| It's only relatively recently that designers have become aware of the need to be inclusive when designing products. |
| But what does that mean exactly? |
| Well, it simply means designing products that span economic, social and cultural barriers. |
| It means making sure products are accessible, |
| so that as many different types of people as possible can use them, |
| without any type of adaptation having to be made to the original design. |
| Inclusive design is often linked with universal design, |
| although they are not quite the same thing. |
| Universal design aims to make products that work for everyone |
| and that includes considering the needs of people who have cognitive difficulties, |
| which can present quite a challenge. |
| Today, examples of successful inclusive design can be seen all around us. |
| In workplaces, it is common to see desks which can be adjusted to suit people of different heights or for wheelchair users. |
| This still isn't always the case, however, |
| and is one reason why office workers often suffer from back or neck problems. |
| You'll find another example in the public toilets of countless hotels, airports and offices. |
| Taps that you activate by sensor require no pressing or twisting movements. |
| These are not only more hygienic, they're also easier for people with dexterity or mobility issues. |
| The tech industry has been criticised in the past for focusing too much on young consumers, |
| but this is changing. |
| Many products are now designed with the elderly in mind. |
| For example, it's well known that vision declines with age |
| and that we also become worse at distinguishing between similar colours, |
| in particular shades of blue, |
| which is why software designers rarely create interfaces with this colour. |
| Motor skills also decline with age and some people have difficulty doing everyday things |
| like picking up a cup or opening a door. |
| This can also affect their ability to use a mouse or keyboard. |
| So voice access is now a routine way of making commands. |
| It's worth looking at the problems non-inclusive designs cause |
| when not enough consideration is given to a range of users, |
| as it can have a serious impact on people's lives. |
| Access is one obvious example |
| because it has such a huge impact on disabled people's independence. |
| Not being able to access public transport because buses or trains are not wheelchair friendly |
| means many disabled people can't go out unless someone goes with them. |
| Safety is another issue. |
| Inexplicably, most cars are still crash-tested using a dummy based on an average-sized male. |
| This has safety implications for all women, particularly those who are pregnant, |
| as the seatbelts worn by the dummy are not adapted to accommodate them. |
| Over the past 100 years, workplaces in the UK have, on the whole, become considerably safer. |
| Employers are legally required to provide well-maintained personal protective equipment, or PPE, |
| anything from goggles to full bodysuits, to workers who need it, free of charge. |
| But most PPE is designed to fit men. |
| A recent report found that employers often think that when it comes to female workers, |
| all they need to do to comply with this legal requirement is to buy jackets, for example, designed for a small man. |
| The problem with this is that women can be tall and still have much smaller shoulders than the average man. |
| Ill-fitting PPE such as high-vis jackets, vests and body armour can put women at risk. |
| The report found that 95% of women said that their PPE often hampered their work |
| and that this problem was worst in the emergency services, |
| particularly the police. |
| Another problem is related to comfort at work. |
| A very common scenario in offices in summertime |
| is to see women wrapped in blankets or wearing sweaters while the air conditioning is on high. |
| Meanwhile, the men are in shorts and T-shirts. |
| This is due to differences in metabolic rates for men and women. |
| There is a standard setting for air conditioning to be at a temperature of 21 degrees designed to suit men |
| and in most modern offices, it is not possible to turn the air conditioning up or down. |
| This means that many offices which mainly employ women are wasting energy |
| by having the air conditioning set too high. |
| As you can see from the examples I've just mentioned, |
| there are serious consequences for designs which don't consider the needs of all users. |