In 2020, PEACH Research Unit’s Katie Vaughan partnered with Community Links Nova Scotia to engage with older adults living in Nova Scotia about the accessibility of public spaces in their communities. We are now excited to announce that this project will be extended into Phase Two as soon as May 2021!
This project is performed using a research method called photovoice, where participants take photos, and elaborate on their photos using their own words, to answer a research question. For this project, older adults are asked to take photos of public spaces that are either helpful or harmful to their ability to perform daily activities in the public spaces of their communities. In other words, this project asked to learn from older adults about the places they feel are accessible or inaccessible for their needs.
The photos and narratives provided by participating older adults during the pilot study have been very valuable for understanding aging-in-place design.
Katie has produced two videos to share the initial findings:
The Testimonial Video (appearing above) showcases some of the photos and comments that were collected from participants in first-person voice.
The Result Video presents key findings of the study, describing the priority design features for improvement from the perspective of older adults from the pilot study.
We are really proud of what has been accomplished so far, and are excited to begin the extension of the project. It is our goal to learn more about accessible and inaccessible public space design in not only urban but also rural communities. If you are 65 years of age or older, live in Nova Scotia, and are interested in contributing to this project, please email Katie at kvaughan@dal.ca.