News Release

2007-07-18 10:49:59

Students display universal product designs to improve everyone's quality of life, including elderly

WATERLOO, Ont. (Wednesday, July 18, 2007) -- Students in a third-year systems design engineering course at the University of Waterloo will display product designs to improve the quality of life for as many people as possible, including elderly people with disabling conditions.

Next week, 12 student groups will present an exhibition on universal design. The exhibition runs from noon to 4 p.m. on Monday, July 23, in room 1301 of the William G. Davis Computer Research Centre on the UW campus.

"Universal design is the design of products or environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design," says John Zelek, professor of systems design engineering and exhibit organizer.

"Universal design respects human diversity and promotes inclusion of all people."

Zelek adds that universal design aims to "simplify life for everyone by making products and environments more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost."

All the student projects adopt the key guiding principle of universal design. "They apply the principle that if you design for the elderly disabled, you will design for all," Zelek says.

"The average person in North America will spend close to 12 years of his or her life as a person with disabilities and the cost is more than 6.5 per cent of the gross national product," he says.

The student groups in Zelek's course, Systems Design 361, were each required to select a unique disabling condition, identify a design-problem objective and solicit needs from an associated demographic -- all to lay the groundwork for developing innovative concepts that are prototyped for display at next week's exhibit.

Designs range from solutions to universal problems such as kitchen safety, electrical outlet convenience, pill bottle use, remote distress buttons, entertainment for the mobile challenged and sleep disorders.

As well, they tackle disability special issues such as mobility for Parkinson sufferers, hygiene reminders for people with Alzheimer's, grocery shopping for people who are visually impaired, safety for walker users to foot monitoring for sufferers of neuropathy.

The course and theme meet several engineering design learning objectives. It also exposes the students to rehabilitation design, which may lead to cost effective solutions, and motivates them. Finally, it demonstrates that engineering has a crucial role in society, improving the quality of life for all and providing a unique service to the community.

Resources

Contacts:

John Zelek, exhibition organizer, 519-888-4567 ext. 32567

John Morris, UW media relations, 519-888-4435 or
jmorris@uwaterloo.ca

UW news release no. 66

2007-07-18 10:49:59