Designing Autonomy at home. The ADA Project
From Florence University Press Book
Antonio Laurìa, University of Florence
Beatrice Benesperi, University of Florence
Paolo Costa, University of Florence
Fabio Valli, University of Florence
This book describes the ADA Project, an action research developed by the University of Florence (Department of Architecture — Florence Accessibility Lab Interdepartmental Research Unit) and commissioned by Tuscany Regional Government.
Accessibility of the book was also taken into account, to render the contents truly straightforward for the widest possible spectrum of users, including those who are unable to see images and complex tables. Specifically, alternative descriptions are provided for any non-textual section, to provide the sight-challenged reader with equivalent content.
The book is divided into two sections: the first outlines the theoretical framework of the ADA Project and the cultural principles upon which it is based; the second describes planning stages and operating tools in detail. Section one examines the personal and environmental factors (both physical and socio-cultural) that characterise life at home for disabled persons and their caregivers. The evolution of the concepts of disability, personal autonomy and independent life are discussed. The issue of adapting the domestic environment is then analysed through the description of several methods and tools, and the subject of housing adaptation is introduced through the description of intervention strategies and criteria.
Section two is the core of the book: it provides a methodical illustration of the various phases of the ADA Project, its aims, its recipients and beneficiaries, as well as the procedure and tools used, the players and the relationships with the agencies involved. In particular, a tool for data production and needs assessment (the ADA Assessment Model — AdAM) is carefully described. This tool represents the main scientific and methodological outcome of the ADA Project and is reproduced in full in the Annexe to the book. Since most challenges addressed by the ADA Project are general in nature and might be met in any context, I hope the reader finds food for thought in the research described in this book, as well as some interesting ideas useful for their own work.
In 2018 the ADA Project was first selected as “Good Practice” by the international Design for All Foundation and then won the “Design for All Foundation Award 2018,” in the category “Spaces, products and services already in use.”
Read full text: https://www.fupress.com/catalogo/designing-autonomy-at-home--the-ada-project/3823
