SARA ISLIM TOMCZAK
NOTTINGHAM TRENT UNIVERSITY
Ba Hons INTERIOR ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN
1. What is your profession?
University Lecturer
2. Have you worked in industry, which sector?
Yes, retail malls and hospitality
3. Do you find that although retail design has evolved over the years it takes into account DDA?
Yes because it has to, generally reflected in designs because of statue.
4. Has DDA evolved along with retail design or as it’s place within design never changed?
It has had to evolve, with new regulations that have come in. Whether or not it is applied effectively is another issue. It is often applied ‘just’ to the specification. What else is important to remember is that more space costs more money.
5. Do you find part M of the building regulation a hindrance?
At times yes, but it is something that we have to deal with and it has to be responded to.
6. Do you think that the design process should change to be more focused on disability and the factors affecting it in within retail design and their experience?
Yes, you can’t discriminate anyone. Design should be inclusive and provide an equitable experience. Designing for the disabled should definitely be looked into more and made more adaptable.
7. When designing do you find that DDA is an afterthought and is often applied at the end of the design process?
Yes, a lot of designers are made aware of DDA regulation but it is definitely applied as an afterthought. The Newton building is a good example of this as it doesn’t work effectively, neither does Arkwright. It doesn’t provide disabled people the same right of access. Another issue is calculating bearing weight when installing lifts is important as some lifts don’t take the weight of motorized wheelchair.
8. Do you think that when designing public spaces disability and should be placed at the forefront of our minds as opposed to being a set of regulations that we as designers follow?
Everyone should be regarded at the same right, and their experience should be the same as that of a non disabled person. The design should be inclusive.
9. Does colour play a part in the design process, and are you mindful that people with different disabilities see colour and react to it differently?
In my experience of retail design colour doesn’t make a lot of a difference because everything is designed in mind to make the product stand out.
10. How do you think disabled and elderly consumer could be better included when designing for retail?
Being more aware of disability – you need more space to be able to manoeuvre around and turn corners.
This interview informed me that retail and design for the disabled is forever evolving as changes are constantly happening to regulations. Helen passed judgement that DDA is taken into consideration however it is hard to apply all regulations when designing as space is a factor that diminishes the application of the DDA regulations. Helens main concern was that design should be inclusive not exclusive and this is hard as sometimes you ant amend all aspects to suit a impaired person so more often than not the minimum requirements are applied.