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THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN INDIA

GANESAN, KANCHANA
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1172860560

Abstract Details

2007, MS ARCH, University of Cincinnati, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning : Architecture (Master of).
Universal design is credited with being “universally accessible” and is associated with the notion of empowerment. As an international movement, it tends to pre-suppose what “access” is, and that it is the same across the globe. This thesis analyzes whether these pre-suppositions hold true in different contexts, by studying universal design’s successes, failure, and relevance in developing nations, particularly with regard to the context of India. Selected essays on universal design by key authors are thematically reviewed and critiqued in order to compare universal design discourse across different countries. It was noted that perspectives from developed countries concentrated on technology and marketability, while those from developing countries emphasized the enhancement of users’ abilities through social interventions often more than physical ones. Two projects in India of differing scales are studied in order to examine universal design issues in the Indian context. The first is the New Delhi Pilot Project, a venture to make the public buildings of that city accessible based on UN guidelines. The second case study is an urban slum rehabilitation project in Neelasandra, Bangalore, initiated as a disability intervention, and later developed as a sustainable community project. From these studies it was observed that accessibility and universal design in developing countries are social issues, deeply embedded in the specifics of their contexts. Addressing accessibility and consequently universal design at a grassroots level, and prioritizing the uplifting human capabilities through a sustainable model, stands a greater chance of success in developing countries than does merely the application of international standards for physical intervention.
Dr. John Hancock (Advisor)
135 p.

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Citations

  • GANESAN, K. (2007). THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN INDIA [Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1172860560

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • GANESAN, KANCHANA. THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN INDIA. 2007. University of Cincinnati, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1172860560.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • GANESAN, KANCHANA. "THE SOCIO-CULTURAL CONTEXT OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN INDIA." Master's thesis, University of Cincinnati, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1172860560

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

ucin1172860560
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© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Cincinnati and OhioLINK.