Vahedi Zahra, Quinn Taylor, Cavuoto Lora
Industrial and Systems Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Disabil Rehabil Assist Technol. 2025 Mar 28:1-12. doi: 10.1080/17483107.2025.2481440.
This study aimed to evaluate the alignment of Universal Design (UD) principles with hotel features while exploring the experiences and needs of various user groups. UD is crucial in public accommodations, creating environments for all to promote inclusivity and functionality. By examining facilitators and barriers, guest expectations, and potential mismatches in UD implementation, the study provides insight into the effectiveness of UD.
In this study, 34 participants (15 young adults, 12 older adults, and 7 wheelchair users) toured a universally designed hotel and participated in a semi-structured interview. The data collected was analyzed to identify the presence of UD features and categorized through thematic latent analysis.
Expectations varied among individuals, revealing fewer universally usable features, especially for wheelchair users. Wheelchair users reported challenges with physical features such as heavy doors, high bed heights, and insufficient maneuvering space. Older adults faced fewer issues but noted difficulties with perceptible information and intuitive navigation. Although supportive design features such as automatic doors and well-placed grab bars were valued, mismatches between user expectations and actual design implementations limited overall usability. The study highlighted the importance of UD in public accommodations and UD evaluation methods that involve end users, offering a holistic evaluation to capture the genuine voice of individuals with disabilities. The findings reveal the need to integrate end-user perspectives into design evaluations to identify barriers and ensure solutions meet diverse user needs. UD should extend beyond accessibility to consider guest-physical interactions, supportive design elements, and aesthetics, creating an improved user experience.
本研究旨在评估通用设计（UD）原则与酒店功能的契合度，同时探索不同用户群体的体验和需求。通用设计在公共住宿场所至关重要，它能营造适合所有人的环境，以促进包容性和功能性。通过研究通用设计实施过程中的促进因素和障碍、客人期望以及潜在的不匹配之处，本研究深入了解了通用设计的有效性。
在本研究中，34名参与者（15名年轻人、12名老年人和7名轮椅使用者）参观了一家采用通用设计的酒店，并参与了一次半结构化访谈。对收集到的数据进行分析，以确定通用设计特征的存在情况，并通过主题潜在分析进行分类。
不同个体的期望各不相同，通用可用的功能较少，尤其是对于轮椅使用者而言。轮椅使用者报告了诸如门重、床高以及操作空间不足等物理特征方面的挑战。老年人面临的问题较少，但指出在可感知信息和直观导航方面存在困难。尽管诸如自动门和位置合适的扶手等支持性设计特征受到重视，但用户期望与实际设计实施之间的不匹配限制了整体可用性。该研究强调了通用设计在公共住宿场所的重要性以及涉及终端用户的通用设计评估方法，提供了一种全面评估以捕捉残疾人的真实声音。研究结果表明，需要将终端用户的观点纳入设计评估，以识别障碍并确保解决方案满足不同用户的需求。通用设计应超越无障碍性，考虑客人与物理环境的互动、支持性设计元素和美学，从而创造更好的用户体验。
