Ergonomics for people with disabilities

Details: Technology - EQF 3

Making housing suitable for use by people with disabilities
https://unhabitat.org/sites/default/files/download-manager-files/right%20to%20accessible%20housing%2

Ergonomics will be able to take into account and guide carers and beneficiaries to enable them to evolve within an inclusive habitat that is adapted to the users. Thus, ergonomics will be a major asset in the reflection on the circulation spaces, the layout of the various utensils to be used, and the ease of access to the appliances used daily. It is a question of adapting the home to the people using it.

Task

Ergonomics: an added value for the housing of disabled people
Thirdman

In order to facilitate the use of the home when the person has a disability, it is necessary to make the home "ergonomic" to help the end user in his or her daily activities. From the point of view of new technologies, there are a certain number of devices that make it possible to facilitate the use of housing by relying on home automation (see support 1) and thus make housing more accessible.

The contribution of ergonomics guided by a professional in the field will enable a home to be adapted to a person with a disability, whatever the disability, or even a loss of autonomy, in order to make life better and easier for everyday use.

Making a home more suitable and easier to live in is indeed essential to make the movements and movements of the people concerned safer.

The acts of daily life must be possible without difficulty: this should be the case, for example, for accessing and taking a shower, washing at the sink, grabbing something from the cupboard or simply moving around easily.

It will be a question of using all the possibilities to make life in the home easy and to rely on home automation beyond the design of the rooms. We could offer several illustrations, such as large-digit digital controls for the visually impaired or front-loaded devices to turn on a television set, close roller shutters, etc. These are all home automation systems associated with internal fittings for the well-being and autonomy of disabled people in inclusive housing.

Process

How do you want them to do it?

For example; Will they work alone or in groups? What are the individual steps they will take to complete the task?

Direct them to resources you have included in the module (Resources section) to help them complete the task.

Use text and bulleted/numeric lists.

The process can take place in the form of a game, rather in small groups of 4 to 5 people, so that everyone can express themselves and bring their own vision.

The games or working perspectives may be different in each case and we give an overview.

Give the group(s) either a plan or a photo of the interior of a dwelling and its immediate surroundings and ask them to note down on a card or with a stabilo various points:

- The most likely difficulties in terms of circulation

- Possible congestion

- Access: point of entry and at wardrobe level

- Areas or points at risk

- Points that make it easier for a disabled person

- Objects to be home-operated

From these aspects identified by the group, it will be envisaged to associate them with possible solutions and in particular the contribution of home automation technologies.

Conclusion

The learner will have learned to examine how in a dwelling designed without thought for a disabled person, what are the most likely difficulties in terms of accessibility, circulation, access to materials and elements necessary for cooking, washing, etc. He/she will be able to use a plan, a photo, an illustration, a representation of spaces, to provide technical, spatial and organisational solutions to avoid as many difficulties as possible in the daily life of a disabled person.

The learner will later be able to project himself to analyse the activity of a person with reduced mobility, for example by systematically identifying during the periods and phases of everyday life (lunch, cleaning, washing, tidying up, etc.) how a person with a disability manages his activity, how he goes about it...

He was able to share his experiences with other participants and discuss current and future practices.

The participants could imagine carrying out simulations by going, for example, to a home automation exhibition or a carers' exhibition or to retailers.

Evaluation

Learning Outcomes

The learner will be able to better understand which elements of the immediate environment of a person with a disability and those of his or her home must be taken into account beforehand to allow the most functional use of the home.

Knowledge acquired

Knowledge of the contribution of ergonomics to the design of spaces for daily activities in the home and in particular for people with disabilities

Skills acquired

Competences for the learner on the need of people in difficulty and facilitating the use of the habitat to move around, access utensils.

Competences acquired

The participants will have acquired skills in ergonomics in relation to the home automation tools available on the market and develop their thinking on the use of the home when the tenant is disabled.