In his blog A view from the Q , Paul
Borawski invites us to think about what
new fields or disciplines could most reap the benefits of quality tools and
techniques.
In relation to this question I think
there are needs on the issue of universal accessibility.
Universal accessibility aims to
remove the barriers that might limit people to conduct their daily activities.
This approach takes into account the needs of people living with disabilities,
as well as the needs for anyone to have to deal with situations involving a
deterioration of its capacity.
The principle of universal
accessibility is essentially based on the idea of creating a barrier free environment.
Faced with universal accessibility,
I believe that the tools and techniques of quality have much to contribute, as professionals
design homes, environments, businesses, thinking only of those who have all the
skills or not considered that with age these skills are declining, although the
potential of a person to contribute ideas remain intact.
Traditionally, when interacting with
the environment arose barriers that restricted the development or social participation,
was attributed to the age, health condition, or more specifically to
alterations of this, ethnicity , language , to size , ability , sex of people affected
by them.
Today it is recognized that the
presence or absence of difficulties, barriers, in an environment depends on its
characteristics, its design, construction or provision.
The current challenge is how to
provide quality tools to professionals who design, build, and manage content
filled environments in the task of ensuring equal opportunities for all people
to facilitate the full exercise of their personal rights.
According to the study of the future
of the ASQ in 2011, one of the global trends is the aging of the population,
which creates challenges and opportunities at the same time, organizations need
the talent and experience of older people and they in turn need a friendly
environment for their performance. Demographers predict that by 2025 the
majority of the population will be over 65 years, this is a challenge for
professionals in charge of building houses, furniture, buildings and ensure
accessibility and welfare of the population.
Many efforts are being made in the
field such as ISO 170001, which consists of two parts under the general title
Universal Accessibility :
- Part 1: Criteria DALCO to
facilitate accessibility to the environment.
- Part 2: System access management.
The first part one identifies the
requirements for the actions of deambulation, apprehension, localization and
communication that must be met to ensure universal accessibility. DALCO is an
acronym for:
Deambulation, D : Action of moving
from one place to another. For example walk trough streets, hallways, corridors,
offices, going up or down steps, stairs , ramps.
Apprehension, A: Action to take or
grab something. Implies action to achieve what will be grasped.
Location, L: Act of checking the precise place someone or
something is in.
Communication, CO: Action exchange
of information necessary for the development of an activity.
The second part defines the
requirements of a management system accessibility, which is based in ISO
9001:2008 methodologies to design a management system.
I am convinced that all quality
professionals we must support with our knowledge and experience to all efforts
made to ensure a better quality of life for the population.
Cesar Diaz Guevara
