Through my ARP I have identified several barriers that I had not considered before. I knew the machines were a problem, but the space and consideration of open days are of such great importance. The next spiral of my research is how easy is it to remove those barriers that are within our control? If we can do this before students have enrolled, this will give the students a much more positive experience.
I have finally heard back from the disability advisor for performance. They will have availability after the Christmas break to be interviewed. I have been able to identify barriers within the rooms in terms of equipment and furniture but it would be great to talk to the expert in identifying barriers to see if there are more things that I had not considered. I also want to discuss the importance of open days from their perspective. Especially as it is advised for students to do contact the disability team during this stage.
While I wait for this interview too take place, I have been researching a company that has created industrial sewing machine adaptations and plan to create and implement this adaptation if possible.
I think its fair to say that after my own walk around the rooms and discovered 5 barriers that could affect a student who is a wheelchair user or has mobility issues is a concern. The BA costume course page states that UAL are committed to achieving inclusion and equality for all students, and that disability services can arrange adjustments for disabled students. The reality is this, the barriers that we currently have do not have a quick and easy solution to fix. Most students will confirm their attendance in August, when most of the technical team are off as they are term time only. At the very latest, it could be mid September when a student can enrol and these adjustments could potentially take months to implement.
UAL (2023)LCF BA Costume for performance course page.
Currently, every key piece of equipment/furniture is not accessible for those who are wheelchair users and can also impact those with mobility impairments. We need to make these changes now so we are ready for when those students come to open days. Open days are one of the most important days for all the students, ensuring the course and university are correct for them. UCAS has a guide for students with disabilities and how to prepare for open days and their importance. They advise to speak to the disability services during this time to raise any questions about adjustments that can be made for them.
One of the reasons we may not currently have students who are wheelchair users on the course is because we are not wheelchair accessible and that was seen during open days. Of course, all current students at LCF attended open days at other sites. We were located at Lime Grove D Block which was on the first floor and we had no lift. So it was not possible for wheelchair users and those with mobility impairments would not have been able to see the workshops. Curtain Road and Mare street also had accessibility issues which very well may be a big contributing factor as to why we do not have students here now.
Now we are at Eastbank, a building advertising itself as fully accessible will hopefully draw in this new and underrepresented demographic. But what they will see when they come to the costume rooms? Room’s that have narrow spaces between the chairs, machines they cannot use and tables high. The promise that changes would be made ‘if and when’ a student who needed them applied may not be enticing enough. If a student with physical disabilities saw a room with machines with adaptations already in place, tables at different heights etc, this would hopefully give the student more encouragement of our commitment to inclusivity and applications would be higher. As stated by Bunbury (2020) “inclusive education in schools should involve full participation without segregation into special classrooms or services” adaptations to equipment already in place will help foster a sense of inclusion for students who would require them rather than them knowing the adaptations were made specifically from them after applying.
References
UAL (2023) BA (hons) Costume for Performance available at https://www.arts.ac.uk/subjects/performance-and-design-for-theatre-and-screen/undergraduate/ba-hons-costume-for-performance-lcf [Accessed] on 5th December.
UCAS (2023) DISABLED STUDENTS: PREPARING FOR OPEN DAYS AND VISITS available at https://www.ucas.com/undergraduate/applying-university/individual-needs/disabled-students/disabled-students-preparing-open-days-and-visits [Accessed] on 5th December 2023
Bunbury, S. (2020) Disability in higher education–do reasonable adjustments contribute to an inclusive curriculum? Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13603116.2018.1503347?casa_token=e3Cac7f0w38AAAAA%3ACeoKgr2sApy_Rq_qE0s90Wp7TB8C_pk-1vsDlE6ImQWx2O8u1VBbLN58AfV2IlnJfu15OLk7ttF3UA [Accessed] on 5th December 2023
The main barrier that I found within our workshops are the sewing machines. As the costume specialist technician, my role is to deliver technical workshops which all require the use of the industrial sewing machines and Overlockers. The outcomes of the technical workshops are part of the assessment criteria for year one two and pivotal for students to gain skills to progress through the degree. All students are assessed on their sewing ability and although we have had students in the past who have personal support assistance due to learning differences, they were not allowed to sew for the students. Currently, all our industrial sewing machines and overlocker’s are operated by a pedal controlled by the feet. I have asked Dave Richardson who is the machine technician for East Bank, if we have any industrial machines in the building that are wheelchair accessible and we do not. He informed me that many years ago they did make an electrical adaptation to a sewing machine for a student who was a wheelchair user and it took months to get this ordered, delivered and operational. But at least it is an option. The adaptation was a push button that powered the machine, however this is not ideal. There is no speed control with this, and you want your hands on the work you are sewing, not a button.
For students who are wheelchair users and students with mobility impairments, the use of a foot pedal is likely not an option to operate the machines.
Our overlocker machines have 2 foot pedals. One to lift the foot of the machine, and one to power it.
Lockstitch machine (2023) Authors ownOverlocker machines (2023) Authors own
Pattern Cutting Tables.
I heard many discussions about having height adjustable pattern cutting tables for the move to East bank to make them accessible. However, that did not transpire. We have custom built tables that were designed for the user to be standing in order to draft patterns, which is industry standard. They stand at 920mm high which is a barrier for a wheelchair user who does not have a height adjustable chair. However, the main problem with the tables is not the height, but the storage shelf fitted towards the base. This is part of the frame of the table and can not be removed. This would prevent a chair from getting close to the table. We currently only have high stalls available as seating for the tables which could be a barrier for students with mobility impairments.
Pattern cutting tables (2023) Authors own
Conclusions of room observation: Qualitative data.
As it stands, we currently haver no industrial machines that can be used by wheelchair users, and potentially those with mobility impairments depending on condition. The only option we have for students is the use of domestic (at home) machines that are usable without a foot pedal. These are used in the rooms for certain garments and are used on the pattern cutting tables by students. As the tables are also an issue, the only option would be for students to use these in the heart space outside of the classroom. The detrimental and isolating effect this could have on a student has to be considered. “University staff need to be aware of the impact the hidden curriculum. can have on the social inclusion of disabled students. Disabled students need the opportunity to interact with their non-disabled peers socially.”
To start with, I wanted to create a visual graph comparing the measurements within the room compared to average dimensions of manual and electronic wheelchairs. The dimensions I obtained are from Accessible Public Realm: Updating Guidance and Further Research (Barham, Greenshields and Mitchell, 2020) which is a research report conducted by TRL Limited for the Department of transport. The purpose of this research project was to see how if the average dimensions have changed since their last research report which was conducted in 2002, to ensure public transport is still accessible. The data collection for the dimensions was collected in 2019 at mobility aid events around the UK.
Barham, Greenshields and Mitchell Average dimensions 2020: 18
The report also informs that “the recommendation of the ISO Standard for wheelchairs (ISO 7193) that there should be an additional allowance of at least 50mm, preferably 100mm, should be allowed on each side of the wheelchair for the user’s hands and elbows.” (Barham, Greenshields and Mitchell, 2020, 14) This has not been included in the measurements in the chart.
There are varying widths for mobility aids such as rolled walkers and I found no study that reviewed average dimensions. I cross referenced several that I found for sale and the average size I found are similar to the following image and so I will use this data from Mobility Smart (2023) in my graph.
mobility smart rolled walker specification 2024
I decided to do graphs focusing on the wheelchair widths and spaces within the room. As this stood out to me during my observation intervention as potentials barriers.
Door Entry.
I spent quite some time looking for building regulations for minimum door widths in public spaces. There are recommended widths, however these measurements vary with different sources and there does not appear to be a legal minimum requirement. Rapid Ramp, a company that specialises in accessibility ramps for public building and private dwellings suggest a minimum internal door for new builds should be 800mm to be considered wheelchair accessible.
Table 2 minimum effective clear widths of doors. Rapid Ramp door widths 2023
The door width to EB 822, 823, and 824 are all 822 so they meet the recommended minimum requirements for a new build. However, if you add the additional 200mm allowance for arms and elbows to the manual wheelchair widths as suggested by Barham, Greenshields, and Mitchell (2020: 14) this could be a barrier.
Door width (2023)Authors own.
Path between occupied sewing machines and chairs.
The next clear barrier that I noticed was the space between the sewing machines and chairs. This looked very narrow and even more so when I asked my colleagues to occupy the machines to imitate a working classroom. The graph does show that the space is not wide enough to accommodate either a manual wheelchair or electronic.
Width between occupied sewing machines and chairs (2023) Authors own.
Path between occupied pattern cutting tables and stall.
The third observation I made in regards to pathways was between the pattern cutting tables and stalls. Again my colleagues occupied two stalls back to back and I measured the space in between to see if there was enough space for wheelchair users to pass through. This again was very narrow and the graph clearly indicates that this is also not wheelchair accessible.
Width between occupied tables and stalls (2023) Authors own.
Conclusion of quantitative data
Although the entry into the room is compliant with the recommended minimum dimensions to be accessible, it is clear that there may be difficulties for wheelchair users to gain access to the room. A person who uses a manual wheelchair may require assistance as the additional allowance for arms and elbows may restrict them from independently gaining access. Once in the room, wheelchair users and those using mobility rollers would not be able to get access to all areas of the room due to the narrow pathways between the furniture in the room and this would have a profound impact on the students ability to complete technical workshops. Machines and irons would not be accessible to the student in the room’s current set up.
These barriers are ones that we can resolve. Re-organising the room, removing some of the machines to make more space is something that we can achieve. However, with the student numbers increasing, and are target student number doubling for September 2024, less machines and tables may have an impact. The current room capacity for EB 823 is 30. We currently have 14 lockstitch machines, 2 overlocker machines and 2 irons. Removing equipment will increase the student to equipment ratio and this could have a detrimental effect to their experience.
Mobility Smart (2023) The forearm rollator walker Available at https://www.mobilitysmart.co.uk/the-forearm-rollator-walker.html [Accessed] 25th November 2023.
Masters, S (2023) Door Width in EB 823graph.
Masters, S (2023) Path between occupied machines and chairsgraph.
Masters, (2023) Width between occupied tables and stalls graph.
The biggest barriers we have that would have major impacts on students with physical disabilities and mobility impairments is the equipment we have. We are a practically heavy course and when the machines are not accessible, this effects my ability to deliver technical workshops for these students.
I personally would find it unethical to expect students with disabilities to use different equipment to abled bodied students. That in my opinion is not inclusive but excluding. The ideal is to find options that all students can use. As stated by Bunbury (2020) “Being inclusive involves minimising barriers that hinder learning and participation” By not having equipment and furniture that can be used by abled and disabled students, we are creating a divide.
While doing desk research on industrial sewing machines for wheelchair users, I came across the website https://movingmood.com/ a Spanish company that have conducted extensive research on the needs of people with functional diversity and clothing, and to create a system to evaluate garment accessibility. Along with the desire to implement accessible clothing and encourage fashion designers to consider these standard, the have also been conduction research to make the production itself accessible. They have developed attachments to make industrial sewing machines wheelchair accessible.
Bunbury, S., (2020). Disability in higher education–do reasonable adjustments contribute to an inclusive curriculum?. International Journal of Inclusive Education, pg. 967. Available at https://www-tandfonline-com.arts.idm.oclc.org/doi/epdf/10.1080/13603116.2018.1503347?needAccess=true Accessed 10th November 2023
Moving Mood (2023) Available at https://movingmood.com/ Accessed on 24th November 2023
As EB822, 823, 824 and 828 have the same furniture and equipment set up in the same way, I decided I only needed to observe one room. As EB823 was unoccupied, I chose this to be the room I observed for my intervention.
According to Barham, Greenshields and Mitchell, J (2020:18) The average width of an occupied wheelchair is between 700mm-755mm. However it suggests an extra 100mm either side for the users hands and elbows. The doors to EB822, 823 and 824 are 820mm wide. This is a potential barrier as it is in the lower suggested with to be an inclusive door.
Door to EB 823 (2023) Authors ownDoor width (2023) Authors own
I walked around EB823 as this was unoccupied by a class. On entering through the doorway, the second barrier I encountered was space between the chairs back to back. With the chairs unoccupied, there is not enough space for a wheelchair to access.
I asked 3 of my colleagues to assist me at this point. I asked 2 to sit on opposite machines in a position that they felt comfortable to use it. I then measure the space between their chairs while my third colleague took the photo.
Occupied machines (2023) Authors ownDistances between chairs (2023) Authors own
The distance between them was 520mm
I then asked my same colleagues to sit on the stalls at the pattern cutting tables back to back to measure the space in between them.
Occupied Distance between the stalls (2023) Authors ownDistance between stalls (2023) Authors own
The distance between them on the stalls is 560mm.
As I continue around the room my focused moved to the pattern cutting tables. My first observation was how high these are. Abled bodied students are expected to stand while drafting patterns, or sit on a high stool. There is also a shelf under the tables which would stop a wheelchair from fitting under the table. This is the third barrier I have encountered.
Pattern cutting table height EB823 (2023) Authors own
The fourth barrier I encountered in the room were the lockstitch sewing machines and Overlockers. These are all used by pressing down on the foot pedal with your feet. If a student is unable to do this, the machine is unusable. The machines are height adjustable and a wheelchair can fit close to it.
Overlock machine E823 (2023) Authors own
The alternatives to using the industrial machines is to use one of the domestic machines we have which have a pedal free option, however the only tables in the rooms are the pattern cutting tables which are too high. The students would have to use the lower tables in IT open access outside EB823 to use the domestic machines.
My ARP had only a few ethical considerations due to the lack of in person participation. The considerations I did make were mostly on wording the interview questions and feedback forms for my co workers.
After reading Williamson’s paper Action research: politics, ethics and participation (2002) I learned how important confidentiality and anonymity are within action research. By talking to my participants in advance I hope to provide reassurance that they will remain anonymous and have the right to withdraw at any time. I will ask for consent to record any interviews that need transcribing and will delete the recordings after.
I also read Reflexivity in Quantitative Research: a Rationale and Beginner’s Guide by Jamieson, Pownall and Govaart and found their table of questions really useful in terms of keeping my project on track and thinking about the ethical considerations and my positionality through each stage.
Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner’s guide. (2023)
Williamson, G.R. and Prosser, S., 2002. Action research: politics, ethics and participation.Journal of advanced nursing. Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-2648.2002.02416.x [Accessed] 15th November 2023
Jamieson, M.K., Govaart, G.H. and Pownall, M., 2023. Reflexivity in quantitative research: A rationale and beginner’s guide. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, p.e12735.
I am from a white working class background and I have a BA hons in costume for performance from UAL. I am currently the specialist technician in costume for performance at London College of Fashion and I work with the BA and MA courses. I am an abled bodied woman and was diagnosed with learning difference in 2007. I have experience in applying for ISAs and DSA within UAL as I have applied for these as a student myself, and I recognise that I have a bias here. My learning difference also gives me insight on being a disabled student within UAL and how important inclusive learning environments are for students to flourish.
I wanted to do some research on how to conduct the room observation in order to get the best data from it. After reading Methods of comparative analysis (Bolbakov, Sinitsyn and Tsvetkov. 2020) I understand more about how to conduct the room observation and collect measurement data for comparative analysis. I plan to collect measurements within the room and compare them to average mobility aid dimensions to see if they would work within the space. I believe this is the best method as “Comparison can be considered as an intelligent procedure that allows us to examine a set of objects in order to discover their relations or to assess the degree of their differences and similarities.” (Bolbakov, Sinitsyn and Tsvetkov. 2020) I am able to get the results without needing participants.
I have also tried to get a better understanding of spaces and those with disabilities accessing them. Although a paper about accessible toilets, it still gave be a better understanding of how important it is to have the same access as able bodied people. As said by Kitchen and Law “For disabled people, the provision of public services and the design of the built environment can be a crucial determinant of participation.”
The importance of ensuring that for those with physical disabilities and mobility impairments, the workshop was fully accessible became even more apparently after reading Imries paper Disability and discourses of mobility and movement (2000) He identifies that “Mobility and movement are also dependent upon access from one place to another and, for disabled people, to be able to move through spaces unimpeded by physical objects. Indeed, a prerequisite for movement is the means for connectivity between places, and yet for most respondents’ movement is often hindered by the lack of appropriate infrastructure or mechanisms to enable them to move easily from one place to another. For instance, for most wheelchair users, the discontinuous nature of routeways is an ever-present part of their daily lives”
References
Bolbakov, R.G., Sinitsyn, A.V. and Tsvetkov, V.Y., 2020, November. Methods of comparative analysis. In Journal of Physics: Conference Series (Vol. 1679, No. 5, p. 052047). IOP Publishing. Available at https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1742-6596/1679/5/052047/pdf [Accessed] 6th November 2023
Kitchin, R. and Law, R., 2001. The socio-spatial construction of (in) accessible public toilets. Urban studies, 38(2), pp.287-298. Available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/43100392?seq=1 [Accessed] 6th November 2023
Now I have my question formulated and a plan for an intervention, I have used the spiral diagram to visualise what I am going to do.
my action research cycle (2023) Authors own
I plan to read as much as I can about the use of room observations as a research method alongside looking at average wheelchair dimensions so I can compare the data to see if the rooms are compatible.
Although my focus is the barriers on the courses themselves, I do want to look at some external contributing factors to gain an understanding on the bigger picture.
