Osifo Osayaba, Terashima Mikiko
School of Planning, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Planning for Equity, Accessibility, and Community Health (PEACH) Research Unit, Dalhousie University, Canada.
Stud Health Technol Inform. 2024 Nov 29;319:293-306. doi: 10.3233/SHTI240952.
About 15% of the global population is considered neurodivergent (having different ways of sensory processing than what are perceived as neurotypical persons). Persons with neurodivergence typically include those with autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and Down Syndrome. Studies have shown that many neurodivergent persons experience sensory processing disorder (SPD). Noise, lighting, temperature, and aesthetics are some factors that can significantly impact the quality of interaction with the built environment for these individuals. A significantly lower proportion of youths with SPD enter higher educational institutions (HEI), hindered in part by physical design on university campuses. Universities in Canada are now mandated to address barriers in the campus environments for persons with disability. However, space design needs of neurodivergent students are often overlooked. We interviewed eight neurodivergent persons with SPD (NPSPD) about their experiences as students navigating a university campus located in Halifax, Canada. We asked what specific spaces on campus pose barriers to them (to enter, traverse, and use), and how the design should be improved. The participant responses revealed many elements on campus that act as barriers-largely consistent with existing literature. However, the participants' comments illustrated more complex dynamics of these factors, which can exacerbate their stress and anxiety. Oftentimes, barriers are more to do with lack of information about the characteristics of the space prior to using it, which would otherwise allow students to plan ahead their journey to destinations and use of given spaces. A wayfinding aid that informs what to expect in spaces or pathways on campus would be a potential area for innovation, along with multiple services to comprehensively and flexibly cater to individual needs to alleviate sensory overload. Ongoing communications about barriers across campus by all users of the university campus would facilitate implementation of pragmatic solutions needed to address diverse needs existing in HEI.
全球约15%的人口被认为是神经差异者（即他们的感官处理方式与被视为神经典型的人不同）。神经差异者通常包括患有自闭症、注意力缺陷多动障碍（ADHD）和唐氏综合征的人。研究表明，许多神经差异者都经历过感觉统合失调（SPD）。噪音、光线、温度和美学是一些会显著影响这些人与建筑环境互动质量的因素。患有感觉统合失调的青少年进入高等教育机构（HEI）的比例明显较低，部分原因是大学校园的物理设计造成了阻碍。加拿大的大学现在被要求解决校园环境中对残疾人的障碍问题。然而，神经差异学生的空间设计需求往往被忽视。我们采访了八位患有感觉统合失调的神经差异者（NPSPD），了解他们作为学生在加拿大哈利法克斯的大学校园里的经历。我们询问校园里哪些特定空间对他们构成了障碍（进入、穿行和使用），以及设计应如何改进。参与者的回答揭示了校园中许多构成障碍的因素——这在很大程度上与现有文献一致。然而，参与者的评论说明了这些因素更为复杂的动态关系，这可能会加剧他们的压力和焦虑。通常情况下，障碍更多地与在使用空间之前缺乏关于该空间特征的信息有关，否则这会使学生能够提前规划前往目的地的行程以及使用特定空间。一种能告知校园空间或路径情况的寻路辅助工具将是一个潜在的创新领域，同时还需要多种服务来全面灵活地满足个人需求，以减轻感官过载。大学校园的所有使用者持续就校园内的障碍进行沟通，将有助于实施解决高等教育机构中存在的各种需求所需的务实解决方案。
