measure, compare and longtitudinally track equity of access provision across all parts of the built environment.

Uniquely, people with disabilities are empowered by placing them at the centre of decision making on identifying, measuring and prioritising removal of barriers.

The UMI also includes a policy rating component which probes and rates the inclusion of the views of people with disabilities in policy making affecting the built environment.

Ralph and Mary Ann Jackson, architect, planner, accredited access consultant and fellow co-director of VDD are about to embark on a speaking tour of South America, visiting six countries in all, during January and February 2007.

August 3rd 2006, 7pm

Designers working in the built environment need to be familiar with the Building Code of Australia regulations for access and egress to both commercial and residential buildings as well as the provisions of the disability Discrimination Act. Yet access for persons of differing physical abilities requires far greater considerations encompassing ranging from transport infrastructure to human rights agreements.

Can access be quantitatively measured and if so how? What could such a measure reveal comparatively about precincts, councils states and between nations? Could longitudinal studies guide progress? Can such a measure guide designers in prioritising the needs of the young, elderly injured and handicapped as well as improving the built environment for everyone including the able bodied?

Post-Graduate Social Science Research Student Ralph Green of Visionary Design Development presents an introduction to the theoretical and methodological concepts for a Universal Mobility Index to measure access to the built environment in developed and developing countries.
Come along to gain an insight into changing models of disability and the built environment.