376 – 056.26:7.021.23(083.9)

Gordana Vrencoska

Faculty of Art and Design - EURM

THE PROSPECTS OF INCLUSIVE DESIGN IN THE

MACEDONIAN CIVIL SOCIETY

Every human individual, irrespective of age, abilities and social status, strives to

lead independent and fulfilled life. Our modern and democratic societies,

characterized by mobility and use of technology, impose active lifestyle on

everyone. In such societies, there is a need for inclusion of all groups of

population: children, working class, aged people, people with disabilities.

Inclusive Design, also known as Universal Design or Design for All, is a people-

centered approach to design, which helps people to lead active life and have equal

access to education, environments, products and services. The Macedonian

Government has already adopted national strategies for equality and social

inclusion, which are in compliance with the UN and EU Conventions.

Appropriate legal platforms are established for translating strategies into action.

However, there is an overall impression of a lack of a wider social awareness and

execution. Important instruments for practical implementation of such strategies

are Inclusive Design methods, which are in a very initial stage of use in the R. of

Macedonia. This paper analyses the present situation with Inclusive Design in

higher education, as well as within the professional design practices in the

country. The main aim is to outline the prospects of Inclusive Design practices in

the Macedonian Civil Society and the possible mechanisms for its wider

application.

Keywords: Civil Society, Social Inclusion, Inclusive Design, Design Education,

Design Practice.

Introduction:

We live in the 21st century, in a technology-and-mobility-driven world with a

growing population of more than 7 billion people1. In our modern societies, an

active lifestyle dependent on technology and mobility enforces inclusion of all

groups of population.

Inclusive Design, with the similar concepts of Universal Design and Design for

All, is a people-centered approach to design, “in which designers ensure that their

products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience,

irrespective of age or ability”2. Presumably, this approach has been pioneered and

initially implemented in some of the most developed countries in the world: USA,

Japan, UK and Norway. Some of the design organizations, such as Helen Hamlyn

Center for Design in London and the Norwegian Design Council are leading the

way to research, development, implementation and promotion of Inclusive Design

principles and methods. “Inclusive Design principles can always be applied when

developing any product, environment or service3”. As outlined in the guide to the

principles of inclusive design, produced by the UK Commission for Architecture

and the Built Environment (2006), inclusive design is inclusive, responsive,

flexible, convenient, accommodating, welcoming and realistic. When taking the

inclusive approach to designing, the design methodology is adjusted to give focus

on the precise assessment of needs, careful observation of users, consideration of

the whole user experience, multiple testing of the prototypes, etc.

Design is relatively a new academic discipline in the R. Macedonia (Vrencoska,

2008), with formal design education established only in 2006. With the new

generation of educated and active design thinkers and practitioners, design is

gaining on importance in various social areas. However, the concept of inclusive

1http://www.worldometers.info 2http://www.designcouncil.info/inclusivedesignresource/ 3http://www.inclusivedesign.no/practical-tools/checklist-article57-127.html#sthash.yHYzyxgj.dpuf

design is moderately introduced and practiced within the study programs and the

professional practices.

This paper examines some of the experiences with inclusive design in higher

education, as well as within the professional design practices in the country, to the

present day. It also gives an overview of the policies on social inclusion and

equality adopted by the authorities, as well as of the network of organizations from

the Non-Government sector that advocate the rights of the disabled and other

vulnerable social groups. The goal is to outline the prospects of Inclusive Design

in the Macedonian Civil Society, and the mechanisms for its wider application.

In Pursuit of “Equal Access” in the R. of Macedonia

Inclusiveness in a developed civil society is measured by the level of equality of

access to education, environments, products and services. In such society, the

Government, individuals and civil society organizations, educational institutions

and professional practices should be equally involved in the successful

development, implementation and promotion of concepts of inclusiveness.

The role of the Macedonian Government has been mainly focused on providing

legal platforms and regulations for equality and social inclusion. The Ministry of

Labor and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the

Ministry of Education and Science and the Ministry of Culture are mainly

responsible for the establishment and implementation of the legal framework.

Some of the produced and relevant documents are:

-The Anti – Discrimination Law, 2010

-The National Strategy for Elderly People 2010 – 2020

-The National Strategy for Provision of Equal Rights of Persons with Invalidity

2010 - 2018

-The Social Policy of the Government Programme 2011 - 21054.

It lists the following actions, among others:

Construction of accessible ramps in public buildings for the disabled, elevators

and mobile platforms (continuously);

Ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities;

Establishment of Commissions for Equal Possibilities in all municipalities

The Commission for Protection against Discrimination, formed in 2011, is

responsible for regulation and implementation of the laws and action plans adopted

by the Government.

There are a number of active NGO organizations in the country, which play an

important role within the civil society sector. Polio Plus – movement against

disability - are one of the most active organizations in the protection of rights of

disabled citizens. Their project “From legislation to practice” is focused on

“mainstreaming the concept of equality and non-discrimination”, as well as

“towards establishing communication mechanisms between various stakeholders”5,

among others. In 2006, they published the Guide for securing unobstructed access

to open spaces and buildings, in collaboration with the Faculty of Architecture –

Skopje6. ‘Mobilnost Makedonija’ (Mobility Macedonia) are the National Union of

Persons with Physical Disabilities. They were chosen by the Ministry of Labor and

Social Affairs to implement the project “Inclusive Playgrounds for Children”7.

Their plan is to complete the first playground in Skopje and then develop the project

in other municipalities around the country. The Union members fight for the rights

not only of persons with physical disabilities, but also of pregnant women, parents

with small children, children, old and ill persons. In their call to action, published

4 http://vlada.mk/?q=node/268&language=en-gb 5 http://www.polioplus.org.mk/vesti/proekt1-en.html 6 KOROBAR, V., (2006) Пристапност : прирачник за обезбедување непречен пристап до

отворените простори и до објектите. Скопје : Полио Плус. 7 http://www.mobilnost.mk/index.php/2011-10-26-09-10-24/202-inkluzivni-igralista

on the 3rd

of December 2013, the International Day of People with Disabilities8,

they look for a wider participation of the public and the private entities; assurance

of Braiile-inscribed signage systems in public objects; access to information and

communication technologies, etc.9 ‘Open the windows’, on other side, is an

association which supports and promotes digital inclusion for the disabled. The First

Children’s Embassy in the World, ‘Megjashi’, is significantly active in the field of

children’s right protection. Macedonian Design Council has the concept of Inclusive

Design as part of their focus of activities.

Uncovering the Potential for Inclusive Design

According to the World Health Survey, conducted 2002 – 2004, the World Health

Organization (2011) estimates that around 15.6% of the world population aged 18

years or over are disabled. In total, the number goes around one billion people. The

member countries of the United Nations, including Macedonia, are undertaking the

necessary steps to meet the needs for mobility, access and inclusion of this

significant percent of the population.

For example, there are more than 2.000 blind and visually impaired citizens10

in the

R. of Macedonia (1% of the population) who are dependent on various forms of

audio and tactile communication for satisfying their everyday needs: tactile paving,

audio traffic signaling, special computers, production of Braille and audio books,

etc. The Statute for the content of information printed on drugs’ packaging, issued

by the Ministry of Health (2009), requires mandatory inclusion of Braille-inscribed

names of prescription drugs (Figure 1).

Macedonian Government has announced plans for mandatory inclusion of Braille-

inscribed names of all pharmaceutical products’ on their packaging11

by 2015. Each

8 http://www.un.org/disabilities/default.asp?id=1607 9 http://www.mobilnost.mk/index.php/2011-10-26-09-10-24/203-odbelezuvanje-na-3-ti-dekemvri 10 The number of members registered with the Union of the Blind People of Macedonia, member of the National Council of Disability Organizations of Macedonia.

domestic or foreign pharmaceutical producer present on the market will be obliged

to adapt their packaging design and production processes to comply with these

regulations. This means that the graphic and industrial designers involved in these

processes will have to educate themselves on the Braille standards and get familiar

with the specific needs of the target group of users.

Figure 1: Braille inscription of Cardiopirin, a drug produced in Macedonia by

the domestic pharmaceutical company Alkaloid.

Photo: Personal archive

Hence, the opportunities for the designers increase. There is not only room for

action in projects that are obligatory by law, but also within initiatives that can

help businesses grow. The increased access will strengthen communication,

mobility and consumption. Such a project in the private sphere is the first

restaurant menu designed in Braille in Macedonia – initiated by the Red Cross and

promoted by the restaurant Pelister in Skopje12

. This is a good example for other

businesses to start thinking innovatively and seek ways to attract new groups of

users.

Under the article 8 of The National Strategy for Provision of Equal Rights of

Persons with Invalidity 2010 – 2018, which accentuates dwelling, mobility and

12 http://bukvar.mk/news/promovirano-prvoto-meni-na-brajovo-pismo?newsid=bYoN

accessibility, it is stressed that “promotion of Universal Design should be one of

the main goals”. It is recommended that educational programs for application of

Universal Design should be developed. This could be seen as an opportunity for

the educational institutions from all the levels of design education – high school,

university, informal, etc. for development of new concepts and programs.

An overview of Inclusive Design experiences within design – related study

programs in Macedonia

There are several design or design-related university programs in the R. of

Macedonia. The included disciplines are: Architecture, Industrial Design, Interior

Design, Textile Engineering, Fashion Design, Graphic Design, Design and

Multimedia. Most of the programs have been born in the last ten years of reforms

and changes in higher education such as ECTS system implementation and

establishment of new, private universities.

Faculty of Art and Design – European University – R. of Macedonia

The Faculty of Art and Design was established in 2006 and offers programs in

Graphic, Fashion and Interior Design. The Department is oriented towards

contemporary design methods and the students embrace the models of social

inclusion through regular assignments, extracurricular projects or thesis. The

concepts of inclusivity in design and diverse target groups with specific

requirements are discussed even in the first semester of the studies, as part of

Design Methodology course. There are a number of final projects dealing with

social issues. “Touch to see” is the diploma project by Bojana Jakimovska (2010),

who developed a design concept for a donation campaign for tactile pavements for

the blind, using tactile graphics (Figure 2, 3).

Figure 2, 3: “Touch to see” – diploma project by Bojana Jakimovska, Faculty of Art and

Design. Mentor: Gordana Vrencoska,

Major shift forward towards more interactive learning within the design

educational processes for the students and the teachers was achieved with the

Inclusive Design Macedonia Project. It was organized by British Council

Macedonia (2012), in partnership with several other institutions: The Helen

Hamlyn Centre for Design at the Royal College of Art in London, Macedonian

Artisan Trade Association, European University RM – Faculty of Art and Design

and the State School Center for Education and Rehabilitation “Partenija

Zografski” in Skopje. The involved partners established cooperation between

designers/design students and young people with disabilities, mostly hearing

impaired high-school students. The aim of the project and the workshop was to

develop their design and handicraft skills by creating a portfolio of products from

textile, felt and wood (Figure 4). The final results were promoted at several

exhibitions and have been published in a book of instructions for future reference

and usage13

. The knowledge and the abilities acquired through the process of co-

designing, help develop the target group’s individual capacities and contribute to

their professional competence. This could be a very important stage of the process

that leads to their independence and workforce abilities.

The project benefits for this primary target group of young people with disabilities

are more than evident. What should not be overlooked are the benefits for the

other parties involved, and primarily for the designers who are in the role of

educators and mentors in the process. Working together with such people with

disabilities is a valuable opportunity for getting familiar with the specific needs of

this target group. It fosters empathy and raises the awareness for the challenges the

group faces in everyday life. Designers widen their perception, gain insight and

acquire new knowledge.

Figure 4: Inclusive Design Project - the workshop at “Partenija Zografski” school.

Photo: Dimitar Apostolov

13BRITISH COUNCIL MACEDONIA. (2012) Incluzive Zone: How to make products from textile,

felt and wood. Skopje: British Council Macedonia.

The reflection of the project continues, resulting in more interactivity and ‘joint

creativity’ efforts (Dimovska, 2014) in the regular assignments. Visually impaired

people and people with Down syndrome were guests at the Design Synthesis

course lectures and workshops. The students and the guests had the opportunity to

exchange questions and experiences, gradually coming closer to various design

solutions for the needs of these groups of people (Figure 5).

Figure 5: Smart Watch for complete synchronization of activities and easier navigation for

the blind, student project by Vladimir Dojcinovski. Mentor: Maja Dimovska.

It is important that these efforts and initiatives do not remain behind closed doors.

As their mentor Dimovska underlines, “it is not only about increasing the presence

of inclusive design within the educational processes, but also about keeping the

public informed on these ideas and consequently opening room for more sincere

discussion on the needs with relevant parties”.

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Design – Institute of Engineering Design,

St. Cyril and Methodius University Skopje

Initiated by Assistant Professor Ana Lazarevska, PhD, the Regional JFDP Alumni

Conference titled “Enhancing Accessibility of the Higher Education to the

Disabled” 2010 has been organized in Skopje and Ohrid. “Guidelines for correct

attitude towards persons with disabilities or limited abilities in higher education”

were published in 2012, as a result of the project. The main goal of these

guidelines is “to enable students, faculty and staff (primarily but not exclusively)

in the institutions of higher education to obtain more insight in the ways, means of

proper conduct and attitude towards the persons with disabilities”.

The workshops that were organized in 2012 as part of the follow-up project “Equal

Access through Service Learning for Persons with Disabilities”, enabled students

of Industrial Design to develop various design solutions for products targeted at

the disabled people (Figure 6, 7), “that could be offered on the market for the

people with specific impairments as target groups” (Sidorenko, Kandikijan,

Micevska, 2012). The Book of Case Studies was published, which, along with the

other materials, are posted at the project’s website: www.equalaccess4pwds.org

for future reference and usage.

Figure 6, 7: BRACELL is a mobile phone designed for reading and writing messages with

Braille signs. Student project by Filip Dimovski,

Faculty of Mechanical Engineering Design.

Summing up, there is an overall impression that inclusive design projects are

sporadic and not continuously present at the design departments of the

Macedonian universities. However, the positive impact of the executed projects

and activities is evident, resulting in various benefits for the design students and

their mentors. The students are getting familiar with new target groups and the

approaches for innovative design solutions. The mentors are becoming advocates

for the concepts of inclusive design, fostering new ways of interactivity,

networking and creative thinking.

Inclusive Design in Professional Design Practice – a Case of Architecture and

Urban Design

The Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the

recognition of professional qualifications (Title I, Article 3) established the

normatives of ‘regulated professions’14

. Architects are among them. Under the

Section 8, Article 46 of the Directive, following required knowledge and skills are

listed:

e) Understanding of the relationship between people and buildings, and between

buildings and their environment, and of the need to relate buildings and the spaces

between them to human needs and scale;

(f) Understanding of the profession of architecture and the role of the architect in

society, in particular in preparing briefs that take account of social factors;

The members of Skopje - based studio ‘Arhitektri’ clearly understand the high

level of social responsibility of the profession of an architect. ‘Skopje is growing’

is an initiative by this studio, which underlines the importance of social factors and

the human needs for the urban planning processes. The goal of the project is to

provide a platform for debate on the city vision, which will embrace the interest

and the needs of all the citizens15

. The architects behind the initiative claim that “a

genuine and substantial participation of citizens is possible solely by their timely

access to city’s development plans on a comprehensible and approachable way”.

The so-called ‘urban democracy’ is emphasized as a tool for education of civilians

about the city as uppermost public interest. Being involved in projects designed for

14‘regulated profession’: a professional activity or group of professional activities, access to which,

the pursuit of which, or one of the modes of pursuit of which is subject, directly or indirectly, by

virtue of legislative, regulatory or administrative provisions to the possession of specific professional qualifications. 15 http://skopjeraste.mk/pages/about/

specific target groups, such as nursing homes for the elderly, educational public

sculptures or furniture for children (Figures 8, 9), the architects of ‘Arhitektri’ are

dedicated to follow the regulations, international and national. The legal platforms

and regulations are clear and undoubtedly involve the requirements and the

standards for all the groups of users. Implementation and wider public awareness

are the key to success. Risto Avramovski (2014), one of the founders of

‘Arhitektri’, thinks that inclusive design approach should be indisputable in

contemporary architecture and design:

If we are surrounded by the elements which bring design closer to a wider

spectrum of users, then the awareness for this part of everyday life will

increase among citizens. The cities are the most democratic phenomenon

of the civilization as we know it and in essence they should represent

home to everyone; therefore the debate around being inclusive or not is an

indisputable fact for which we are not supposed to seek permission or

debate whether to be implemented in the society or not.

Figure 8, 9: Educational sculptures for children in Skopje’s City Park, project by

Arhitektri.

Photo: Nikola Jakimov

Figure 10, 11: Street view in the central area of Bunjakovec in Skopje. There are car

parking lots on one side of the street and still a number of cars parked improperly on the

pedestrian area on the other side. Despite being next to a kindergarten, no space at this

street has been secured for pedestrians, people with baby strollers or cyclists. These traffic

participants are forced to use the roadway with a risk to their safety.

Photo: Personal archive

Conclusion:

The Laws and the Strategies on Equality and Social Inclusion, adopted by the

Macedonian Government, provide solid legal platforms for their implementation

in various segments of the society. This should be recognized by the other parties

involved – the NGO-s, the educational institutions and the private sector, as

having more opportunities for networking, cooperation and more projects for

meeting the goals incorporated in these documents. It will help increase the levels

of implementation and provide a greater public awareness for the concepts of

Inclusivity and Equality. Universal Design, or Design for Inclusivity, is

incorporated in the strategies and the action plans, directly or indirectly. These

frameworks and goals should be particularly recognized by the designers – the

design or design-related study programs and the design practices. The history of a

handful of initiatives and projects, mostly supported by foreign institutions, such

as British Council, could be turned into a future of more developed, more

systematic and continuous cooperation with the Government, central and local,

NGOs and the private entities. The Inclusive Design projects increase possibilities

for more frequent contacts between designers and design students with people with

special needs and foster interactive learning. It’s a great way to nurture empathy,

increase openness for acceptance and inclusion. Through the process, designers

widen their perception, gain new insight and acquire new knowledge. By applying

the principles and the methods of Inclusive Design, already successfully

implemented in the developed countries, the design community will help the

groups of disabled persons, pregnant women, parents with small children,

children, aged and ill persons - to have access to a wider array of environments,

products and services. Increased accessibility will also increase communication,

mobility and use/consumption, benefiting all – the private businesses, the

responsible Governmental institutions and most of all - the group of end users. By

developing social responsibility, contributing to social innovation and embracing

the widest possible groups of users, designers become important players in the

process of building an inclusive and perspective Macedonian Civil Society.

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