Planning Inclusive Yachts: A Novel Approach to Yacht Design (Design For Inclusion, 1) 3030552063, 9783030552060

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Design For Inclusion 1

Paolo Ferrari

Planning Inclusive Yachts A Novel Approach to Yacht Design

Design For Inclusion Volume 1

Series Editor Giuseppe Di Bucchianico, Department of Architecture, University of Chieti-Pescara, Pescara, Italy

The book series “Design for Inclusion” publishes studies aimed at untangling the complex relationships between design and society, especially with regard to human diversity and inclusion. The series cover the classical fields of industrial design, such as product design, interior design, service design and communication design, with a special focus on their interactions with other disciplines, such as the physical and social sciences. In particular, the series reports on the latest developments, both theoretical and practical, concerning different approaches to “Design for Inclusion”: Universal Design, Inclusive Design, and Design for All. It shares insights into their multiple, interdisciplinary relationships with both the human sciences and the transversal frameworks and approaches typical of Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Design for Sustainability. “Design for Inclusion” addresses a very broad readership, including designers, engineers, architects, social scientists and stakeholders, who deal with any of the topics mentioned above and their various implications. It publishes volumes fostering scientific advances, as well as books devoted to supporting education and professional training. These include monographs, edited books and conference proceeding. Outstanding PhD theses on emerging topics, if properly reworked, may also be considered for publication. This book series is published with the support of EIDD - Design for All Europe.

More information about this series at http://www.springer.com/series/16456

Paolo Ferrari

Planning Inclusive Yachts A Novel Approach to Yacht Design

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Paolo Ferrari Department of Engineering and Architecture University of Trieste Trieste, Italy

ISSN 2662-5644 ISSN 2662-5652 (electronic) Design For Inclusion ISBN 978-3-030-55206-0 ISBN 978-3-030-55207-7 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7 Originally published in Italian with the title Progettare imbarcazioni accessibili - Un nuovo approccio per lo Yacht Design by Paolo Ferrari, © Tecniche Nuove Spa, Milano 2019, © Paolo Ferrari. Published by Tecniche Nuove Spa. All rights reserved. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Real progress happens only when advantages of a new technology become available to everybody Henry Ford

To Anna

Presentation by Andrea Stella

A grey and red monohull of about 13 m, a wheelchair in use, a ramp leading from the cockpit area to below deck, a streamlined line, an exceptional name: Ferrari. Looking through a nautical magazine, I believe more than 15 years ago, I was amazed by this rendering, a beautiful and accessible boat, so beautiful and innovative that it made me think that the manufacturer was the famous car brand. I knew Paolo Ferrari through his work and, only a few years later, we met as volunteers at one of the many sailing campuses organized by the Easy Action non-profit association. We share a passion for sailing and boats, boats characterized by beautiful design and that are accessible to everyone, through the idea of planning boats for everyone, not only for the disabled, but certainly considering their needs as well, in a participatory and Inclusive Design perspective. This is fundamental to, or at least what I think about “design for all”: a design approach that takes into consideration the human being in his various meanings. So, there is not something made for “you”, the bathroom for “you”, as I often heard people saying, in absolute good faith. As it was, for example, for the television remote control; an object born for the needs of a person with motor problems which has become essential for everyone. Invention often arises from a need: it is a problem that leads to new solutions, often better than those normally used. This is Paolo Ferrari’s approach: to export the Design for All approach, which is now finding space in urban objects and environments, into the nautical sector. His analysis arose from the great breadth of knowledge he has developed on these issues. He talks to us about people’s needs, analyses the limits of the solutions available on the market, exhibits a complete and in-depth analysis of state-of-the-art accessible boats, offering new ideas with beautiful, comfortable, safe and functional solutions for everyone. With this research, he tries to define some design standards and guidelines that can be useful to anyone who understands that today it is increasingly important to design with consideration for the human being and his needs, both on land and at sea. He has achieved this successfully, remaining adherent to reality and proposing simple and feasible solutions. It is not just an ethical issue—he tells us—but a question of sustainability, thinking that there is an increasing ix

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number of older people and, as a consequence, market opportunities too. After all, a wider gangway is more comfortable for everyone: let’s just think about that! Andrea Stella Founder of the Non-profit Association “Lo Spirito di Stella”

Foreword by Giuseppe Di Bucchianico

This book indirectly refers to two emerging issues in contemporary society; first, the social theme of inclusion and human diversity, second, the growing awareness that a “standard” human being does not exist. The first question is primarily of a social and political nature, with wide-ranging repercussions also at a cultural level. The issue of social inclusion, human diversity and equal opportunities for all individuals to enjoy environments, products and services autonomously and comfortably, in fact, is now included in almost all political agendas around the world. For example, already in 2000, the European Union built its motto, “united in diversity”, around the concept of cultural diversity; furthermore, among the European strategies emerging from Horizon 2020,1 are those aimed at strengthening equality, participation and accessibility for all to goods, services and life opportunities.2 In reality, these initiatives are linked to wider economic, social and cultural phenomena, including the globalization of markets (and consequently of cultures and lifestyles) and demographic dynamics, referring both to migrations from the poorest countries and to the aging of populations in the richest countries (phenomena that will upset the micro, macro-economic and social structures of the entire planet in the coming decades). To face these challenges, therefore, awareness is growing that new visions, strategies, tools and approaches are needed. The second question underlined by this book has a more technical dimension, with immediate and direct repercussions on the specialist dimension of the project. The epoch-making transition from “designing for the standard person” to the illuminating awareness that “the standard person does not exist”, in fact, has reinforced the idea that real individuals, besides being “different” on a physical, psychological or cultural level, also have diversified skills, abilities, aspirations and desires, which make them unique and unrepeatable. Diversity between individuals, which is therefore the rule

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Horizon 2020 is the biggest EU Research and Innovation programme ever, with nearly €80 billion of funding available over 7 years (2014 to 2020)—in addition to the private investment that this money will attract. It promises more breakthroughs, discoveries and world-firsts by taking great ideas from the lab to the market. From 2021, the programme will be renamed “Horizon Europe”. 2 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions “European Disability Strategy 2010–2020: A Renewed Commitment to a Barrier-Free Europe” (COM (2010) 636). xi

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and not the exception, must however be considered as a resource rather than a limit or a constraint for the project and, therefore, equality between individuals, communities and groups, represents a strategic and indispensable topic for the sustainable development of contemporary society; in which everyone should have the same opportunity to enjoy the environments, products and services. Fortunately, many steps have been taken in the past few decades towards a more inclusive society, particularly in relation to people with disabilities. In fact, at the beginning of the twentieth century a disability was only considered a matter that concerned a small minority of the world’s population and therefore was without significant repercussion on the practice of a project related to industrial production. At the beginning of the last century, in Italy for example (but it can be extended with slight variations to all western countries), life expectancy was just over 50 years, the chances of surviving a spinal cord injury were about 10% and most people with chronic conditions were confined to living in healthcare institutions. Today, thanks to a healthier way of life, to the progress of medicine and to better hygiene conditions, almost 80% of the population lives beyond 65 years, with a life expectancy that has risen to over 80 years. Today therefore, in Italy there are about 3 million disabled, equal to around 5% of the population, of which only 7% approximately are hospitalized in treatment institutions. In the last fifty years, however, despite the fortunate development of social and cultural awareness of disability issues, which has led to profound innovations in terms of regulations, services and interventions in favour of the disabled, unfortunately still today attention tends to be mainly placed at the simple “physical accessibility” of environments and spaces. Physical accessibility is an indispensable right, even if it remains a desire, since from the experience of real life emerges the presence of important obstacles, such as the so-called architectural barriers. The accessibility challenge can be won only when it is understood that “disability” must fit into the wider theme of “human diversity”, of which “everyone” belongs, and not just a minority or a “protected” and under “protection” group. Diversity which, therefore, should be considered as a “resource” and a stimulus to innovation for the project and no longer as a “constraint” or limitation to be avoided through a shrewd interpretation of the rule or, worse, of its passive and slavish application. In reality, there are several design approaches developed over the past thirty years to encourage inclusion. Today it can be argued that the main approaches of “Design for Inclusion” are substantially three, each with its own specific characteristics: Universal Design, Inclusive Design and Design for All. Universal Design (UD), developed first in the USA and then spread around the world, expresses the fundamental objective of good theoretical and design practice: to respond to the needs of as many users as possible. Not only a set of dimensional requirements, compliant with codes, standards or special characteristics of specific users with disabilities, but the reference to some general principles of design, simple to apply and verify. Universal Design has contributed, for the first time, to define the “user” in a wide

Foreword

Foreword

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extended meaning, pushing designers and companies to make products and spaces accessible and usable by the majority of people and not focusing only on people with disabilities. Not everything must necessarily be completely usable by everyone: the term “universal” refers more to the methodological attitude than to a rigid and absolute assumption. Inclusive Design (ID), developed in the UK and countries of British influence, on the other hand, does not place dogmatic design principles, but defines a real approach focused on human diversity and is based on the idea that no criteria, principles or guideline may be absolute, but must always deal with the multiplicity of users, contexts and objectives. In fact, considering the widest range of skills, languages, cultures, genders, ages and all other possible differences between users, Inclusive Design bases its approach on three “dimensions”: recognizing diversity and uniqueness among individuals, the inclusiveness of tools and design methodologies, the extent of the effects in terms of benefits. Finally, Design for All (DfA), of a purely European origin, which has been briefly defined as the “design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality” (EIDD, Stockholm Declaration, 2004), aims to improve the quality of life of individuals through an enhancement of their specificity and diversity. Design for All does not offer a new type of design nor is it a new design discipline; it is rather a holistic approach to project processes and methods that enhances the concepts of participation, sharing and inclusion and, at the same time, it is an effective tool for education and dissemination of the same principles of the DfA, which by their nature are general and extensive. It is a new sensitivity on the theme of human diversity, considered not as a discriminating factor, but as a systemic characteristic of mankind, both physically and cognitively, socially and culturally; it is, above all, a growing attitude at a civil and cultural level that affects, inevitably and transversely, all areas of the project, to prefigure spaces, products, services and systems that are pleasantly usable independently by the widest possible range of users of any age, gender, ability, culture or group. Design for inclusion, in all its different approaches, therefore aims at the possibility of carrying out all daily activities independently and comfortably, including those related to pleasure. Some of them are particularly difficult for individuals who have some kind of difficulties or disabilities, or simply because of the contexts in which they take place. This book refers to an application context deemed a “limit” for accessibility: sailing boats for pleasure boating. Starting from a critical review of both traditional and inclusion-oriented boats, the book addresses, with methodological rigor, the question of accessibility both in general terms and in reference to the on-board spaces, systems and activities, considered more critical than the filter of “inclusive” accessibility. Its limits and potentials are highlighted, also through some authorial project proposals, in which the author has personally tried to validate the design guidelines identified with his own personal research activity.

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The result is a practical text, full of reflections and thoughts about a production sector that has only recently started to recognize Design for Inclusion as a research field that can offer wide margins of design innovation. Prof. Giuseppe Di Bucchianico Associate Professor of Industrial Design University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti-Pescara Italy President of “Design for All” Italia General Secretary of “EIDD-Design for All Europe”

Introduction

Through a predictive analysis, considering the lengthening of life expectancy, the experts affirm that the world population will be increasingly older and therefore characterized by different types of disabilities.3 For this reason, it is essential that designers focus their attention on projects that can meet everyone's needs, developing specific design approaches, especially in the context of inclusive disciplines. Inclusive design today therefore addresses every human being: considering that the standard individual represents only a small part of the population, designing according to a rule means penalizing or excluding a large section of individuals from the use of products, services and environments. In this sense, the most appropriate design method is therefore the one defined by Design for Inclusion. Despite its recent introduction, the concepts of Design for Inclusion have already been applied in many areas, including yacht design, although still partially. Recreational activities, which were once considered the prerogative of the wealthiest class, are currently practised by a much wider audience and even individuals with different disabilities can be end-users. Sailing, in particular, has recently seen a strong growth in interest from numerous disabled users, for whom it has been possible to obtain a sailing license. The first accessible boat was designed in the USA in the late 1970s and, since then, several other boats have been built or modified to allow disabled people to practise sailing. From the 90s, the concept of “Sailing for Everyone” began to spread, thanks to the birth of new types of boats and the creation of a wide range of special aids for navigation, especially for boats of up to 6 m in length. Such diffusion was also possible thanks to non-profit associations which, in collaboration with sailing clubs, have created sailing schools, events and regattas specifically dedicated to disabled sailors, with the aim of facilitating their social integration. In recent years, some larger boats have been built, promoting inclusion and giving life to mixed crews, made up of men and women, young and old, able and disabled. This kind of experimentation, although not widespread, gives an idea of the potential inherent in such a design approach, which would allow the creation of boats able to satisfy different types of users simultaneously, creating inclusion,

Sergei Scherbov, Daniela Weber—BMJ Journal: “Future trends in the prevalence of severe activity limitations among older adults in Europe: a cross-national population study using EU-SILC”. http://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/7/9/e017654. xv 3

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integration and opening new commercial scenarios. Let us think, for example, of a yacht charter market offering totally accessible yachts in their fleets. Today, however, there are no sharp guidelines for the design of accessible pleasure boats, and this is therefore the purpose that this book proposes. The volume focuses on the definition of a new approach for the design of accessible and inclusive sailing boats, that takes into account the typical problems of users with permanent or temporary motor difficulties and of the so-called weak groups (children, elderly, pregnant women). In particular, Chap. 1 contains a quick analysis of the anthropometric and ergonomic needs of people with motor disabilities; useful for understanding the reasons for the subsequent proposed solutions. Chapter 2 analyses the activities of the major international associations for disabled sailors; then, the experiences of three disabled sailors, among the most active in the world, are presented with short interviews: although they need specific design, they wish to sail and to share the same passion with other people, overcoming the difficulties of their physical condition. After the description of the context and the requirements, referred to in the first two chapters, Chap. 3 illustrates the boats, fully or partially accessible, recently built in the world, accompanied by a critical analysis that highlights their strengths and weaknesses. Then, a collection of innovative design proposals for sailing boats, developed during graduation or master’s theses for design courses in Italian universities, is exhibited and commented on. In Chap. 4, starting from the analysis of current state-of-the-art sailing boats between 10 and 24 m in length, it sets out a series of cases in which the user, depending on his or her motor limitations, can meet problems of accessibility of external and internal spaces. It is important to point out that, even in large boats, these problems have never been taken into consideration, although the solutions were easily applicable. In Chap. 5, therefore, the previously reported problems are addressed; seeking optimal solutions, taking into account the production processes, the economic aspects and the impact on the spatiality on board. In the final Chap. 6, the design experimentation conducted by the author in his twenty years of research about accessible sailing boats is collected, in which he applies the solutions previously revealed in relation to what different lengths of hulls will allow. This book, which is not intended to be a manual, but rather a starting point that can be further developed for larger and more in-depth research, tries to define the most suitable solutions for the elimination of problems related to accessibility and use of space on board monohull pleasure boats (therefore between 10 and 24 m in length), in order to create a reference standard in the field of nautical design to facilitate accessibility and inclusion. The study of this theme, which is not easy due to the numerous variables that make up the framework of disabilities and the peculiarities of the “boat” environment, leads to the analysis of the design solutions applicable to such confined space as that of yachts, respecting the needs of space and ergonomics required by the particular conditions of the user, in order to eliminate the obstacles on board. It should be noted that the research area is limited to monohull boats, as they are more problematic than multihull vessels, both for the smaller

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Introduction

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space available and for the heeling that characterizes them during navigation, making management on board more complex for a disabled person. The author proceeded, as much as possible, according to the principle that a disabled individual should almost never separate from his “legs”, that is their wheelchair, for two reasons: the first is related to a question of respect for the need of the person to be able to move independently; the second considers the types of disability, as some require the use of specific postures and, in certain cases, personalized aids permanently connected to the wheelchair itself. It is useful to remind that, among the many types of disability, only the typical problems of users with motor difficulties have been considered and that, although a correct design can facilitate the use of sailing boats, the presence on board of an expert sailor, who can provide help or assistance in cases of particular danger or emergency, is always recommended. The sea, like all elements of nature, is always unpredictable in its behaviour and, as such, we must respect it and have the good sense of never challenging it. Finally, it is important to specify that the results of this research are also scalable to motor boats, which today are much more widespread than sailing yachts. The hope is that, in the future, this volume will be useful to new generations of designers, so that they always pay attention to the themes of ergonomics and functionality of the internal and external spaces of the yachts, matching them with the concept of Easy Sailing, already developed on many actual boats.

Contents

1 Why Inclusive Design? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.1 Dimensions of Motor Disability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.2 Types of Motor Disability. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.3 Boating in Numbers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.4 Designing for Inclusion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 1 2 3 5 10

2 The Inclusive Yachting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.1 Inclusive Design and Yachting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.2 The Commitment of Associations and the Birth of a Paralympic Discipline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.3 The Function of Non-profit Organizations for “Sailtherapy”: The Case of “Spirito Di Stella” . . . . . . . . . . . 2.4 Sailability and the Concept of “Sailing for Everyone” . . . . . 2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors: Andrea Stella, Massimo Dighe and Deborah Mellen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.6 A Boat Charter Accessible to Disabled People: Technical and Economic Evaluations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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3 State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats. . . . . . . . . . . 3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today . . . . . . . . . . 3.2 Academic Project Proposals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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4 Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.1 Pleasure Sailing Yachts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility Issues: Identification of Cases. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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5 Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces . . . . 5.1 Transom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.2 Boarding Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.4 Cockpit and Side Walkways . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.5 Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck . . 5.6 Below Deck Spaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5.7 Bathing Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

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6 Design Proposals for Accessible and 6.1 Experimental Concept Design of 6.2 Experimental Concept Design of 6.3 Experimental Concept Design of 6.4 Experimental Concept Design of

Contents

Inclusive Boats . . . . a 28-foot (8.53 mt) . . a 33-foot (10.05 mt) . a 45-foot (13.71 mt) . a 77-foot (23.47 mt) .

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Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151 Epilogue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 153 Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155 Websites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157

About the Author

Paolo Ferrari serves as a Research Fellow at the University of Trieste and as an Adjunct Professor at the Polytechnic University of Bari, Italy. He obtained his Ph.D. in Industrial Design from the Department of Engineering and Architecture at the University of Trieste. The winner of numerous awards in nautical design, he is one of the leading international experts on the design of accessible sailing boats and motorboats. As a freelance journalist, he writes for various publishing houses on both technical and naval design issues.

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Why Inclusive Design?

1.1

Dimensions of Motor Disability

Today, over a billion people, out of a total population of about 6.5 billion, live with some form of disability. This estimate comes from an authoritative source, the World Health Organization (WHO). This is 15% of the world’s population, equal to the population of an entire continent. 300 million are disabled persons identified in highly industrialized and developed countries and 700 million in the poorest developed countries. The expectation for which the data on disability is unfortunately destined to increase is rather alarming, despite the requests, addressed by WHO and the World Bank to governments around the world, to improve access for disabled people to essential services. The percentage of disabled people is also continuously growing because it’s linked to increased life expectancy and therefore to the aging of the population, but it also grows due to a global increase in chronic diseases. If we consider that the estimates foresee a 40% increase in the world population by 2035, we calculate a 50% increase in disability, with an incidence of 30% in the most developed countries and 70% in the poorest or developing countries. The growth of disabilities will be increasingly accentuated among the elderly. It is therefore useful to propose a classification of motor disabilities to understand what their functional framework is within society.

From the 1980s to 2000, the WHO used a classification of motor disabilities that left quite some room for prejudice. In fact, it was based on the so-called ICIDH system, which stands for International Classification of Impairments Disabilities and Handicaps, taking into consideration the following three parameters: impairment, disability and handicap. The problem is that these parameters were considered from a “privative” point of view and therefore based on what is missing as a disabled motor. In fact, the salient feature of the impairment is considered as a lack and/or loss of a part of the body; the characteristic of disability is the deficiency in a specific activity, while that of the handicap is the externalization of these shortcomings in the relationship with society. In 2001, based on these classifications, the WHO published the ICF,1 acronym for International Classification of Functioning, according to which the emphasis is placed on other parameters and factors such as: functioning, health and disability. Disability is not limited simply to the presence of a physical or mental deficit. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) defines people with disabilities as those who «[…] have physical, mental, intellectual or sensory lasting impairments that, in interaction with barriers of a different nature, can hinder ICF – Classificazione Internazionale del Funzionamento, della Disabilità e della Salute: http://apps.who.int/iris/ bitstream/10665/42417/4/9788879466288_ita.pdf.

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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_1

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their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others2». According to this approach, an impairment is not a sufficient condition for being a disability, as it is the consequence of a negative interaction between the individual health condition and the context in which the person lives. The important implication of the new paradigm highlights the social dimension of a disability, which can therefore be considered a particularly serious manifestation of a society’s inability to ensure (or bring closer) equal opportunities to people with health problems. The motivation behind this change derives from the many criticisms, determined by the previous division, concerning the marginalization that was unfailingly associated with disability. This new classification, instead, interprets disabilities from a functional point of view: the basic concept is to overcome the classic point of view that sees the disabled as missing, deficient, inferior, to focus on the social and personal function that comes to be concerned. In this way, it is not only about health in general (i.e. disability is one of many possible health conditions), but it is also considered the most useful type of approach for a social and personal reintegration of disabled people. A look at limitations is required, which, unlike impairments, depend largely on society and context. Despite the progress, public welfare in its complexity is not sufficient in many EU countries due to the size and structure of the interventions. The often-dramatic path that leads from impairments to limitations is largely supervised by families. Disabilities, therefore, become a source of opportunity disequality; in addition to those who suffer directly from this, it might also apply to their families and amplify some pre-existing inequalities of gender as well as inequality issues in the treatment of disabilities in some countries.

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The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Italian Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Policies, 2009https://www.lavoro.gov.it/temi-e-priorita/ disabilita-e-non-autosufficienza/focus-on/ConvenzioneONU/Documents/Convenzione%20ONU.pdf.

1 Why Inclusive Design? «There are around 80 million people, in the European Union, with a motor, vision or other type of disability. A figure that, due to the aging population, is expected to increase to 120 million by 2020. Unfortunately, these people face a whole series of daily challenges in overcoming obstacles that make even the simplest and most obvious tasks difficult, such as using public transport, accessing buildings or even the use of household appliances and online services. To make their lives a bit easier, the European Parliament has definitively approved the European Accessibility Act (EAA). This new directive establishes requirements to make a series of products and services more accessible, such as: ticket offices and vending machines; ATMs and other payment terminals; computers and operating systems; smartphones, tablets and TVs; banking services for consumers; e-books and dedicated software; e-commerce services; passenger transport services by air, sea, rail and road, with real-time travel information».3

In the United States, in 2017, the overall percentage (prevalence rate) of people with a disability of all ages was 12.7%. In other words, more than 40 million of the almost 322 million individuals of all ages reported one or more disabilities. Among the six types of disabilities identified in the ACS (Visual, Hearing, Ambulatory, Cognitive, Self-care, Independent living), the highest prevalence rate was for “Ambulatory Disability” (6.9%). The lowest prevalence rate was for “Visual Disability,” 2.3%.4

1.2

Types of Motor Disability

Motor disability affects, of course, body movement. Trying to identify the aspects of the motor activity affected by disability, we can list them as follows: level of posture, which corresponds to the position of the body in space; level of coordination, that is how much the movements agree to each other in order to perform an action; level 3

Data refers to March 2019 https://europa.today.it/ attualita/europa-disabili-regole.html. 4 These statistics were calculated by the Cornell University Yang Tan Institute using the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2017 American Community Survey (ACS) Public Use Microdata Sample (PUMS) data.https://www.disabilitystatistics. org/reports/acs.cfm?statistic=1.https://www.disability statistics.org/StatusReports/2017-PDF/2017StatusReport_US.pdf.

1.2 Types of Motor Disability

of muscle tone or how much muscle is sustained in space or relaxed; level of purpose or how much the body manages to organize itself to perform a specific action rather than another. The research is aimed at individuals with even severe motor disabilities, taking into account that they, if possible, should never be separated from their own wheelchairs, as each of them is characterized by different needs. We can therefore say that accessible boats users are people with an ability limited to quadriplegia. Below we analyse the different types of disabilities, namely paraplegia and quadriplegia. «The term “paraplegia” in medicine means a diplegia in which the lower part of the body is affected by motor paralysis and/or functional deficiency, associated with sensitivity disorders. The spinal cord injury that causes paraplegia is underlying the first thoracic vertebra (T1). Injury above this vertebra, instead, causes quadriplegia. The term quadriplegia means a paralysis and loss of sensitivity of both the torso and the upper and lower limbs, caused by various pathologies and traumas, for example in the event of road or sports accidents. The spinal cord injury that causes quadriplegia is superior to the first thoracic vertebra (T1), in particular the first seven cervical vertebrae that support the skull are identified with the abbreviations C1- C2 - C3 - C4 - C5 - C6 - C7. Simplifying, paraplegia affects the lower part of the body and is caused by lesions below T1 (both lumbar and sacral lesions), while quadriplegia affects the whole body except the head and is caused by lesions above T1, in cervical region (C1 to C8)»5 (Figs. 1.1 and 1.2).

1.3

Boating in Numbers

To better clarify the importance of the topic addressed, the data relating to the world nautical inventory registered in the category of pleasure boats are processed in this paragraph. The situation for 2018 was analysed thanks to the data provided by the ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Association), collected in the yearly bulletin by the Italian non-profit organization Confindustria Nautica—Italian Marine 5

Difference between paraplegic and quadriplegic.https:// medicinaonline.co/2017/10/27/differenza-tra-paraplegicoe-tetraplegico/.

3

Industry Association, together with Edison Foundation.6 In the following tables of this chapter, the data relating to Croatia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic, the Republic of Estonia, Poland, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland have been taken into account with regard to the European area, and for Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, the United States, Sri Lanka and Turkey in relation to the rest of the world. It should be noted that the data collection methods and their reliability vary according to the different countries and that, in some cases, not all information is available; therefore, direct data comparison is not always possible (Figs. 1.3, 1.4, 1.5 and 1.6). From the graphs shown above, the figure for the United States certainly stands out, with a nautical inventory of almost 16 million units, slightly down compared to the previous year. Canada also stands out for its huge nautical inventory (8.6 million units, unchanged compared to 2017) and for the considerable number of boats per 1,000 inhabitants (234 units). In the European continent, the Scandinavian countries have the highest values: Norway is confirmed in first place, followed by Sweden (which have not updated the data compared to the previous year) and Finland, which is in fourth place. The reason for this supremacy is to be found in deep-rooted nautical culture, although the climate is not favourable, while as regards the numerical inventory for number of inhabitants, the small population of these countries counts very much. The third European country, in terms of nautical inventory, is Italy, which surpasses the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany with almost 577,000 units, of which, however, only slightly more than 18,000 units are sailing yachts. This is particularly significant, since the percentage of sailing yachts is also 6

Confindustria Nautica, Fondazione Edison. La nautica in cifre – Analisi del mercato per l’anno 2019. ISBN 9788894292053.

4

Fig. 1.1 Motor disabilities and affected areas

Fig. 1.2 Type of disability according to the vertebrae involved

1 Why Inclusive Design?

1.3 Boating in Numbers

5

Fig. 1.3 Breakdown by type of the total number of crafts in the world to the year 2018

Fig. 1.4 Worldwide boat fleet: geographical distribution

quite low in the rest of the world and is equal to 11.1% compared to the more than 65% of motor boats. It should be noted that the statistics do not take scrapped units into account (Fig. 1.7). Overall, the fleet of boats surveyed is stable, if compared to the previous year, with over 32 million units. Certainly, the number of sailing units surveyed in the United States is impressive, with over 1.5 million units, of which, most likely, about half is made up of pleasure boats. It follows, therefore, that the construction of boats according to the “Design for All” approach would greatly benefit the world economy and meet a demand that certainly exists, but that doesn’t make its voice heard strongly enough (as evidenced by the lack of what the market offers).

1.4

Designing for Inclusion

In recent years, in other fields of design, efforts have been made to respond to the needs and requests of an increasingly complex society,

through the creation of new approaches such as, for example, those that are collected under the definition of “Design for Inclusion”. Design for Inclusion contains different ways of conceiving the design methodology: among the most important are Design for All7 (DfA), Universal Design8 (UD) and Inclusive Design9 (ID). Besides these, the Barrier Free Design concept, that was born in the United States in the 1950s with the aim of developing and disseminating accessibility-based design principles, has allowed the reintegration of war invalids from the Second World War and the Korean War. Barrier Free Design, the Inclusive Design and, in general, the numerous research areas aimed at the “accessibility project”, have developed over time a vast patrimony of design principles and intervention criteria, which while representing fundamental contributions to culture and design practice, however, remain focused on a marked 7

Design for All (DfA) it is the international term with which we refer to a design for the real, inclusive and holistic individual, which enhances the specificity of each, involving human diversity in the design process. 8 Universal Design (UD) is the international term with which we refer to a broad-spectrum design methodology that has, as its fundamental objective, the design of buildings, environments and products accessible to each category of people, beyond the possible presence of a condition of disability. 9 Inclusive Design (ID) is the international term with which we refer to a broad-spectrum design methodology whose fundamental objective is the design of manufacts free from obstacles and of environments and objects accessible also to people with physical disabilities. The Italian regulations about the elimination of architectural barriers in civil building and urban design belong to this current.

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1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.5 Total number of boats and spread of sailing yachts in the world to the year 2018 (source: ICOMIA)

specialization of the project “for the disabled” and, in particular, on specific attention to the needs of the motor disabled people. It is with the approach of Design For All, and in part of Universal Design, that the traditional specialization of the “project for disability” is overcome. Paul Hogan, President Emeritus EIDD—Design for All Europe, explains in a very simple, but effective way, the purpose of Design for All: « good design enables, bad design disables. Man is not standard: tall/short, child/elderly, with/ without glasses, educated/illiterate, on a bicycle/in a wheelchair, attentive/distracted, autochthonous/foreign, etc. Design for All is the social approach that proclaims the human right of all to inclusion and the planning approach to achieve it. Designing for All means, designing environments, systems, products and services that can be used independently by people with

diversified needs and skills, involving human diversity in the design process. DfA solutions can be used easily, comfortably and pleasantly by most users without having to make changes according to different physical, sensory or cognitive abilities and without having to give up on an attractive design».10 10

A. Lupacchini, Design olistico. Progettare secondo i principi del DfA. Alinea Editrice, Firenze, 2010.The original text is reported in Italian: «il buon design abilita, mentre il cattivo design disabilita. L'uomo non è standard: alto/basso, bambino/anziano, con/senza occhiali, colto/analfabeta, in bicicletta/sulla sedia a rotelle, attento/distratto, autoctono/straniero, ecc. Il Design for All è l'approccio sociale che proclama il diritto umano di tutti all'inclusione e l'approccio progettuale per conseguirla. Progettare Design for All significa concepire ambienti, sistemi, prodotti e servizi fruibili in modo autonomo da parte di persone con esigenze e abilità diversificate coinvolgendo la diversità umana nel processo progettuale. Le soluzioni DfA sono utilizzabili in

1.4 Designing for Inclusion

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Fig. 1.6 Worldwide boat fleet: pleasure craft density per 1,000 inhabitants

Initially, their aim was to make environments, products and services more accessible to people with disabilities. Over time the production philosophy has changed, both because a different sensitivity towards the consumer/stakeholder has developed, considering that Design for All has been highlighted in Europe by the European Commission since 2003 in the search for a more user-friendly society in Europe, both in order to meet the different needs of users and expanding the market. We begin to realize that creating products, services or environments for a “standard individual” means penalizing or excluding a not negligible part of the population from their use. Furthermore, it is environments, products or services which, if poorly designed, can be the cause of disability and not the other way around. modo facile, comodo e gradevole dalla maggior parte degli utenti senza dover apportare modifiche in funzione delle diverse abilità fisiche, sensoriali o cognitive e senza dover rinunciare a un design accattivante».

In this perspective, the specificities of individual people are no longer conceived as skills or disabilities, but simply as differences between individuals. The purpose of Inclusive Design, as its name suggests, is therefore not to possibly exclude any individual from the use of a product, an environment or a service, while facilitating its use by all. The birth, in 1993, of the EIDD—European Institute for Design and Disability—had fundamental importance for the development of the DfA, with the aim of identifying the project proposals capable of improving the quality of life of people with disabilities. For the EIDD everything designed must be: • accessible; • comfortable for everyone to use; • capable of responding to the evolution of human diversity.

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1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.7 Worldwide boat fleet: trend 2008–2018

In 1998, the Institute hosted an international conference in which, for the first time, it is declared that social inclusion is the prerequisite for any good design process. It also states that it is necessary to avoid adding modifications and/or technical aids to allow disabled people to live a “normal” life. In the 2004 Stockholm Declaration of the EIDD, the DfA is defined as the «Design for human diversity, social inclusion and equality. […] Design for All has roots both in Scandinavian functionalism in the 1950s and in ergonomic design from the 1960s. There is also a socio-political background in Scandinavian welfare policies, which in Sweden in the late 1960s gave birth to the concept of “a society for all” referring primarily to accessibility. This ideological thinking was streamlined into the United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December 1993. The focus of the UN Standard Rules on accessibility in a clear equality context has inspired the development of the Design for All philosophy. […] Design for All aims to

enable all people to have equal opportunities to participate in every aspect of society».11 The DfA methodology provides «a holistic approach to design and to the design process, multidisciplinary and intersectoral, to meet the needs of the greatest number of individuals in their specificities, starting from the conscious use of the analysis of human needs and aspirations, while actively and consciously involving from the beginning all the actors: clients, decision makers, professionals and users».12 In recent years the concepts created on the issues of social inclusion have favoured the 11

cf.: http://dfaeurope.eu/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/ stockholm-declaration_italiano.pdf. 12 A. Accolla, Design for All: il progetto per l’individuo reale. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009.The original text is reported in Italian: «l’approccio olistico al design e al processo progettuale, multidisciplinare e intersettoriale, per soddisfare le esigenze del maggior numero dei singoli nelle loro specificità, partendo dall’uso cosciente dell’analisi dei bisogni e delle aspirazioni umane e coinvolgendo in modo attivo e consapevole fin dall’inizio tutti gli attori: committenti, decisori, professionisti e utenti».

1.4 Designing for Inclusion

advancement of the definition of disability described above. EIDD itself has overcome the exclusive interest in disability by extending it to all humanity, so much so that in 2006 it was renamed Design for All Europe. The abandonment of any terminological reference to disability is representative of the change within this design approach, especially towards users, which is becoming ever wider to include all individuals. The DfA provides a clear and well-structured process, divided into two distinct phases (the meta-project and the project), in which clients, decision-makers, professionals and users are involved. Inclusive Design (ID) also has a concept design process defined in different phases and very well simplified by the Inclusive Design Toolkit, developed by the University of Cambridge13: • • • •

Manage: What should we do next? Explore: What are the needs? Create: How can the needs be met? Evaluate: How well are the needs met? (Fig. 1.8)

Universal Design (UD), on the other hand, does not have a well-defined design process. The final product originates from the response to the following seven universal principles: 1. equitable use: the design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities; 2. flexibility in use: the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities; 3. simple and intuitive use: use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level; 4. perceptible information: the design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities; 5. tolerance for error: the design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions; 13

Engineering Design Centre, University of Cambridge, Inclusive Design Toolkit:www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com.

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Fig. 1.8 The four main phases of the inclusive concept design. Reproduced from http://www.inclusivedesign toolkit.com/, with permission. © 2017 University of Cambridge

6. low physical effort: the design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue; 7. size and space for approach and use: appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility. In the Universal Design approach, users also cannot take part in the process. This does not happen with DfA, in which the user participates in each phase of the process, communicating with all the other actors in a holistic way. In ID, instead of participating in the whole process, the user intervenes only in the initial phase of observation and in the final phase of product testing. The purpose of the DfA is to create an awareness of social inclusion in everyone. Furthermore, through the enhancement of the specificity of each individual, it aims to improve his quality of life. Unlike DfA, UD tends to give more importance to the final product and «using rules that are easy to apply, it does not create awareness of social inclusion

10

neither in decision makers nor in designers».14 The purpose of the ID, however, is to make the product as inclusive as possible. One of the areas which the DfA approach is currently addressing is related to the design of leisure products for two types of users that fully fall within the objectives of DfA itself: on the one hand the elderly, on the other hand people affected by motor disabilities (in particular in the lower limbs) and therefore forced into a wheelchair. Among the various leisure products on the market, yachting and recreational vehicles (campers and caravans), are the sectors attracting the greatest interest of designers and manufacturers. In the nautical field, products already available on the market for people with motor disabilities can be divided into two main categories: the first consists of boats less than 10 m long, most of which are intended for purely sporting use; the second is made up of pleasure craft (over 10 m and up to 24 m), built as unique specimens at the request of very rare owners, generally obtained from adaptations made to existing boats. In the latter case there is a very “user-centred”15 development that aims to satisfy the needs of that particular user. Regarding the first category, the design efforts, from which small boats have been built, such as the International 2.4mR Class, the Skud or RS Venture Connect, just to name the most known, have resulted in appreciable studies, aimed at allowing a disabled person to sail in the most effective way; but these boats have a serious limitation: they do not allow disabled people to access the boat independently, which is also because of the difficulty in solving the problem of distance from the dock and the difference in height between the pier and the deck of the boat. Furthermore, in no case, except for larger boats, is accessibility on board using a wheelchair allowed, almost certainly for reasons of size and safety.

1 Why Inclusive Design?

An interesting study16 comes from the “forAll” design made by the Certified European Ergonomists, Prof. Marcolin and Dr. Bordignon, in cooperation with architects Nicotra and Sabbadini, applying the “forAll” design principles, both adapting existing boats and properly conceiving a new boat in order to face and solve the previously described problems. The team developed an ergonomic design layout and performed an accessibility study on spaces on board, starting from the T-34 sailboat and the Greenline 33’ motorboat. Both those boats have a length of about 10 m and the project is characterized by the possibility for disabled people to board independently, thanks to the design of a specific transom, particularly suitable also for elderly people who need easier and more stable access (Fig. 1.9). The same philosophy is applied even for the interiors, for which spaces are characterized from an aesthetic point of view, integrating necessary solutions such as, for example, the lifter platform that allows the disabled person to access below deck, becoming an integral part of the floor of the sailboat when not in use. Among the achieved objectives worth mentioning are the possibility for up to 4 disabled people (one at the helm, one at the mainsail and two at the winches) to manage the boat autonomously and the possibility of transporting the boat on a trailer in order to use it at different locations (Fig. 1.10).

1.5

Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility

The purpose of this book is to identify the problems of accessibility present on board the vast majority of existing sailboats, from 10 to 24 m, and to indicate possible solutions to

14

A. Accolla, Design for All: il progetto per l’individuo reale. Franco Angeli, Milano, 2009.The original text is reported in Italian: «utilizzando regole di facile applicazione, non crea la coscienza dell’inclusione sociale né nei decisori, né nei progettisti». 15 Abras, C., Maloney-Krichmar, D., & Preece, J. (2004). User-Centred Design. In Encyclopedia of Human-Computer Interaction. Sage Publications.

16

F. Marcolin, A. Nicotra, E. Sabbadini, M. Bordignon, “Il Design For All nella nautica da diporto”. In “Accessibilità e usabilità nella progettazione per tutti”, p. 35–38. Edited by E. Mocchio. U&C magazine n° 10, December 2011. Mediavalue srl, Milano. ISSN 0394-9605.http:// www.promosricerche.org/images/Dossier_accessibilita_ UC_10_2011.pdf.

1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility

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Fig. 1.9 The project of T34 sailing boat, designed by Certified European Ergonomics Marcolin and Bordignon and the architects Nicotra and Sabbadini

eliminate or modify any element that limits, prohibits or makes impossible the use of a boat by people with problems of mobility. But in order to do so, it is necessary to rethink almost all the spaces onboard, both above and below deck «The term “minimum space” therefore assumes different characteristics based on whether it is a space for an able bodied or disabled person. The solution is normally defined by the elimination or reduction of obstacles to accessibility and usability of the environments, called

precisely “architectural barriers”».17 The lack of regulations that take into account the spatial M. Abbate, “L’ergonomia di bordo per l’utenza allargata”. In “Yacht Design – Dal concept alla rappresentazione” by Massimo Musio Sale, p. 115–127. Tecniche Nuove, Milano, 2009. The original text is reported in Italian: «Il termine “spazio minimo” assume quindi caratteristiche diverse che si tratti di uno spazio per l’uomo normo-dotato, o che si tratti di spazio per la persona disabile. La soluzione è normalmente definita con l’abbattimento o la riduzione di quella serie di ostacoli all’accessibilità e fruibilità degli ambienti denominati appunto “barriere architettoniche”». 17

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1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.10 The project of the Greenline 33-foot motorboat, by Dr. Marcolin and Dr. Bordignon

needs on board a pleasure yacht to allow people in wheelchairs (and therefore all those affected by other forms of motor disability, even temporary, or individuals belonging to the weaker groups) to enjoy it, highlights the disinterest that characterizes the nautical sector; unlike what happens in other fields, such as construction, or categories, such as shipping, regulated by specific rules. The eminent Prof. Luigi Bandini Buti asserts: «The artifact generates the handicap. The designed object does not have its own intrinsic (universal) substance but it is experienced differently by each person according to biological and performance differences. These affirmations support us in the affirmation that if the project is conceived as “for-All”, it will not be a handicap generator for anyone, whether they are able or disabled. […] Those thoughts lead us to think that it can be very useful to produce an instrument that makes it clear and all

those characteristics of products that can affect their use by certain categories of users made easily accessible».18 A 33-foot boat (around 10 m) often has cramped environments and, therefore, it is certainly difficult to make it habitable by an individual in a wheelchair. It is also true, however, L. Bandini Buti “Progettare per il massimo numero di utenti”. In “La progettazione per tutti: dalle barriere architettoniche al design for all”, seminario a cura dell’Istituto Italiano Design e Disabilità. Brescia, aprile 2005. The original text is reported in Italian: «è il manufatto che genera l’handicap. L’oggetto progettato non ha una sua sostanza intrinseca (universale) ma viene vissuto in modo diverso da ciascuno in funzione delle differenze biologiche e prestazionali. Queste affermazioni ci supportano nell’affermazione che se il progetto è concepito “for-All”, non sarà generatore di handicap per nessuno, siano essi abili o meno abili. […] Le riflessioni fatte inducono a pensare che possa essere molto utile produrre uno strumento che renda palesi e facilmente accessibili a tutti quelle caratteristiche dei prodotti che possono condizionare l’uso a certe categorie di utenti».

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1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility

13

Fig. 1.11 Wheelchair user and accessible area (cm). Front view

that no attempt has been made in the past fifty years to rethink the distribution of spaces and their sizing in favour of a wider group of users. It is important to remember that an inclusive design must guarantee the movement of the wheelchair in each living space, in addition to compliance with some anthropometric and ergonomic rules, although the application of these rules will sacrifice the number of environments that make up the interior volume of the boat. It is therefore essential to make sure that the architectural object is not discriminatory when it is conceived

and is designed according to the aforementioned rules: the more the result will be acceptable, from an aesthetic and functional point of view, the more the project will be considered “forAll” and the path to inclusion will be truly accomplished. «So, if first the object does not represent a barrier, it will never be recognized as such, even by able bodied people who will therefore use it as a “normal” object» (Figs. 1.11, 1.12, 1.13, 1.14, 1.15, 1.16, 1.17, 1.18, 1.19, 1.20, 1.21 and 1.22).19

M. Abbate, “L’ergonomia di bordo per l’utenza allargata”. In “Yacht Design – Dal concept alla rappresentazione” by Massimo Musio Sale, p. 115-127. Tecniche Nuove, Milano, 2009.The original text is reported in Italian: «Quindi se a priori l’oggetto non è una barriera, non verrà mai riconosciuto come tale nemmeno dalle persone normo-dotate che quindi lo useranno come un oggetto “normale”». 19

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1 Why Inclusive Design?

Fig. 1.12 Wheelchair user and accessible area (cm). Top view

Fig. 1.13 Person with crutches and space requirement (cm)

Fig. 1.14 Person with a walking stick and space requirement (cm)

1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility

Fig. 1.15 Seated person and accessible area (cm)

Fig. 1.16 Wheelchair user and accessible area (cm)

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Fig. 1.17 Dimensions of the wheelchair (cm)

Fig. 1.18 Door threshold and manoeuvring space of the wheelchair (cm)

1 Why Inclusive Design?

1.5 Anthropometry and Space Sizing for Users with Reduced Mobility

Fig. 1.19 Path width (cm) Fig. 1.20 Height of plant terminals (cm)

Fig. 1.21 Spaces of use: heights (cm)

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Fig. 1.22 Sizes of bathrooms (cm)

1 Why Inclusive Design?

2

The Inclusive Yachting

2.1

Inclusive Design and Yachting

Massimo Gregori Grgič says: «Each of us could be considered disabled once we are in an unusual or uncomfortable situation. Regarding physical disability, in a situation that we would call “normal”, to help a person with special needs is the duty of doctors and assistants, while working on the design of the environment is the duty of the designer. The first principle that motivates a project dedicated to disability is that only knowledge of problems and design analysis lead to solutions. The second guideline is to understand that a person’s skills depend on the context. The third and final criterion is that our work is strongly conditioned by the design constraints. […] The design of a ship intended for a disabled person must be based on particular characteristics and ergonomics that are sometimes quite unusual. Attention to the needs of disabled shipowners would give more people the opportunity to enjoy navigation and, at the same time, to expand the potential market for builders. All issues concerning disability should catalyse a

new design philosophy which, as a consequence, should influence a wider design culture».1 The development of the nautical industry in the last twenty years and the consequent increase in the catchment area can be taken as driving factors for the application of inclusive design in the naval and nautical sector. Another important element for the development of accessibility in the nautical sector has depended on the growing awareness of social inclusion issues, which has enabled people with disabilities to access the M. Gregori Grgic, “Design for all: a call for ethics”. 2° National Conference Cultura Navale e Marittima, University of Genova, 22–23 September 2016.The original text is reported in Italian: «Ognuno di noi potrebbe essere considerato disabile una volta che si trovasse in una situazione inusuale o scomoda. Per quanto riguarda la disabilita fisica in una situazione che chiameremmo “normale, e compito dei medici e degli assistenti aiutare una persona con necessita particolari mentre e dovere del progettista lavorare sul progetto dell’ambiente. Il primo principio che motiva un progetto dedicato alla disabilita e che solo la conoscenza dei problemi e l’analisi progettuale portano alle soluzioni. La seconda linea guida e comprendere che le abilita di una persona dipendono dal contesto. Il terzo e ultimo criterio e che il nostro lavoro e fortemente condizionato dai vincoli progettuali. […] Il progetto di una nave destinata a una persona disabile deve essere improntato a caratteristiche ed ergonomia particolari, a volte abbastanza inusuali. L’attenzione ai bisogni di armatori disabili darebbe ad un maggior numero di persone la possibilità di godere della navigazione e allo stesso tempo allargherebbe le potenzialità di mercato per i costruttori. Tutti i temi che riguardano la disabilita dovrebbero catalizzare una nuova filosofia progettuale che, come conseguenza, dovrebbe influenzare una più ampia cultura del design».

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© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_2

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sport of sailing, which was barred to them until fifteen years ago. However, it is important to specify that the most involved category in the application of Design for Inclusion in the nautical sector is the shipbuilding of small sailing boats up to 10 m. In fact, the very first experimental boat for this type of user began construction in the 1980s. Only in the 90’s did the concept of Sailing for Everyone start to develop. It is based on the assumption that boats should not be designed for people with disabilities only, but for a wider audience, which includes all types of users. In these years, the first accessible crafts were born, spreading everywhere thanks to the activity of the international association ‘Sailability’,2 which today has numerous offices spread around the world. In 2008, Sherri Backstrom, founder of the Waypoint Yacht Charter Service, an American company which specialized in accessible to all travel, analysed Universal Design, adapting its principles to the «highly changeable nature of waterborne environments».3 From this study came the five “Waypoint-Backstrom Principles”: • • • • •

Begin with Universal Design; Design for self-sufficiency; Design for extraordinary conditions; Design for modularity and revision; Design for seamless intermodal transfer.

Some years later, deeply inspired by this philosophy, Silvia Piardi, Andrea Ratti and Sebastiano Ercoli, from the Polytechnic University of Milan, have drawn up guidelines for the design of accessible boats, according to different

2

Sailability, which today has numerous offices spread all over the world (www.sailability.org), was born at the end of 1980 s in the United Kingdom and, in the 90’s, it developed in Australia, where Chris Mitchell, also thanks to Sailability activity, launches and promotes the use of two boats designed by him in those years: the Access 2.3 and the Access 303, now renamed Hansa 2.3 and 303. 3 S. Rains, S. Backstrom, ``Maritime inclusive environments and practice”, 2008, in http://www.e-bility.com/ articles/maritime-inclusive-environments.php.

The Inclusive Yachting

aspects, such as: safety, reliability, ease of navigation, comfort and pleasantness.4 Andrea Vallicelli and Giuseppe Di Bucchianico, from the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, define a sailboat as an «organized work system, defined by a related set of elements (artefacts, performance, activities and people) that work in particular environmental conditions, pursuing the main objective of sailing efficiently and with satisfaction for all. On board, each user has different roles, tasks and functions: these are carried out by interacting with specific elements in certain “areas” of the boat. However, these “stations” do not always derive from a user-centred design: they are often the result of compromises, aesthetic or simply hierarchical, with respect to the different positions on board».5 «In such an organized work system, the problems related to the accessibility of the workstations and of the equipment by every type of sailor (man, woman, child, disabled person, etc.) are very complex. To better understand what this complexity consists of, it is sufficient to examine even one of the actions that are performed in the use of a boat. […] The first thing that needs to be considered is the environmental condition in which one operates».6 S. Piardi, A. Ratti, S. Ercoli, “Design for All on board: Boat design in the era of access for (almost) everybody”, in 2012 AHFE International Conference Proceedings, pp. 6503–6510, San Francisco, 2012. 5 A. Vallicelli, G. Di Bucchianico, “Evaluation of tasks and postures of a sailing yacht tailer”. In Ergonomics is a lifestyle”. Proceedings of the 40th International Annual Congress of the Nordic Ergonomics Society, 2008.The original text is reported in Italian: «un sistema di lavoro organizzato definito da un insieme correlato di elementi (artefatti, prestazioni, attività e persone), che lavorano in condizioni ambientparticolari, perseguendo come obiettivo principale quello di veleggiare con efficienza e con soddisfazione per tutti. A bordo, ogni utente ha diversi ruoli, compiti e funzioni: questi sono svolti interagendo con elementi specifici in determinate “aree” dell’imbarcazione. Tuttavia, queste “stazioni” non sempre derivano da un design centrato sull’utente: spesso sono il risultato di compromessi, di tipo estetico o semplicemente gerarchico, rispetto alle diverse postazioni a bordo». 6 J. Lagatta “La progettazione inclusiva nel sailing yacht – Linee guida Design for All per natanti a vela”, Pescara, 2015.The original text is reported in Italian: «In un sistema di lavoro così organizzato, i problemi relativi 4

2.1 Inclusive Design and Yachting

These kinds of problems can also be observed in the use of all the elements that make up a boat: the conformation of the transom and the boarding systems, the helms, the cockpit and the side decks, the companion and the below-deck accessibility systems, the interior spaces and the solutions to allow bathing. In 2013, US Sailing, in collaboration with IFDS—International Association for Disabled Sailing7 and Sailability, tried to provide an answer to these questions, through the Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual.8 The purpose of this volume is twofold: first of all, to provide information regarding the most suitable design solutions to support and admit people with disabilities, also through the use of “special aids”; in addition, to indicate useful guidelines for the design of new boats, which meet precise requirements, in order to allow designers to conceive and develop boats that are immediately accessible and fully inclusive, and for shipyards to build them (Fig. 2.1).

2.2

The Commitment of Associations and the Birth of a Paralympic Discipline

Today the associations, in particular non-profit organizations which have joined in awarenessraising, promotion and supporting the projects of inclusive sailing practice, specifically addressed to persons with disabilities, including them both all’accessibilità delle postazioni e delle attrezzature da parte di ogni tipologia di velista (uomo, donna, bambino, disabile, ecc.) sono molto complessi. Per riuscire a capire meglio in che cosa consiste tale complessità, basta esaminare anche solo una delle azioni che si compiono nell’utilizzo di un’imbarcazione. […] La prima cosa che va considerata è la condizione ambientale in cui ci si trova». 7 The International Association for Disabled Sailing (IFDS) was an affiliate member of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and was responsible for coordinating the Paralympic sailing competition with the International Paralympic Committee. The IFDS was dissolved during the 2015 ISAF Annual Conference held in Sanya, China. The Disabled Sailing Committee was later renamed as the Para World Sailing Committee. 8 US Sailing “Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual”. http:// www.ussailing.org/education/adaptive-sailing/manual/.

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in sport and in recreational activities and placing social inclusion as the main objective of the promotion of sailing, are very numerous. The “Argo” project was conceived by Antonio Spinelli, a great sailing enthusiast, in collaboration with the sports association for people with physical disabilities “Sportdipiù” and was then presented during the Turin 2006 Winter Paralympic Games. A challenge designed to bring the common concept of “normality” out of known standards, in order to demonstrate that achieving great goals is possible even in the presence of disabilities and that, in sport as in life, barriers can be overcome if you have determination, passion, team spirit, seriousness and professionalism. The process of this project was of particular interest, even if it did not reach its final goal: participation in the 2011 America’s Cup. From the beginning the Italian Navy decided to support the project, therefore the UN also gave its endorsement to the initiative. The team was in itself an innovation: over 20 elements, chosen from a selection of international and disabled athletes and sailors. The team manager was Paolo Scutellaro, former team manager of the America’s Cup and World Champion; the skipper was Lars Grael, a disabled sailor and legend of sailing, already the winner of bronze medals from the 1988 Seoul and 1996 Atlanta Olympics games. Finally, the sailor Heiko Kröger, disabled from birth, gold medal winner at the Sydney Paralympics in 2000. Despite all this, the project unfortunately failed due to legal disputes between the BMW-Oracle and Alinghi teams, which monopolized the America’s Cup of that year. Introduced as a demonstration event at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta, the Paralympic Sail, a sports discipline open to athletes with amputations, brain injuries, blindness or visual impairment, spinal injuries and other forms of disability, made its official entry into the Games programme starting from Sydney 2000. The sailing classes competing in the Paralympics were International 2.4mR, Skud 18 and Sonar. The 2016 Rio Games edition was the last one: an unexpected setback, with different and

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The Inclusive Yachting

Fig. 2.1 Cover of the IFDS volume: “Adaptive Sailing Resource Manual”

complex reasons, now resolved with the inclusion of the Paralympic sail in World Sailing. Sailing is therefore excluded from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics, but the Para World Sailing Committee9 is already active to reinsert sailing into the 2028 Paralympic disciplines.

In recent years, the interest in the sport of sailing by disabled people has seen rapid development and spread to over 70 countries, in which various categories of disabled people practice sailing at a competitive level. Particularly committed to carrying out this discipline is the Italian Sailing Federation (FIV),

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Founded in 2014 by the merger of the IFDS (International Association for Disabled Sailing) and ISAF, the Para World Sailing Committee is designed to take advantage of all opportunities for development,

promotion and knowledge offered by World Sailing in the field of paralympic sail.

2.2 The Commitment of Associations and the Birth of a Paralympic Discipline

together with the Italian Paralympic Committee (CIP), which is already working in support of the World Sailing policy, within the reintegration of sailing disciplines in the Olympic Games, thanks also to the great technical heritage developed to date, both on a human level and its equipment. In particular, the commitment is aimed, in addition to supporting the international activity of World Sailing, towards the management and scouting of young talent, training of disabled athletes and support of clubs engaged in sailing activities for disabled people. Actual Paralympic sailing classes are: 2.4 Norlin OD, HANSA 303 and RS Venture. The Norlin OD class is a one-person keelboat. It is characterized by the complexity and sophistication typical of a boat with a bulb, typical of a keel boat. Since the weight of the crew is always close to its centre of gravity, the 2.4 Norlin OD is not sensitive to the size differences of the helmsman. On the other hand, it is a boat in which the adjustment of the sails is very sophisticated. The regattas are held in the open formula: open to men, women, young and old, able-bodied and people with physical disabilities, they all race together without any distinction of category (Fig. 2.2). The Hansa 303 is an extremely stable and easy-to-use boat, capable of ensuring great fun for beginners and experts at both a playful and competitive level. The boat participates in the Paralympic regattas as a single crew boat. The regattas of the Hansa Trophy are currently held for single and double crew. They are open and inclusive: every person, from 6 years of age, can participate. The crews can be “mixed” (2 disabled or 1 disabled and 1 able or 2 able). Hansa 303s sailing (Fig. 2.3). The RS Venture is a modern two-person dinghy. Its large self-draining cockpit makes the RS Venture perfect for safe and “forAll” sailing. Designed with modular and modern solutions, this boat can be set up for almost any disability and its layout can be modified as needed (Fig. 2.4).

2.3

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The Function of Non-profit Organizations for “Sailtherapy”: The Case of “Spirito Di Stella”

A non-profit organizations’ aim is to promote better conditions and integration between people with different abilities in various life contexts (school, work, housing, places used for cultural, sporting, recreational and socializing activities in general). In Italy, as in the rest of Europe, non-profit organizations are numerous and very active. Each of them works in various ways to create integration and inclusion through the diffusion of the sport of sailing, implemented by “learning by doing” activities as sailing courses and socializing projects. A recent and relevant project, called “WoW—Wheels on Waves”, was organized by Andrea Stella through his non-profit organization “Lo Spirito di Stella”. It was designed with the aim of spreading a message of ‘respect for the rights of people with disabilities’, from the United States to Europe. The project had a twofold objective: to reach the United Nations headquarters in New York, sailing on board the catamaran “Spirito di Stella”, to deliver the Charter of Peace (drawn up as an appeal for peace in Montone, Umbria in Italy, on the 70th anniversary of the UN) to Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon and to carry the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and deliver it direct to the Pope in the Vatican, after an oceanic journey back from the Atlantic to the west coast of Italy. To fulfil this important task, people from all over the world were selected to form a crew, tested and trained with a specific course in Miami, Florida. Ninety people of different origins, culture, ages, abilities and attitudes, divided into 21 crew teams for the same number of stops from Miami to Italy, who, at the end of the journey, returned to their countries of origin with the role of ambassadors of the Spirito di Stella, to help spread, in addition to the message of peace and equality, the rights of the disabled to the sport of sailing (Fig. 2.5).

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The Inclusive Yachting

Fig. 2.2 An International 2.4mR dinghy sailing

It is therefore possible to consider sailing as a tool that unites people and teaches them not only to navigate, but also to have respect for the sea and for others, thus creating inclusion and integration. All these concepts can therefore be summarized with a single word, which is “sailtherapy”. The definition of sailtherapy according to the Treccani Encyclopaedia is «the therapy that aims to place the patient in a small group of sailors, with an operational goal, to return him to psychophysical balance».10 Regarding the role of sailing as a therapy, the European Economic and Social Committee has also published a clear and explicit opinion in the Official Journal of the European Union: « Through sailing, the younger generation in

particular can learn respect for nature, the enhancement of team work and responsibility; they can socialize and enjoy a fun sports activity at a low cost, get to know new territories through nautical tourism, access marine areas of particular value. Furthermore, sailing has also recently assumed a therapeutic function, aimed at the disabled, people who have lost their selfconfidence, contributing to their reintegration and to the re-acquisition of lost safety.».11 Most psychologists are of the same opinion. In this regard, Dr. Emanuela Mencaglia, psychotherapist, says: «in Europe, for about thirty years, sailing has been thought of not only as an activity of leisure and fun, but also as therapeutic support, to be included in rehabilitation projects with socializing ideas, towards groups of people with different needs ranging from physical

10

cf.: Enciclopedia Treccani, on-line dictionary, in http:// www.treccani.it/vocabolario/velaterapia_(Neologismi). The original text is reported in Italian: «la terapia che si propone di inserire il paziente in un piccolo gruppo di velisti, con un obiettivo operativo, per ricondurlo all’equilibrio psicofisico».

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European Social Economic Committee, Opinion on the topic «Industrie nautiche: una trasformazione accelerata dalla crisi», (2013/C 133/01), 487° Plenary session, 13/14 February 2013, in Gazzetta Ufficiale dell’Unione Europea, 9.5.2013.

2.3 The Function of Non-profit Organizations …

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Fig. 2.3 Hansa 303 s during a regatta

Fig. 2.4 The RS Venture two-person dinghy

rehabilitation to the psychicological and social one. In addition, there is also the sailing experience in working groups, so called team-

building. In Italy, sailtherapy goes back fifteen years and today more and more sailing associations offer it among their initiatives. […] On a

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The Inclusive Yachting

Fig. 2.5 The crew of Spirito di Stella upon arrival in Venice, the final stage of last year’s WoW—Wheels on Waves Project

sailing boat the dynamics of a group are amplified, recreating a miniature society that reproposes daily relationships with maximum intensity. The spirit of adventure evoked by sailing mixes with the responsibility of each member of the crew towards the other, to secure themselves and others, to respect their own role and the roles of others, to submit to precise rules […] This is an experience that leads to the consolidation of the person and to improved selfawareness».12 E. Mencaglia, “Velaterapia, la salute con il vento in poppa”. A cura di Lucrezia Zaccaria, in Humanitas Salute, http://www.humanitasalute.it/sport-e-allenamento/3210velaterapia-la-salute-col-vento-in-poppa/.The original text is reported in Italian: «Da circa trent’anni in Europa si pensa alla vela non solo come un’attività di svago e divertimento, ma anche come un supporto terapeutico, da inserire in progetti riabilitativi con spunti socializzanti, in gruppi di persone con diversi bisogni che vanno dalla riabilitazione fisica a quella psichica e sociale. A questo si aggiunge l’inserimento dell’esperienza velica anche nei gruppi di lavoro, in quello che viene chiamato teambuilding. In Italia la velaterapia risale ad una quindicina

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Dr. Barbara Celani, psychologist, similarly states: «Sailing implies a series of actions to be performed and psychological dynamics that constantly unfold. There are decisions to be taken very quickly, problem solving skills are necessary, emotions, fears and doubts must be managed, natural elements must be governed and exploited to one’s advantage: all this represents a sort of therapeutic work that enhances the personality and promotes personal growth».13 di anni fa e ad oggi sempre più associazioni veliche la propongono tra le loro iniziative. […] Su di una barca a vela le dinamiche di gruppo si amplificano, si ricrea una società in miniatura che ripropone le relazioni quotidiane con la massima intensità. L’avventura evocata dall’andar per mare si mescola alla responsabilità di ogni membro dell’equipaggio verso l’altro, al mettere in sicurezza se stessi e gli altri, a restare nel proprio ruolo e rispettare i ruoli altrui, allo stare a regole precise. […] Questa è un’esperienza che porta ad un consolidamento del sé e ad un miglioramento della propria consapevolezza corporea». 13 B. Celani, “La velaterapia”. In http://www.benessere. com/psicologia/arg00/velaterapia.htm.The original text is

2.4 Sailability and the Concept of “Sailing for Everyone”

2.4

Sailability and the Concept of “Sailing for Everyone”

Sailability was born in the late 80s in England and a few years later it also developed in Australia, soon becoming a real global association thanks above all to Chris Mitchell, who designed a boat which is now very widely-used due to its extreme simplicity, safety and inclusiveness: The Access 303, now known as Hansa 303. The Hansa 303 is a single or double crew boat, 3.03 m long, 1.35 m wide, with a draft of 1 m. It weighs 55 kg and has a ballasted drift with an additional 30 kg. It is very difficult capsize. The rig consists of a 4.4 m2 mainsail and a 1.5 m2 jib. This boat is extremely stable and easy to use, capable of ensuring great fun for both beginners and experts, both at a fun and competitive level. The design solutions adopted on board make this boat extremely safe, even in critical conditions and allows anybody to approach sailing. Thanks to a series of servomechanisms, moreover, this boat can allow even people in the most serious conditions of disability to sail in total autonomy (Fig. 2.6). The purpose of Sailability is to promote sailing as a fun, safe and rewarding activity, in which people with disabilities and other disadvantaged groups can participate at a social, recreational and competitive level and encourages the inclusion of people with disabilities. From the principles dictated by Sailability, for which design is inspired by Design for All, has originated the concept of “Sailing for Everyone”, which is based on the assumption that boats should not be designed only for people with disabilities, but for a wide range of users, including all types of individuals (Fig. 2.7).

reported in Italian: «Uscire in mare con una barca a vela, implica una serie di operazioni da compiere e di dinamiche psicologiche che si snodano costantemente. Ci sono decisioni da prendere molto velocemente, sono necessarie abilità di problem solving, si devono gestire emozioni, paure, dubbi, governare gli elementi naturali e sfruttarli a proprio vantaggio: tutto questo rappresenta una sorta di lavoro terapeutico che valorizza la personalità e favorisce la crescita personale».

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2.5

The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors: Andrea Stella, Massimo Dighe and Deborah Mellen

Andrea Stella was born in Sandrigo, near Vicenza, Italy, in 1976 (Fig. 2.8). After a tragic accident, during a trip to the United States, he remains paraplegic and unable to use his lower limbs, but, after a period of rehabilitation and thanks to the support of his family, he managed to build the accessible catamaran “Spirito di Stella”. Just a few weeks before the launch of the boat, the thought arose that, still today, animates the omonymous non-profit association: «If we have made a traditionally inaccessible object usable, comfortable and functional, why not use the same design philosophy to improve the accessibility standards of our cities, buildings and means of transport? Why, in summary, can we not design integrated projects that allow everyone, regardless of handicap or limitations, to live better? A project taking into account the needs of all people is an advantageous project for everyone, because what’s created surely has higher quality design standards». In 2004, Andrea Stella, together with two highly experienced sailors (the Italian’s Giovanni Soldini and Mauro Pelaschier), returned to Miami aboard his catamaran, departing from Genoa, Italy. Today his association is developing numerous activities, dedicated to disabled people, including the possibility to sail for free. Andrea has also started an awareness campaign for the physical and cultural removal of “architectural barriers” in the nautical field, especially through meetings in schools and universities. I was recently his guest on the catamaran “Spirito di Stella” and I was able to interview him about the reasons that push him to carry out awareness raising activities towards inclusion and integration. The following interview was collected in October 2019 in Trieste, Italy, on the occasion of the famous international regatta “Barcolana”.

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The Inclusive Yachting

Fig. 2.6 The cockpit of the Hansa 303 offers a comfortable seat for most types of individuals. Disabled people with special needs can adopt a customized rigid seat

Fig. 2.7 The “Sailing for Everyone” concept generates inclusion and integration

How was the Spirit of Stella catamaran created and with what aim?

The “Spirito di Stella” was created according to the “make by doing” philosophy. It all began with participatory planning, in which I made the request to satisfy my particular personal needs and those of a dystrophic friend of mine, rather than of a quadriplegic.

My father, engineer and furniture manufacturer, was involved in this process, working through in the meantime the trauma of the accident. This boat was born from a strong feeling of love and from a design looking for the best solutions to solve different problems, never faced before. I soon realized that, with this boat, I could overcome many limits and,

2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors …

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Fig. 2.8 Andrea Stella on board of his accessible catamaran “Lo Spirito di Stella”

at that point, the fact of moving on wheels instead of on my legs would have been irrelevant. The question to which I have not yet found an answer to is: “Why, if you can conceive and build a boat for everyone, is it still not possible to design and build cities where everyone, regardless of their age and mobility, can be as autonomous as possible?”. Do you think that, in the last 10 years, the perception of disability has changed compared to the use of pleasure boats, which have always been inaccessible?

Over the past 10 years, many things have changed in the perception of disability. Some people are developing entrepreneurial projects by modifying pleasure boats to make them accessible and universities, through some Professors, are giving new inspiration on this topic to students, supporting the development of final thesis projects about accessible boats. However, a shipbuilding culture perceiving that this

is a market with great potential is still missing, especially if we think that a totally accessible boat is more comfortable for everyone. I am not referring only to the small-medium pleasure craft, but also to mega yachts characterized by luxury finishes. So, I’m still asking: “Why does a generously sized ship, whose owner certainly has no financial problems and on which there aren’t particular constraints of weight and space, not have a lift to reach the various decks as standard equipment, rather than this remaining as an additional option?”. What can be done, and how, to make boats truly accessible, so as to encourage inclusion and integration?

In my opinion, it is necessary to analyse the passenger’s paths and what obstacles they encounter walking on board. It is also necessary to rethink the nautical design process through an innovative approach based on a specific questionnaire on the disabled people’s

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needs: from the boarding system, for example, to the best posture for the use of the wheel or for how to easily access below deck and access to the various internal spaces. I am convinced that this is the only way with which boats of 12–15 m can be fully accessible. Let’s not forget that even many able-bodied people are afraid of boarding because of such narrow gangways and, when sailing, they do not feel confident because the excessive heeling of the hull. Today, thanks to composite materials, such as carbon fibres, it is possible to create wide, light and comfortable gangways and, regarding heeling, it is possible to focus not only on the development of multihull boats, but also on monohulled boats equipped with balancing systems. Another interesting solution could be the application of such new technologies as foil systems, with which boats can fly above the surface of the sea, in order to avoid dangerous inclinations and, at the same time, to increase their

The Inclusive Yachting

performance. I believe that only by solving these problems with people with motor difficulties be allowed to move on board, favouring of course all other individuals. Massimo Dighe was born in a small town close to the Iseo Lake in Italy and he has been involved in sailing at an amateur level since his youth (Fig. 2.9). In 2006 he began sailing in the 2.4mR class at a national and international level. In late 2009 he sailed in the Sonar class, gaining qualification for the 2012 London Paralympic Games. After the Games he left the Sonar class and continued sailing with different Paralympic and non-Paralympic classes, getting involved at the same time with the IFDS Committee. From 2014 he was involved in several Para Sailing projects, at a national and international level, and became an official member of the Para World Sailing Committee. Since 2016 he has been the Para World Sailing Manager at World Sailing. In 2018 he won the World Sailing President

Fig. 2.9 Massimo Dighe, Para World Sailing Manager for World Sailing

2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors …

Development Award for “outstanding work or involvement in developing the sport of sailing internationally and being integral in increasing the participation of the sport and developing a sustainable framework for future growth”. I met Massimo Dighe in London, in October 2019, to talk about World Sailing’s future plans and activities. Here are the main points of the interview and his answers. In numerical terms, how many disabled athletes in the world practice sailing and to what extent does this activity create inclusion and integration?

We don’t have a detailed number, considering that only a few MNAs (Member National Authorities) have specific record of sailors with different types of impairments, In our main World Sailing events, in the last three years we had around 45 countries and 400 athletes, but I know that a lot of countries are doing para-sailing activities without competing at a top level. Involvement and participation from clubs and national federations is the most important activity for the creation of a grassroots movement for Para Sailing, and it is absolutely necessary to have people with a knowledge of Para Sailing who can be in touch with first time sailors in order to show how our sport is inclusive for different types of disabilities and provides a level field of play. To what extent do you think that the sailing activity, both sporting and amateur, can offer benefit to people with motor disabilities and how does Para World Sailing support such activities at an international level?

World Sailing fully supports sailing at all its levels, from the local club that offers mainly amateur opportunities, to the MNAS and international events for top class sailors. We have in place different projects, like increasing awareness and preparing coaches in small and emerging nations with our Para Sailing Development Programmes, to participation support for sailors who want to compete at our main events; other types of support are tailored to the needs of specific MNAs. With

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these support programmes, World Sailing aims to promote mainstream social inclusion through sport and it is crucial that sailing provides a high-performance competition pathway for its Para Athletes. Furthermore, Para Sailing is inclusive at a highperformance competitive level, as it provides an opportunity for sailors of all disability types to compete against each other, eliminating the need to establish multiple events within the same format to accommodate narrow bands of classified disabilities. Talking about infrastructure, what is the state-ofthe-art in adaptation of marinas and sailing clubs, spread worldwide, dedicated to the accessibility needs of disabled users?

In the last years the situation of accessibility of marina’s, clubs and sailing venues has been greatly improved and this is very beneficial for the spread of sailing between people with disabilities. One of the presentations in our Para sailing development programmes is focused on how to adapt a sailing venue in order to make it accessible for everybody and to remove barriers, not only for people with disabilities, but for older people and people that are temporarily impaired, and after a lot of effort, I’m happy to see that now a good number of small clubs, even in emerging countries, can be utilised by everybody. Of course, the aim is to have all the infrastructure with full accessibility in order to provide everyone with the same opportunities. It will take time but I’m confident we’re on the right track. What strategies are Para World Sailing implementing to promote greater inclusion in the short, medium and long-term, in terms of adapting existing boats and building new accessible sailing vessels?

At World Sailing, as a sports federation, we are focused on the boats used for our events and we work with equipment manufacturers in order to be able to provide different choices for our sailors; but we’re very happy when

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new adaptations or new accessible sailing vessels are designed, because any new solution introduced will find its way into mass production of sailing equipment and will be, step-by-step, beneficial in terms of general inclusion. Deborah Mellen is the Founder and CEO of the Impossible Dream Inc., a non-profit “Sail for All” association (Fig. 2.10). In 1989 Deborah’s life changed in an instant when she was Fig. 2.10 Deborah Mellen, Impossible Dream Founder and CEO

The Inclusive Yachting

paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident in Italy. It was after her injury, when she moved to Miami for her rehabilitation, that she fell in love with sailing through the organization, Shake-A-Leg, a non-profit adaptive water sports centre located in Miami, Florida. It was after finding her community and passion through sailing that Deborah heard that the Impossible Dream was for sale and, in 2014, she made the trip to Southampton, England with Shake-ALeg’s founder, Harry Horgan to acquire the

2.5 The Experience of Three Disabled Sailors …

vessel. It was from her vision that the Impossible Dream Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit was born. Founded in collaboration with Horgan and Shake-A-Leg, the organization’s primary mission is to raise awareness of barrier-free design and improve the quality of life for people with disabilities through sailing. Every year, Deborah and the Impossible Dream travel over 4000 miles from Miami to Maine and back every summer, stopping in over a dozen ports to collaborate with the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals, advocacy organizations, and disability groups. At each stop, the Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to sail onboard to patients, participants, and their families for a sailing day around local waters at no cost to guests. During the sail, participants, converse with crew members, explore the universal design features of the vessel and simply enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones. The sailing days on the Impossible Dream serve as a foundation for members of the disabilities community to explore innovation, outdoor recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community building, and foster independence. I had the opportunity to speak with Deborah, to ask her about Impossible Dream’s plans and activities, last November 2019. How was the desire to become the owner of the Impossible Dream catamaran born and with what purposes?

After falling in love with ‘getting salty’ during her rehabilitation in Miami, Deborah dreamed of sharing her passion for sailing with others with disabilities while, at the same time, opening the community’s minds to what is possible when an accessible design is the intention from the start and not an afterthought. It was out of her vision that the Impossible Dream Inc., a 501 (c)(3) non-profit was born. Founded in collaboration with Horgan and Shake-A-Leg, the organization’s primary mission is to raise awareness of barrier-free design and improve the quality of life of people with disabilities through sailing.

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Beginning in 2015, Deborah and her team began developing innovative programmes to use the Impossible Dream’s unique design to empower as many people living with disabilities as possible through on the water experiences. Serving as the cornerstone of Impossible Dream’s programming, the annual Summer Voyage was developed. The ambitious journey, exceeding 4000 miles of sailing from Miami to Maine and back every summer, stops at over a dozen ports to collaborate with the nation’s leading rehabilitation hospitals, advocacy organizations, and disability groups. At each stop, the Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to sail onboard to patients, participants, and their families for sailing days around local waters at no cost to guests. During the sails, the participants talk with crew members, explore the universal design features of the vessel, and simply enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones. The sailing days on the Impossible Dream serve as a foundation for members of the disabled community to explore innovation, outdoor recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community building and foster independence. What problems, among the most important ones, have you encountered during Impossible Dreams activities and how much assistance have you received from the Institutions you have dealt with over the years?

The Impossible Dream’s most common problem is finding accessible locations where her guests and crew, who are wheelchairusers, can board and disembark from the vessel. The issue of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities is highlighted everywhere she sails. The Impossible Dream often finds that when she visits a port for the first time, whether a marina or town dock, the waterfront access is abhorrently inaccessible. It is only after seeing the vessel, operated by wheelchair users, that people’s perception of

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what is possible is completely altered. On numerous occasions, the crew has returned to a location the following year only to find a once unnavigable waterfront for wheelchairs, has had a brand new accessible ramp and docks installed anticipating the Impossible Dream’s arrival—a sign that she makes a real positive impact on communities that will continue to provide access to the water. How does managing the catamaran stand economically, annually, and what would you suggest to any entrepreneurs who wish to follow your example?

The Impossible Dream Inc. and the vessel are completely sustained by donations from the public, corporate sponsorship, private funding, partnerships with rehabilitation hospitals, and competitive grant awards. From a therapeutic point of view, what benefits have you observed in integrating people with different abilities during the activities carried out onboard the Impossible Dream?

Impossible Dream offers the opportunity to sail onboard to patients, participants, and their families for sailing days around local waters at no cost to guests. During the sails, participants talk with crew members, explore the universal design features of the vessel and simply enjoy a day out on the water with loved ones. The sailing days on the Impossible Dream serve as a foundation for members of the disabled community to explore innovation, outdoor recreation, alternative rehabilitation, community building, and foster independence. The Summer Voyage is about bringing people together to sail, whether walking or rolling, everyone is welcome. The Impossible Dream serves as a platform for people of all abilities to unite, converse, and form friendships. There is no pressure or expectation on guests other than for them to sit back and enjoy the wind on their face. Created from the Summer Voyages success, Deborah saw the opportunity to offer more to individuals who express a

The Inclusive Yachting

keen interest in joining the crew on longer passages on the Impossible Dream. For these individuals, the Impossible Dream offers longterm ‘Guest Crew’ positions on board for people with disabilities. The Guest Crew work directly with the captain and first mate in the daily operation of the vessel. This programme encourages independence, collaboration, employment training, new skills, outdoor recreation opportunities and community building for participants. The Guest Crew positions are a crucial part of our team as they are able to connect on a personal level with our guests who have endured similar life experiences. Impossible Dream is a boat that is built for and sailed by people with disabilities

2.6

A Boat Charter Accessible to Disabled People: Technical and Economic Evaluations

Accessible sailing boats, totally or only partially, are very few and were built thanks to the effort of enlightened owners: as in the case of the “Spirito di Stella” or the “Cadamà”, crews were created made up of women and men, young and old, able and disabled. Certainly a new design approach, inspired by the principles of Design for Inclusion, would favour the creation of comfortable, performing and beautiful boats that fit everyone and, above all, are barrier-free: this must be the future of yachting. Disabled people often tend to isolate themselves from society or, worse, to be isolated: it is therefore necessary to implement actions that make any activity easily practicable, favouring inclusion and eliminating discrimination. To do this, it is necessary to adopt a new mental and planning approach that questions what has been done to date. New commercial scenarios would also open, linked, for example, to the pleasure yachts charter market implemented with fully accessible fleets. Modern nautical design faces a fundamental theme: being able to use at their best the interior spaces that are really minimal due to the

2.6 A Boat Charter Accessible to Disabled People …

particular geometries created by coupling the hull with the deck. This happens because the majority of designers, to date, have never questioned, at least formally, the architectural object “a boat”. Some shipyards have managed to shake up the way of conceiving boats, updating their spatiality and simplifying their use, but, although the results have been excellent, they have not gone beyond the commercial purpose, allocating their models to a certain elite, instead of aiming at a global diffusion of the fully accessible sailing and motor yacht. There are two main reasons why there is still a great deal of indifference towards the construction and use of accessible boats by a possible new group of users: the first is related to the belief that part of the population cannot afford to buy a boat. This is certainly true, but why not build accessible boats which, managed by charter companies, can be rented, for short or even longer periods of time, by disabled individuals or elderly people, who wish to spend their holidays together with their friends or families? The second concerns, instead, a purely ethical issue. The indifference towards certain segments of the population is evidenced, for example, by the lack of rules indicating the technical procedures for overcoming the obstacle: for pleasure boats between 10 and 24 m, which is the most widespread category, there is still no legislation about designing according to the ergonomic and anthropometric needs of the individual, whatever that may be. It could be useful therefore to share the problem with all the players in the nautical business, starting with the technicians and the shipyards, who can finally realize the number of potential customers, to whom sailing has been

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denied for the past twenty years. But, in order to fix the regulations, governments must be involved and informed through important awareness-raising action. The initiative must come from above and, once the lines of action indicated by the government have been implemented, they need to activate the manufacturers’ associations and set up a commission of experts, to draw up a design protocol for totally accessible boats. At the same time, however, the government must think about new convincing methods, such as incentives and tax reliefs, with which shipbuilders could apply this protocol without investing too much of their capital. Designing and building ethically must always be a choice, and not an obligation, and it is right for those who choose to follow these new rules to recognize an economic advantage from it. It may seem a materialistic concept, if expressed in these terms, but if we think about how long it takes to introduce an innovation in such a traditional and conservative sector as boating, it is clear that we must start by convincing those who personally make the investment that designing and building boats differently from how it has always been is possible and advantageous. If we look at the automotive sector, for example, this is what happens with the incentives offered for those who buy new cars, moving from an old polluting model to a new environmentally sustainable one, favouring in that case the manufacturers and, of course, all other companies and, last but not least, the environment in which we live. Moreover, it is useful to observe how disabled people buy and use modified cars for their own use and how much the improved options available today have made millions of individuals autonomous.

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3.1

Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today

The main sailing boats built in the last 30 years, ranging from 10 to 24 m in length, suitable for use by people with motor disabilities are analysed below. Due to the reduced number of realizations, typologies of boats different from monohulls were also examined, however it is useful to highlight already existing and tested solutions. It therefore begins with the catamaran built by Andrea Stella. Spirito di Stella Spirito di Stella is a 60-foot catamaran, fully accessible. The decision to choose a catamaran to develop the project of accessibility is due to the fact that the multihull, unlike monohull boats, involves a reduced inclination of the boat, maximum 4/5°, which is optimal for the safe hosting of people in wheelchairs. The first issue dealt with was to adapt the existing spaces, so as to allow the correct movement of the wheelchairs on board. Andrea Stella carried out worldwide research on the dimensions of wheelchairs,

finding that the maximum width dimension is 68/69 cm. So, the first step was to size the width of any space or path to 71 cm. The same measure has been used to position all the switches, since people with worse disability problems can hardly bring their arm at a higher height. The other issue was to create a lower difference in height between the central dining area and the aft cockpit. He achieved this by reducing the basic differential and then, in order to manage the passage of wheelchairs between one area and another, a mobile ramp was installed to allow, when lowered, the passage between the two areas. While in a raised position, the ramp creates the original plan, ensuring the complete use of this area: placing, for example, the chairs around the table. A further ergonomic study was carried out for the layout of the inner living space, in which a well-designed kitchen is located to meet the needs of a person in a wheelchair, as well as a large dining table and a technical desk, on which there are the instruments for navigation. The overcoming of the high difference in height between the upper deck and the lower deck aft

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cabins was solved by installing a lift in each room, so as to allow the wheelchair user to go downstairs. When the lift is down, it disappears into the floor. An excellent result was obtained thanks to the optimum layout of the cabins and relative bathrooms, built into the hulls. They have been designed through a careful study of the dynamics of movement of wheelchairs, providing them with just as many bathrooms, perfectly accessible to disabled people. The space inside the bathrooms is certainly minimal, far less than the measures that, for example, are requested by regulations for accessible bathrooms built in public places, but they are sufficient to ensure a disabled person in a wheelchair is able to access

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and rotate themselves. Boarding the boat can take place on the right side, through a 75 cm wide gangway with side protection, or from the stern, through a longer gangway. It has been tried, in general, not to create “psychological barriers” from a visual point of view and therefore the catamaran’s aesthetics have remained intact. The only evident difference concerns the system to reach the bow of the catamaran, solved by a sliding seat on special rails, at starboard. In general, however, it is an excellent experiment, to be considered as a laboratory for future developments and solutions (Figs. 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 and 3.11).

Fig. 3.1 The accessible catamaran “Lo Spirito di Stella” while sailing

3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today

Fig. 3.2 Aft boarding is allowed by a larger gangway, equipped with side protection

Fig. 3.3 Boarding is also possible from the side of the catamaran

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Fig. 3.4 The entrance ramp can pivot, if needed, allowing full use of the external decking or to access the internal saloon

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Fig. 3.5 The evident difference in height between the central saloon and aft cabins is solved by a retractable lift equipped with a safety handle

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Fig. 3.6 The lift, when positioned at the top of the staircase, creates a planar surface with the floor of the central saloon for increased user safety

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Fig. 3.7 When the lift is in its rest position, perfectly embedded in the cabin floor, the stair is perfectly usable by ablebodied people

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Fig. 3.8 The lift in the descent phase

Fig. 3.9 The bed, placed sideways, is completely accessible, although the mattress is rather high

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Fig. 3.10 The doors of both aft cabins’ bathrooms are split into two panels, creating a wide passage to facilitate, as much as possible, the movement of a wheelchair

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Fig. 3.11 The interior of the bathrooms correctly fits with the ergonomic needs of disabled people

3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today

Impossible dream The 58-foot catamaran Impossible Dream was custom-made in 2001 for British businessman Mike Browne, who was forced into a wheelchair after a skiing accident. The boat bears the signature of yacht designer Nic Bailey, who worked with Darren Newton’s Multimarine shipyard and a team of builders led by Simon Baker. The totally accessible and absolutely avant-garde project for that time was built in just two and a half years from its conception. Browne wanted this catamaran to demonstrate that it’s possible to build a boat capable of crossing the oceans, which can be steered by a wheelchair user and, above all, to make other people with the same dream understand that it can be realised. The designer, Nic Bailey and his team have managed to create a technologically advanced boat, without renouncing an accurate design, allowing the client to navigate safely and in maximum comfort. The boat can be completely controlled from the wheelhouse. The disabled person, if they desire, can leave their wheelchair and move on one of the two sliding seats, fixed to special rails that allows them to move from one side to the other, easily reaching the helm, the instruments for navigation and the mast foot area to manage the sails. The deck does not present any step, so

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the owner can safely move around the boat, from stern to bow, remaining in his wheelchair. Nic Bailey’s style can be recognized in the windows of the deckhouse: they are very reminiscent of the gondolas created for the London Eye, of which Bailey was the designer. These windows offer 360° visibility, which is not only useful, but it gives a sense of open space from inside the catamaran. Weather conditions permitting, it is possible to steer from the external cockpits located on each hull of the boat. All the controls have been duplicated so that each station is identical to the other. Regarding boat automation, Impossible Dream is able to sail with the touch of a button. For greater visibility, the main helm is located in front of the mast and it is equipped with a central touch screen computer that allows the helmsman to control all the functions on board. Thanks to the sail furling in the boom, hoisting the mainsail is very simple. Both hulls are fully accessible to wheelchairs through titanium lifts. Two of the four cabins are designed for being fully accessible, while the other two can be accessible, if required. Today the boat is owned by the US non-profit Association “Impossible Dream”, founded by entrepreneur Deborah Mellen, together with the founder of the “Shake a Leg” Association, Harry Horgan (Figs. 3.12, 3.13, 3.14, 3.15, 3.16 and 3.17).

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Fig. 3.12 The totally accessible catamaran Impossible Dream, built in 2001

Fig. 3.13 The ramp installed on the right side of the catamaran greatly facilitates disembarkation

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Fig. 3.14 The internal passages have been designed to take into account the needs of the individual in a wheelchair

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Fig. 3.15 The winch to hoist the mainsail, on the left, and the inner wheelhouse, on the right. Special carbon seats, mounted on rails, can slide from one side to the other allowing quick movement by a disabled person

Fig. 3.16 One of the two external cockpits

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Fig. 3.17 The walkway turns 360° and is characterized by large teak safety handrails

Rolling Black Rolling Black is a 13-m monohull sailboat, designed and built in Italy in 2006, with the aim of bringing people with motor disabilities closer to the sport of sailing. The project was abandoned shortly after its presentation at the Genoa Boat Show of the same year and left in a total state of neglect for around a decade. The boat has an open transom with an accessible cockpit and a lift that leads to the spaces below deck, consisting of fully accessible saloon and forward cabin,

as well as two aft cabins for able-bodied people. From a technical point of view, in addition to the good accessibility of the spaces, the boat is equipped with safety systems on the deck to prevent the overturning of the wheelchairs on board, in the event of excessive skidding during sailing. In 2016, Rolling Black was recovered and refitted by the Italian no profit association All Sailing, founded by Riccardo Ciccone and Gabriele Ghirelli, to return to be used for therapeutic purposes (Figs. 3.18, 3.19, 3.20, 3.21 and 3.22).

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Fig. 3.18 Rolling Black heeled, while sailing in strong winds. The helmsman’s wheelchair is secured to the hull, to prevent overturning

Fig. 3.19 The deck offers excellent accessibility. The distance between wheels is more than enough for the passage of the wheelchair and the companion is well sized and not presenting a coaming

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Fig. 3.20 The spaces below deck are well distributed and optimized to allow wheelchair to access anywhere

Fig. 3.21 The solution designed (but not realized) of the folding transom, in order to offer a device for boarding/disembarking and for bathing, is interesting

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Fig. 3.22 Rolling Black recently recovered and refitted, thanks to Riccardo Ciccone and Gabriele Ghirelli

Tornavento Tornavento is a 10-m sloop completely accessible by multiple people in wheelchairs at the same time. The boat was built in 1997 by its first owner, Luigi Zambon, who wished that everyone could have the opportunity to sail, despite the inability to walk. He also founded, together with his wife Gabriella Assenza, the Sailing School of Sabaudia and, for over twenty years, he has offered everyone the opportunity to sail, in the name of inclusion.

A few months before his death, Luigi donated Tornavento to Marco Rossato, a well-known Italian sailor forced into a wheelchair by an accident, with the hope of seeing her sail again and to continue the activity of spreading the sport of sailing for all. Marco began work immediately to restore the Tornavento and, thanks to sponsors, friends and craftsmen, he managed to bring her back to the sea within a few months. The boat is now used by the association “I timonieri sbandati - Sail4all” to spread the message inherited from Luigi (Figs. 3.23, 3.24 and 3.25).

3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today

Fig. 3.23 Tornavento is a totally accessible 10 m sloop

Fig. 3.24 The blade rudders system is inspired by that of catamarans

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Fig. 3.25 The transom of Sabaudia Prima is accessible, thanks to the large carbon gangway

Cadamà The concept design of the modifications to make the boat accessible were made by the author and subsequently commissioned personally by the client, Andrea Brigatti, through experiences made on board day after day. The Cadamà is a 22 m Ketch, built in 1971 and entirely made of wood. Brigatti decided to buy and modify the Cadamà, trying to adapt it to his needs. Despite the age of the boat, it is a sort of sailing laboratory in which he is trying to create the best solutions for accessibility, facilitated by the considerable size of the hull. Boarding is offered successfully by a special carbon gangway, 80 cm wide, equipped with side protection. Any difference in height or obstacle in the aft deck area has been eliminated to allow movement of the wheelchair. The large dining table was custom-made and is mounted on a hydraulic piston, so that it can be lowered to the level of the benches to completely free the deck

from obstructions. While sailing, disabled people can move safely around the cockpit on board special custom-made seats, even when the boat is heeled. The difference in height between the cockpit and deckhouse is overcome with a teak ramp, so as to allow wheelchairs to reach the companionway, also modified in width, through which it is possible to go below deck using an electric lift. Once downstairs, in addition to the large dining area that offers maximum comfort to three wheelchairs at the same time, there is a second lift that leads to the aft cabin, equipped with two double beds and a fully accessible bathroom. Towards the bow, a corridor, served by an additional mechanical platform, leads to the guest cabins, bathrooms and the kitchen. All the doors have been enlarged, to allow easy passage, and the hinged doors have been replaced with other sliding ones, to favour maximum ergonomics (Figs. 3.26, 3.27 and 3.28).

3.1 Boats Built or Modified from the 80s to Today

Fig. 3.26 Cadamà allows sailing by a mixed crew

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Fig. 3.27 Andrea Brigatti easily boards his boat, through a safe and large carbon gangway

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Fig. 3.28 The aft cabin, equipped with two double beds and a fully accessible bathroom, is reachable through a platform integrated in the lower step of the stair

3.2

Academic Project Proposals

The Following are some design experiments for pleasure sailing boats, drawn up within university courses, introducing interesting solutions, both at a spatial level and for accessibility. OC43H—Open Cruiser Degree thesis in Architecture, discussed in 2004 at the University of Roma Tre by Marco Veglia, supervisor Prof. Gabriele Bellingeri, co-supervisor arch. Paolo Ferrari. The project presents a series of spatial and conceptual innovations in the interpretation of accessibility on board a sailing boat of just 13 m in length. The project is, in fact, characterized by the distribution, along the longitudinal axis, of the upper and lower paths and of the boarding and disembarking system, as well as for the use of an “unstayed mast” rig, generally mounted on Wyliecat boats, with a single mainsail to facilitate sailing. Particularly interesting are the

solutions for boarding/disembarking through a retractable gangway in the bow and sliding platforms on transverse rails for the steering of the boat by two sailors in wheelchairs. Among the technological elements on board there are the ballast wings which, with the hydrodynamic thrust of the leeward wing and the increase in the righting moment due to the water present in the leeward one, considerably increase the straightening and leave the internal volume of the hull free to be fitted out; the monolithic keel is of the “Moana” type which, in addition to advantages from a structural point of view, guarantees with its empty drift blade the housing of the hydraulic piston of the platform, useful to access the interior spaces. The interior layout, totally devoid of steps, is characterized by two large aft cabins, perfectly accessible, and a bathroom located in the bow that can be easily used by disabled persons (Figs. 3.29, 3.30, 3.31, 3.32, 3.33, 3.34, 3.35 and 3.36).

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Fig. 3.29 The OC43H sailing with stern wind

Fig. 3.30 The interior layout of the OC43H

Fig. 3.31 The boarding of the wheelchair from the stern works through a hydraulic hatch in which a retractable gangway is integrated

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Fig. 3.32 The Transom with the hatch closed

Fig. 3.33 The cockpit is protected by a deckhouse consisting of two breakwaters, through which a wheelchair can move from stern to bow

Fig. 3.34 The innovative solution for boarding/disembarking of a wheelchair through a retractable gangway in the squared bow

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Fig. 3.35 Two platforms sliding on rails allow for quick and safe movement of the helmsman and tailer from one side to the other, during a turn

Fig. 3.36 Interior details, in which the loft-style furnishings and spaciousness allow easy movement of a wheelchair

3.2 Academic Project Proposals

Daysailer “for All” Degree thesis in Architecture, discussed in 2010 at the University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, by Emilio Rossi, supervisor Prof. Giuseppe Di Bucchianico, co-supervisor Prof. Massimo Di Nicolantonio. The project develops the concept of life-at-sea from the perspective of Design for All. The boat is a 10-m-long catboat daysailer and it is designed to facilitate mobility on board also for people with motor disabilities. The hull is characterized by a large open cockpit, which integrates all the furnishings and technical areas for sailing. In addition, the presence of a double rudder blade, an integrated electric anchor, a rotating mast and a fixed drift make navigation easier and safer. Rossi has developed original solutions, both on a formal and technological level, in order to facilitate mobility on board. In fact, the wheelhouse has been completely redesigned, if compared to a traditional one, to improve its use. The wheel, mounted on two lateral supports in which the mechanisms slide, is positioned on a tilting platform, so that the wheelchair does not risk to overturn when the

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boat is skidded. By applying the principles of Easy Sailing, it is possible to manage electronically all the manoeuvres for steering the boat. Aft boarding is guaranteed by a retractable electrohydraulic gangway, to allow anyone to easily board from both high docks and the water, simplifying bathing operations. The characteristic shape of the kitchen, located at starboard, allows anyone in a wheelchair to easily move between the various areas and cook independently. Four seats, disappearing into the floor with a single movement, are placed around the table, openable through a folding system that, when closed, acts as a cover for the kitchen cabinet. On the opposite side there are the storage lockers instead. The bow area, in addition to hosting a relaxation space, includes a small chemical bath, whose privacy is ensured by a series of automated sheets made of highly deformable and “shape memory” polymeric material. From the point of view of sustainability, the boat is totally selfsufficient in terms of energy (Figs. 3.37, 3.38, 3.39, 3.40, 3.41 and 3.42).

Fig. 3.37 Axonometric view of the thesis project by Emilio Rossi

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Fig. 3.38 The bathroom cell is made with an ingenious system that isolates it from the cockpit and from external view

Fig. 3.39 Kitchen, dining area and related seats are retractable, so as not to clutter the passage towards the bow, nor the cockpit during navigation

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Fig. 3.40 The helm is characterized by an ergonomically designed wheel for comfortable use by people in wheelchairs. The tilting system that allows the helmsman to always remain in a horizontal position is very interesting

Fig. 3.41 The aft area is equipped with a mechanical system for boarding/disembarking and for bathing

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Fig. 3.42 The aft mechanical platform allows a disabled user to bathe and embark independently

Tutti a bordo—a catamaran with no barriers Degree thesis in Architecture, elaborated in 2006 at the Polytechnic University of Milan, Italy by Maurizio Redaelli, supervising Prof. Andrea Ratti. The project analysed the issues related to the elimination of physical obstacles, attempting to apply them to nautical design. From these assumptions, and from the combination of the concepts of Easy Sailing and Design for All, Redaelli designed a catamaran to offer anyone the opportunity to sail safely and independently. The primary aim was therefore to make navigation easier, not only for less experienced sailors, but also, and above all, for people with various types of disabilities, with particular reference to motor problems. For this purpose, accessibility is made easier, the manoeuvring spaces and passages have been sized appropriately, all steps have been eliminated. Everything was designed

in the belief that these measures can be considered valid and functional for users who are not necessarily disabled. The choice of a catamaran is due to certain features and qualities that this type of hull offers: limited heeling, lack of roll, low draft, very large interior and bow spaces. In addition, the division of the two hulls, in addition to allowing a logical distribution of the interior spaces, also guarantees a certain amount of privacy. Some ideas deserve a mention, both for attention to detail and for the creativity and imagination of the author: for example, the large furnishings to allow total accessibility by a wheelchair or the outer rollbar equipped with rails on which the wheelhouse seat slides from one side to the other. Finally, an aspect not to be underestimated from the “psychological” point of view is the application of colour both to the hulls and the furnishings. In the realization of the project, particular attention was paid to

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Fig. 3.43 Perspective view of the catamaran designed by Maurizio Redaelli

Fig. 3.44 The sideway is accessible to any type of wheelchair and allows people to move 360° on deck

technologies already existing and made by specialized companies to minimise production costs. This is the case, for example, of the boarding gangway or of the lifts (already mounted on

Spirito di Stella) to go downstairs to the lower deck (Figs. 3.43, 3.44, 3.45, 3.46, 3.47, 3.48, 3.49, 3.50, 3.51, 3.52, 3.53, 3.54, 3.55 and 3.56).

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Fig. 3.45 Safety on board is guaranteed by handrails 100 cm high from the deck

Fig. 3.46 The sliding system to move from one side to the other works with a hanging seat connected to a rollbar equipped with electronically controlled rails

Fig. 3.47 The various phases illustrate the boarding sequence through a retractable gangway

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Fig. 3.48 Using the same gangway, a disabled person can bathe, in maximum safety and without leaving their wheelchair

Fig. 3.49 The kitchen cabinet is designed according to DfA principles, even if the position of the microwave seems to be too angled and distant

Fig. 3.50 All furnishings offer particular attention in ergonomics and in decoration

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Fig. 3.51 To reach the lower deck, a disabled person can easily use the hydraulic lift

Fig. 3.52 The dining area is designed to host one or more people in wheelchairs

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Fig. 3.53 The bed offers optimal accessibility, both for height and for lack of obstacles in the lower part

Fig. 3.54 Mobility inside the cabin is guaranteed by a very generous walking surface

Fig. 3.55 The design of the washbasin cabinet in the guest bathroom answers correctly to the ergonomic needs of the disabled person

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Fig. 3.56 The shower cubicle is perfectly sized and is equipped with a folding seat to avoid getting a wheelchair wet

Life 44 Life 44 was developed by Massimiliano Fabris and Ubaldo La Monaca, under the supervision of arch. Paolo Ferrari, as the final exercise of an advanced training course in the design of accessible boats. The 44’ boat has the typical lines of an ocean racer and is characterized by a very wide and low superstructure. The study of the layout made it possible to create two distinct ramps, located along opposite sides, in order to access the spaces above and below deck: this way it was necessary to organize the cockpit so that the helm was positioned towards the bow, in order to be as protected as possible and to avoid hindering the movement of the wheelchair. The ramp at starboard allows access, through a sliding door, to the interior living area, consisting of a kitchen, designed respecting the specific ergonomic standards of disabled users, and a spacious dining area which includes the chart area, completely equipped with electronic instrumentation. A wide corridor leads to the forward cabin,

designed to be accessible also by disabled individuals and includes a fully accessible bathroom. On the stern there is another cabin, with a dedicated bathroom for an able-bodied guest. During all phases of design, the need to move in each space by wheelchair has always been taken into account, respecting the minimum spaces for its movement and allowing a complete 360° rotation in at least two distinct places. If necessary, the cockpit can be transformed into an open-air dining area simply by lifting a table (with two retractable wings) that is hidden in the deck floor, thus obtaining a six-seater dining area with two people in wheelchairs at opposite ends of the table. The ramp along the left side allows passage to the bow area, to reach the sunbathing area or the anchor windlass. A telescopic folding gangway, located under the stern platform, makes boarding by wheelchair easy and safe (Figs. 3.57, 3.58, 3.59, 3.60, 3.61, 3.62, 3.63, 3.64, 3.65 and 3.66).

3.2 Academic Project Proposals

Fig. 3.57 Life 44 is an interesting project, developed by Massimiliano Fabris and Ubaldo La Monaca

Fig. 3.58 Thanks to the folding bench, a tailer in a wheelchair can manage the winch for the bow sails

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Fig. 3.59 The helm is placed towards the bow, along the axis of symmetry, in order to be as protected as possible and to avoid hindering movement in a wheelchair

Fig. 3.60 By raising a retractable table from the deck and opening the two side wings, it is possible to get a dining area with six seats, two of which are dedicated to wheelchairs

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Fig. 3.61 A ramp at starboard allows access, through a sliding door, to the spaces below deck, which are totally accessible from almost everywhere

Fig. 3.62 The kitchen is designed to offer maximum ergonomics to any user

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Fig. 3.63 The dining area offers two seating position for wheelchair users. The corridor towards the bow cabin is free of obstacles, so as to allow easy passage by wheelchair

Fig. 3.64 The bow cabin has been designed taking into consideration the need for people in wheelchairs to rotate 360° without any obstacle

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Fig. 3.65 The bathroom serving the bow cabin’s guests is totally accessible and offers a retractable seat for the shower, so as not to wet the wheelchair

Fig. 3.66 The ramp on the left allows passage to the bow, to access the sunbathing area or the anchor windlass

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Senz’alibi This sailing boat was designed in 2017 by Francesco Fascelli, a graduate in Product Design at the University of Campania “Luigi Vanvitelli” in Italy. The project consists of a 33’ hull, equipped with a large sail surface, but which is easy to manage at the same time thanks to the various devices designed to make it accessible to people in wheelchairs. The boat was designed to be steered by a limited and mixed crew, to encourage inclusion and integration between people. The sails can be adjusted and hoisted thanks to the small wheels, placed immediately below the helms, which allow operation of the winches in a way very similar to the coffee grinder on large racing boats. To move between the helms, Fascelli proposes to block the wheelchair, equipped with safety belts, to a travelling platform that acts as a sled, slipping from one side to the other when turning. The mainsail traveller has been embedded into the deck, so as not to hinder passage. The transom is completely open to facilitate boarding onto the boat and, on the bulwarks, the lifelines end

3

State-of-the-Art in the Design of Accessible Boats

downwards to allow disembarkation hanging from the boom. Access below deck is possible thanks to a large entrance of about 80 cm width and through a stair which, if necessary, becomes a lifting platform equipped with a system of 4 hydraulic pistons, placed in as many tubulars, capable of lifting people in wheelchairs. The interior space includes a bathroom with a revolving toilet in which the WC leaves space for the sink by pivoting on a vertical axis. As well as the kitchen, there are two beds and a heightadjustable table, to extend the bow double-bed. The project is interesting, from a distribution point of view and for the solutions adopted, even if a greater depth of information would have been useful to better understand how the helms work, both from an aesthetic and functional point of view (especially for the high load to which they would be subjected). Furthermore, the presence of additional images to explain how the stair-lift and the revolving toilet work would have been of benefit to the entire project (Figs. 3.67, 3.68 and 3.69).

Fig. 3.67 Francesco Infascelli’s 33’ accessible sailing yacht project

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Fig. 3.68 The interior space includes a bathroom with a revolving toilet, a kitchen, a single bed cabin and a bow double-bed which can be extended thanks to a height-adjustable table

Fig. 3.69 The stair, if necessary, becomes a lifting platform equipped with a system of 4 hydraulic pistons, placed in as many tubulars, capable of lifting people in wheelchairs

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Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

4.1

Pleasure Sailing Yachts

Until today, the design of pleasure boats has been limited to the development of almost identical sailing yachts, regardless of the length of the hulls, which are practically inaccessible to a person in a wheelchair both above and below deck. One of the main reasons why no shipyard or designer has ever tried to resolve the issue of accessibility is the total lack of regulation in this regard for all sailing and motor boats smaller than 24 m. It can therefore be said that, in the absence of any rule, the economic interests of the shipyards and the continued research for solutions that make the most of the space by designers have relegated the issue to rare and isolated attempts at self-construction or modification of private boats. The number of yachts that are partially or totally accessible, built in the last twenty years, is therefore extremely minimal, despite the fact that universities and some advanced training schools push students to reflect on the themes of inclusive design and a few designers have tried to focus on the development and dissemination of solutions for accessibility on board. To date, companies have shown little, if any, interest in the opportunity of changing their processes, keeping instead to offering traditional products without any attention to this problem. It must also be considered that the pleasure boats market aims to give itself an elitist image, linked in part to luxury and social distinctiveness, and in the other part to the charm of a lifestyle

intimately related to the elements of nature, such as the sea and wind; a particular metacommunication, characterized by the exaltation of physical strength is also strongly widespread: they are all myths that risk to be withered by the presence of the disability issue, evidently considered as a contradictory element with respect to the “message” that is intended to be promoted. As already mentioned, the category of pleasure boats includes all crafts between 10 and 24 m, for which registration in the Naval Register and possession of a sailing license are mandatory for owners. These boats are indeed not subject to any specific legislation relating to accessibility and use by disabled people, but only to safety standards, essential for the issue of the Safety Certificate, which is mandatory to keep on board. The consequence is that the design layouts of both the exteriors and the interiors, which are currently designed for the maximum exploitation of space, for obvious commercial purposes, are characterized by numerous steps and limited sizes, due to the joint of the main deck volumes and the lower spaces. In the following paragraph, the general plans of generic sailing boats will be analysed, as divided into three dimensional categories: 10–14.99, 15–20.99, 21–23.99 m. Finally, by dividing these schemes by functional areas, all the problems of accessibility and usability present on board will be highlighted, starting from boarding systems and gradually considering horizontal and vertical movement, obstacles, steps, etc.

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_4

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Deck and Interior Layouts

Interior layout It is important to premise that the analysis is conducted only on monohull boats, as they are certainly more complex from the point of view of architectural distribution and available floor space. It should also be noted that the general plans shown below are used as simple spatial distribution schemes and therefore the dimensional scale of each drawing is not considered. Size range 10–14.99 m (33–49 feet) As for the internal layouts of boats between 33 and 49 feet in length, the reduced size of the spaces pushes designers and builders to repeat, with minimal variations, a consolidated scheme. The typical layout consists of two twin and mirrored cabins in the aft area, a very steep vertical connection in a central position; in addition there are, usually, a kitchen and a chart table on two opposite sides, a dining area located in the central part of the hull, composed of one or two sofas and a table between them, and a single bathroom for hulls of between 10 and 11 m (or two in boats from 13 m upwards) and a forward cabin with a V-shaped bed (Fig. 4.1). The only variations with respect to the previous arrangement are given by the position of the bathroom, which can be placed in the stern or in the bow area, and, in some cases, in the choice to replace one of the two stern cabins with a large

Fig. 4.1 10 m (33 feet)

Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

storage locker, which is accessible from the cockpit. In all cases, it is clear that no boat within 13 m offers passages, door sizes or environments that can be used by a person in a wheelchair (Figs. 4.2 and 4.3). The layout illustrated in Fig. 4.4 could be a good solution for the usability of the spaces, if, for example, the volume of the kitchen and the table were reduced in size and the fixed central seat was eliminated. However, the cabins remain inaccessible, due to the narrow doors and the bathrooms, especially the bow one, due to lack of space to manoeuvre inside them. Size range 15–20.99 m (50–68 feet) Although the length of boats in this category is considerably greater, it is still evident that the layout of the rooms is completely comparable to that of the previous category in vessels of up to 19 m. Without doubt, the furnishings are less compressed and the spaces more liveable, but boats of this size are also designed without any attention towards accessibility by disabled users (Figs. 4.5 and 4.6). Observing the design of the hulls from 18 to 21 m (Figs. 4.7, 4.8 and 4.9), the growth in the number of cabins is unquestionable. The same situation is with the width of the passages and bathroom sizes, doubly dimensioned. All this, however, is thwarted by the number of steps present in the entire floor surface: in all the design proposals it is possible to count at least three steps, from stern to bow. The lowest level

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Fig. 4.2 11.60 m (38 feet)

Fig. 4.3 12.80 m (42 feet)

Fig. 4.4 13.70 m (45 feet)

of the deck is found in the aft cabins, which require greater internal height due to the volume of the cockpit above; the zero quota corresponds to the floor of the central area, free from

constraints of any kind, thanks to the considerable width of the beams and to the deckhouse, which is over 2 m in height. A further step is present towards the bow areas, since the lines of

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Fig. 4.5 15.20 m (50 feet)

Fig. 4.6 16.80 m (55 feet)

Fig. 4.7 18.90 m (62 feet)

Fig. 4.8 19.80 m (65 feet)

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4.2 Deck and Interior Layouts

85

Fig. 4.9 20.72 m (68 feet)

the hull tend to tighten considerably and it is therefore necessary to rise in height to increase the surface area of the deck (so as to be able to contain more volume on the sides without compressing the passage ways and the bed placed along the longitudinal axis). With a few modifications, these spaces could adapt perfectly to accommodate even more than one wheelchair at the same time, sacrificing only a small part of the furnishings. Size range 21–23.99 m (69–78 feet) In the 21–24 m in length category the design of the internal distribution is no longer affected by any spatial constraints. The heights of each cabin can even exceed two metres and the widths of the passages and doors are comparable to those of civilian homes. Although it is clear that these are boats for exclusively private use, we might wonder why no designers or shipyards have attempted to adopt solutions that facilitate access below deck and the use of the interior spaces, not

Fig. 4.10 21.94 m (72 feet)

only for wheelchairs, but more comfortably for able-bodied people (Figs. 4.10, 4.11 and 4.12). Deck layout Regarding the morphological analysis of the pleasure craft decks, a direct comparison between the different dimensional categories previously defined was considered as they present very minimal variations, even though there is over 13 m difference in length between the first and last one. In fact, the first impression from observing them is that, even for projects developed by different designers, there is a lack of innovation about shapes and the ergonomics of the non-technical elements. If this can be understood in a 10-m “entry level” boat (Fig. 4.13), the same cannot be said for a yacht of almost double the length (Fig. 4.16) which, with its 19.80 m, could present far more modern and adequate solutions for a wider use, without questioning the technical aspect or the

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Fig. 4.11 23.16 m (76 feet)

Fig. 4.12 23.77 m (78 feet)

Fig. 4.13 10 m (33 feet)

arrangement of the elements for sailing, which must necessarily follow precise geometry to steer the boat in safety. We will therefore focus on purely morphological and functional aspects (Fig. 4.14). The proposed projects refer to boats massproduced in the last 15 years and in almost all the tendency is to maintain a traditional style of design: apart from the presence of an open

transoms, no model among those proposed has, for example, a “flush” deck, without therefore the deckhouses or other bulky superstructures. In fact, all boats have deckhouses with different shaped breakwaters, steps to move from the cockpit deck to the side decks and, in some cases, open sky ropes and organizers. In the case of the smaller boat, the helm completely hinders the central passage and, when it is split into two twin wheels, facilitating circulation in the

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Fig. 4.14 13.10 m (43 feet)

cockpit, other elements are inserted, such as fixed tables or sailing instruments. The distance between the cockpit benches tends to be narrow at the companionway, making it impossible for a wheelchair to access below deck, unless it is the width and height of the same companionway that prevents it. In the following images (Figs. 4.15, 4.16 and 4.17), thanks to the considerable size of the boats, the possibility of reaching the companionway to access below deck could be guaranteed by sufficient distance between the furniture elements, but, for the various reasons already exposed, neither passage or access is possible. None of the solutions illustrated offer the possibility of accessing the side decks without having to overcome the steps between the cockpit and the deckhouse. Even if this was

Fig. 4.15 15.80 m (52 feet)

possible, the width of the side walkways is so small that even able-bodied individuals are in difficulty. In conclusion, apart from the project in Fig. 4.18, which, with minor modifications, could be the most suitable to solve the issues of accessibility, all the others do not take into account any kind of facilitation for people with motor difficulties. Without considering the extreme case of a person in a wheelchair, even people with nonoptimal ability to move, such as the elderly or overweight people, would have difficulty to move around on decks conceived in this manner. Although numerous innovations have been made to modern boats in recent years compared to those of the past, there is certainly still much to be done to make these boats accessible according to the principles of Design for All.

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Fig. 4.16 19.80 m (65 feet)

Fig. 4.17 22.50 m (74 feet)

Fig. 4.18 23.16 m (76 feet)

4.3

Analysis and Classification of Accessibility Issues: Identification of Cases

All the cases that determine the impossibility of access, movement and circulation, as well as use, relating to the spaces of a pleasure sailing boat will be analysed below. To simplify the identification of the various cases that will be investigated, it is useful to briefly classify the external areas and internal

environments that will affect the analysis. Starting from the deck plan, the following areas are distinguished: 1. transom; 2. boarding area; 3. wheelhouse; 4. cockpit and rigging; 5. deckhouse; 6. side walkways; 7. companionway; 8. bow area (Fig. 4.19).

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Fig. 4.19 Example deck of a pleasure boat

Regarding the interior spaces, the layout of a boat, of approximately 16 m, is taken as an example, intended as an intermediate measure between those analysed, including all the environments commonly present on any pleasure sailing yacht, in variable numbers depending on its length. It being understood that three cabins are generally located in boats of 10 m (with the exception of a few cases, in which one of the aft cabins is replaced by a technical locker), the fundamental difference consists in fewer bathrooms and less sofa space in the central dining area (Fig. 4.20). Transom Starting from the outside, the first obstacle to accessibility is certainly boarding, or how to pass from the mainland to the stern area of the boat. Before tackling this topic, however, it is useful to focus attention on the morphology of the transom

Fig. 4.20 Example interior layout of a pleasure boat

of pleasure sailing boats, as it already defines the possibility or impossibility of boarding by people with disabilities. One of the design innovations of modern boats consists in opening the transom, not only for aesthetic reasons, but above all because the new hull geometries have enlarged the whole size, offering greater spatiality and, consequently, new uses of it. From the following images (Figs. 4.21 and 4.22) it is possible to easily understand the problems of the old generation hulls with a blind transom. Analysing the conformation of this type of stern, it is clear that, already in the design phase, no attention was paid to the problem of accessibility, even by able-bodied people. Although today most sailing yachts are designed according to new standards and therefore with shapes that facilitate boarding for

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Fig. 4.21 A blind transom, used in sailing boats built until the end of the 90 s

Fig. 4.22 A completely invasive wheel, often located very close to the transom, blocks people from boarding with their wheelchairs

almost all types of users, the concept of Sailing for Everyone is absolutely not taken into consideration either by the designers or the shipbuilders. Current geometries and technologies should make it natural and immediate to conceive new models in such a way as to be usable by anyone, eliminating physical and psychological “barriers” and opening up new market segments, but, apparently, it seems easier to ignore

the problem rather than face and solve it (Fig. 4.23). Boarding systems Regarding boarding, it must be taken into account, first of all, that the differences in height between the wharf and the boat can vary considerably. It depends on the type and shape of the wharf, on the size and design of the hull, on the sea conditions, etc. Furthermore, access can be

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Fig. 4.23 Even in yachts designed according to the most modern canons, accessibility by people in wheelchairs is not considered

more or less difficult based on the individual’s motor skills: just think, for example, of the differences in skills that exist between a child, an elderly person, a pregnant woman, a paraplegic person and so on. In an ideal situation, each user, depending on their characteristics, should be able to board independently, simply and safely. On the contrary, the current solutions are not the most suitable to meet everyone’s needs: in order to find a real solution to the problem, it would be necessary to give a design response capable of satisfying the individual in their specificity, respecting their skills, needs and, last but not least, dignity. In this regard, it is useful to focus on the following images (Figs. 4.24 and 4.25). Assuming that a person must be able to board a boat independently, any movement to separate a disabled individual from their wheelchair should be immediately discarded, excluding small vessels, which do not offer the space needed to contain it. In this specific case, illustrated in Fig. 4.26, it must be considered, however, that not all types of disability allow the use of fabric harnesses which, in addition to giving an unpleasant and uncomfortable feeling, do not guarantee any support to

the spine and neck, with the risk of causing further personal injury. Moreover, this solution requires at least two to four people to move and help the individual hanging in the harness. It is therefore appropriate to rethink the boarding system, to offer the disabled the possibility of overcoming any difference in height and being able to access the boat independently. In Fig. 4.24 it is evident that the ideal solution is to adopt a larger gangway, to allow access to a modern-designed boat with an open transom, instead of committing a risky and extremely complicated operation. The thought of resolving the issue using a couple of unsecured boards placed side-by-side and not even joined together, which are often of different lengths and materials, can cause a disabled person to experience a psychological state of panic due to the danger of a ruinous fall into sea. Furthermore, they are completely dependent on external assistance carried out generally by people who are unprepared to deal with such situations. In this case, in addition to the risk run by the individual, there is a lack of respect for the dignity of a person who, although he is willing to bear anything to be able to navigate, should be provided conditions to move in security and autonomy. The lack of

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Fig. 4.24 A typical example of improvised boarding: wooden boards, not joined together, without any lateral protection and too many people providing extemporaneous assistance

security is also evident in the solution adopted in Fig. 4.25, in which the disabled person, hanging from a tubular metal frame, is generally moved by being suspended from the boom of the boat: in such situations the individual obviously complains of the feeling of emptiness under him and the awareness of being hung on a hoist, attached through a boom eyelet only. For this type of movement, it is necessary to adopt structures designed and built for a specific purpose, which guarantee the safety of the individual, certainly avoiding artisanally unsafe systems.

Fig. 4.25 Boarding with a metal harness implemented, generally, through a small crane fixed on the wharf or with a hoist fixed to the boom of the boat; the individual must overcome a significant height, remaining suspended in the air

Gangway As often happens in other sectors, the large part of industrial products, even modern ones, are not designed to be used by a wider audience. The most striking example in the yachting sector is represented by the gangway, commonly used in most sailing and motor yachts. Designing accessible boats is totally futile if it isn’t possible to, first of all, cross the gangway connecting the boat to the wharf in comfort and safety (Figs. 4.27, 4.28 and 4.29). To be truly accessible to any individual, a gangway must necessarily respect dimensional

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Fig. 4.26 Boarding takes place through a crane fixed to the pier and a fabric harness. In some cases, the posture caused by the non-rigid seat does not allow the use of this solution for some kinds of disabilities and fails to facilitate the autonomy of the person

Fig. 4.27 Example of a traditional gangway: it’s too narrow to allow the passage of a wheelchair and is fixed too low in relation to the boat’s deck: the resulting step is an additional architectural barrier

data that meets everyone’s needs, including wheelchair sizes, and be equipped with safety devices, such as lateral protection and handrails, so as to make passage easier even in the case of suboptimal external conditions, backwash wave and hull roll.

Wheelhouse The wheelhouse of a boat, more commonly known as the helm, can be of the “tiller” or “wheel” type.

The first, usually mounted on boats of under 12 m, consists of a bar connected directly to the axis of the submerged rudder, which drives the boat in the opposite direction from the one in which it is moved. The wheel helm, on the other hand, consists of a wheel connected to a fulcrum and sustained by a column, in which runs a system of cables and pulleys. By moving the wheel, the input is indirectly transmitted to the rudder: in this case the boat follows the same direction impressed by the rotation one.

94 Fig. 4.28 Despite the open transom, the gangway has a narrow width: even in this case access by wheelchair is not possible

Fig. 4.29 In addition to the narrowness in width, this gangway, used to board from the bow, does not offer any type of lateral anti-fall protection, nor a serious fixing system to the boat. Such a solution makes access practically impossible for even elderly people, pregnant women and children

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Critical Analysis of Existing Sailing Boats

4.3 Analysis and Classification of Accessibility …

In the first case, the tiller can generally be dismantled in a simple way, therefore allowing the disabled person to access the central cockpit: unfortunately, he will have difficulty using it to sail as it requires a consistant use of space and a considerable lengthening of the arm to manoeuvre it. Finally, the tiller must be used by standing sideways and changing the manoeuvre side depending on the tack on which sailing (Fig. 4.30). In the case of wheel steering, however, two different solutions can be distinguished, generally depending on the size of the hull. Vessels under 15 m can only have one wheel in the centre of the cockpit, as in Fig. 4.31. It is easy to understand, in this case, that the central cockpit and companionway will be impossible to reach, due to the hindrance caused by the wheel. It is therefore necessary, given the high number of medium-sized boats sold annually around the world, to look for an alternative solution that revolutionizes the way of conceiving boat steering. In the case of twin wheel steering, two helms are mounted symmetrically on opposite sides: this case is more common on boats over 15 m long, for better steering and improved visibility when a boat is heeled. In general, two wheels Fig. 4.30 Tiller helm, mounted on a modern boat

95

allow easy access to the cockpit, but, if the distance between the wheels is too small or a central element is placed between the helms, it is impossible for a wheelchair to pass by (see Fig. 4.32). Steps A sailing yacht is probably, especially when of small-medium dimensions, the least accessible of all means of transport. It is easy to understand that this depends first of all on a design tradition that has never taken care of the issue, perhaps assuming that the sea is not for everyone: the complexity of the object itself makes it a container of elements that limit or automatically prevent its accessibility and use. Reflecting on the construction process, a boat is made up of three large components: hull, deck and superstructure; to these elements can be added many others of lower importance and which will not be analysed here. The spaces below deck depend on the shapes and dimensions defined by the deck layout, while the deckhouse, with its curves and windows mainly helps to recover space in height, especially for boats of up to 18 m. Whenever additional space is needed internally, there will most

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Fig. 4.31 Although the transom offers sufficient surface to allow access by people in wheelchairs, the centrally placed wheel constitutes a serious barrier to the use of the cockpit

Fig. 4.32 The adoption of a twin wheel system is the most suitable solution to facilitate accessibility on board, but, if a winch for adjusting the mainsail is located between the wheels, this solution is absolutely useless, as it does not allow the passage of a wheelchair

likely be a step also in the deck. As we know well, these steps correspond to an architectural barrier to be overcome in some way: again, in this case, to eliminate the problem at source, a new type of design process is necessary in which what is currently rooted in the culture of shipbuilding is completely questioned. We will try to find a solution to these issues in the following chapters.

In fact, thinking of being able to board a boat and go beyond the wheelhouse, just to be blocked a little further on, due to a step, means wasting the opportunity to access the cockpit (Fig. 4.33). An architectural barrier present on almost all boats of lengths under 20 m is constituted by the step, which characterizes the passage between the cockpit and the side walkways, useful for

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Fig. 4.33 The step placed before the companionway does not allow to access below deck, although the size of the boat is considerable and the distance between the wheelhouses is sufficient to make the cockpit accessible

reaching the bow. The wheelhouse deck has always been located at a lower level than that of the cockpit, due to the need to protect the crew from waves and bad weather. But, if the problem is difficult to solve on small boats, it’s not impossible to attempt to rethink this space on larger boats; helping to eliminate another physical barrier (Fig. 4.34). Side walkways Focusing on deck problems, one of the most complex issues to solve is related to the passage of a wheelchair from the aft cockpit to the bow area. Assuming that any difference in level between the cockpit and the side walkways is

Fig. 4.34 Due to the morphology of the deck, access to the side walkways is constantly denied to anyone with walking difficulties

resolved, there is a further problem that consists of the reduced width of the passage, which does not allow a disabled person to be able to reach the bow to access the technical systems, such as the windlass or the sundeck. The difficulty in resolving this depends on a number of factors: it must be clear that, along the sides and on the deck in particular, various elements aimed at steering the yacht are fixed, such as blocks, organizers, lines and shrouds for the mast, in addition to the numerous ropes. The latest generation of boats have very clean decks, thanks to the passage of the ropes and anything else in special “tubes” recessed into the thickness

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of the deck, leaving the external area free from obstacles and impediments. The width of the side walkways, however, is determined based on the overall dimensions of the deckhouse. As mentioned, it is necessary, especially on boats of up to 18 m in length, to ensure the correct height for the use of the spaces below deck: thinking of restricting the deckhouse surface to widen the external lateral passage could negatively affect the usability of the spaces below. Once again, it is necessary to review the project layouts in their entirety in order to reach, most likely, completely different and certainly innovative solutions (Figs. 4.35 and 4.36).

symmetrical benches, placed at a certain distance and a table, between them, with a fixed or a doubled and folding top.

Cockpit The heart of every sailing yacht is certainly the cockpit. It can be single, as in the case of boats of up to about 15 m a length, or double on boats of a longer length. It is generally characterized by a steering cockpit at the stern, including helms and winches for adjusting the sails, and a guest cockpit in the central part of the hull. This one, in particular, is always composed of two frontal and

Companionway The companionway is a wide hatch in the deckhouse through which it is possible to access the stair leading below deck. It is always placed in the bow of the guest cockpit and it is possible to have more than one, especially on larger boats. The traditional companionway consists of a bayonet vertical panel and a horizontally sliding top, made of composite, plexiglass or wood,

Fig. 4.35 The side walkway of this boat is completely inaccessible, due to its limited width

The distance between the two benches is, in boats larger than 12 m, generally enough to allow a wheelchair to pass without any problem. The presence of the table, on the other hand, can constitute a serious obstacle to passage since the supporting structure of the table is almost always fixed to the deck, thus becoming a real architectural barrier. This can happen on boats of any size, so the ideal solution is one only: a retractable table (Figs. 4.37 and 4.38).

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Fig. 4.36 A wide sideway, without any architectural barrier, in a modern 78′ yacht; unfortunately, the presence of a step located in the aft cockpit make this area inaccessible

Fig. 4.37 The twin wheelhouse and the wide distance between the benches allow passage by a wheelchair, but the presence of a step at the stern and the fixed sheet lead of the mainsail make the boat inaccessible

whose function is to extend the opening towards the bow, so as to avoid the crew hitting their head when going below deck. On some modern boats the companionway has been simplified, becoming a unique piece that slides side ways: this detail is very significant, as the lateral opening is easier for a person in a wheelchair, who is limited

in stretching their arm forward. In recent years, the companionway has undergone major improvements, like almost all the glass parts of boats, both from an ergonomic and functional point of view. Today, the companionway is not only used to access below deck, but has taken on the important task of letting sunlight pass

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Fig. 4.38 The fixed table of the guest cockpit of a sailing yacht does not allow passage to the companionway

Fig. 4.39 The flared shape of the guest cockpit represents a bottleneck; moreover, the width of the companionway is too small to allow access to wheelchairs

through. What needs to be further developed, however, is its width and the elimination of any fixed barrier at the access threshold, so that there ceases to be any obstacle to the passage of a wheelchair (Figs. 4.39 and 4.40).

Accessing below deck One of the most inaccessible elements on any pleasure boat is without a doubt the stairs leading to the below-deck spaces. If on boats of 10–12 m it is quite obvious that this element is narrow,

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Fig. 4.40 Although the passage from the transom to the companionway is sufficiently wide to allow access to wheelchairs, the shape of the companionway is an insurmountable obstacle

very steep and absolutely incorrect from an ergonomic point of view (due to the limited space available), it is not clear why the same issue can be found even on boats over 18 m. It is of course obvious that a person in a wheelchair cannot access the internal saloon of a yacht through a staircase; however, it is possible that despite their abilities, even elderly or obese people, pregnant women and very young children, are at risk of injury when overcoming such a difference in height. Certainly, this element is the bottleneck of any inclusive design: if it is not solved first, the boat will only be accessible on deck. It is therefore of fundamental importance to study suitable solutions, depending of course on the various sizes of pleasure boats. Some existing yachts, resulting from modifications aimed at greater accessibility by disabled owners (as in the case of the catamaran’s “Spirito di Stella” and “Cadamà”) have partially solved the problem by adopting hydraulic-lifts, but it is necessary to understand that, in some cases, the insertion of mechanical aids, besides being too invasive, can affect the resale of the boat and the psychological aspect, given by the excessive personalization of the vehicle (while certainly being useful they might only be ideal for a specific type of user) (Fig. 4.41).

Interior environments Regarding the spaces below deck, it can be said that, on most sailing boats, accessibility is generally limited to the central saloon and, very often, not even to that. In fact, the presence of narrow and inaccessible passages in the dining area is very frequent due to bulky seats and large fixed tables, as well as technical problems due to the mast placed just before the bow cabin door, in the centre of the saloon (Figs. 4.42, 4.43 and 4.44). Even environments characterized by considerable spaciousness, thanks to the width of the central beam, may be impractical due to the presence of steps (Fig. 4.45) or due to a nonrational layout arrangement or, again, due to the particularly complex shape of the furnishings, which contribute to a narrow or inaccessible passage: a typical example is represented by the L-kitchens often adopted on a large part of sailing yachts (Fig. 4.46). Analysing the project of the kitchen, it is generally located in the central saloon of the boat, creating, as often happens in civil architecture for modern lofts, an open space. The need for space for the storage of food and supplies is undoubtedly one of the biggest problems for

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Fig. 4.41 Despite the generous size of the boat, the stair to access the space below deck is absolutely inadequate to the needs of both disabled people and of vulnerable members of society

Fig. 4.42 Passage between the two sofas below deck on a 33′ boat is inaccessible due both to the presence of the fixed table and the mast

naval interior designers. In the vast majority, therefore, kitchens contain an impressive amount of cabinets, but it is impossible for disabled people to use them. In fact, these furnishings have narrow spaces, in which a person in a wheelchair is unable to access, and upper cabinets too high to reach the contents of from below, in addition to bases characterized by drawers and doors (often oversized) that can only be opened towards themselves, making it impossible to

manage them while being sat in a wheelchair. In addition, the hob and sink are used with difficulty, since it is necessary to position the wheelchair laterally to them, due to the lack of manoeuvring space below the kitchen top (Figs. 4.47, 4.48 and 4.49). Another widespread custom feature on pleasure yachts, inherited from the design tradition of passenger ships, is to undersize the doors to access the various cabins below deck. Often,

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Fig. 4.43 Although the space between the table and the sofa, located along the right side, is sufficient to allow a disabled person to head towards the bow cabin, the fixed bench, positioned in the middle of the passage, makes access impossible

Fig. 4.44 Interior of a yacht of over 23 m: the passage between the central saloon and the aft cabin is impractical because of its small width. Besides that, any furniture will therefore be unusable

even in larger boats, the net passage size is not more than 50/55 cm, making any cabin or bathroom absolutely inaccessible. In addition, most of the doors on board yachts are of the “hinged” type, too difficult to be used, rather than “sliding” in order to facilitate their use by disabled people (Fig. 4.50). Assuming instead that the net width of any door on board a pleasure yacht is such as to allow passage to any type of user, it is useful to analyse

what other problems an individual in a wheelchair would encounter within the cabins surrounding the central saloon. Almost all sailing boats have, in the forward area where the lines of the hull converge, a cabin with a double bed or two symmetrical beds placed along the sides of the hull. In both cases, the typical problems of these spaces can be summarized in two main circumstances: first of all, the walking surface, especially in smaller

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Fig. 4.45 A very common case on many boats: the change in height is solved with a step, making most of the internal space inaccessible

Fig. 4.46 Environments where the distribution of the furnishings is not rational can create considerable difficulties in accessing and moving in a wheelchair

boats, is absolutely inadequate to accommodate a wheelchair inside, nor does it offer the possibility to make a 360° rotation. Secondly, the bed cabinet unit is too high to allow a disabled person to move from the wheelchair to the mattress. This occurs because, in order to recover walking surface, it is often necessary to raise the level of the deck and its furniture higher than that of other environments. As previously explained, the presence of any step creates an impediment to the

accessibility and use of interior spaces (Fig. 4.51). The same problem arises in the aft cabins, where the situation is even worse since, in addition to the excessive height of the beds, the space available to manoeuvre and rotate a wheelchair is practically non-existent. Even in the example in Fig. 4.52, the arrangement of the cabin, with two single beds placed on a step, do not allow disabled users to access the entire

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Fig. 4.47 An example of a kitchen designed without any attention to the needs of people in wheelchairs. The upper cabinets are difficult to use, not only due to heir excessive height, but above all for the depth of installation with respect to the bases

Fig. 4.48 Doors and drawers do not favour use by a disabled person in a wheelchair: they need too much space to access them. The microwave oven, placed too high and too deep in relation to the space of action of the seated person, makes it unusable

space. A double bed, positioned at a lower level, would have offered better access to the mattress surface. The most sacrificed environment below deck, from a spatial point of view, is certainly the bathroom. In fact, the result of the maximum exploitation of the volumes below deck irremediably leads designers to “fit” the bathroom generally close to the sides, where the hull is

more vertical. This entails the need to raise the deck, to obtain a greater surface area and therefore be able to place a toilet and sink. The shower, especially in sailing boats, is instead often integrated through drainage into the floor of the bathroom, so as to optimize the use of space. It follows that those environments, particularly if they are small, are totally inaccessible to people with motor disabilities, due to the limited space,

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Fig. 4.49 The hob is difficult to use due to its position: a person in a wheelchair cannot access it from the front or from the side

Fig. 4.50 The doors of pleasure boats almost never respect the necessary dimensions to allow the passage of a wheelchair, making any environment inaccessible

inaccessible passages, steps and the impossibility to manoeuvre a wheelchair (Fig. 4.53). Again, the layout of the bathrooms on board sailing boats is the result of a design tradition dating back to the last century. Although the nautical industry, especially those dedicated to bathroom accessories, has made great innovations by integrating typical civil architecture solutions into its catalogue, the need to layout space below deck to obtain as many cabins and bathrooms as possible has made boats, even large ones, a labyrinth of inaccessible and often

uninhabitable spaces, even for many able-bodied people. Probably, by starting with architecture focused more towards quality of life on board than to the total number of possible environments, a boat will be experienced as genuine object of pleasure and relaxation, no longer for a few lucky users, but accessible to all without distinction. Stern platform Some pf the latest generation sailing boats are equipped with a platform located at the far stern

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Fig. 4.51 The height of the mattress is too high to allow the disabled person to move from their wheelchair; in addition, the step, on which the bed cabinet unit rests, creates an additional architectural barrier

called the “beach area”, which offers various opportunities to guests and crew. On boats with an open transom it is usually the final part of the deck, while on yachts with a blind transom this platform is a surface that can be obtained by opening a hatch. It integrates, extending it, to the transom itself and its interior is finished in such a way as to seem one with the remainder of the deck. This area lends itself perfectly to different purposes: for boarding and disembarking operations, when moored, or as a sunbathing area when the boat is at anchor in the middle of the sea. With the addition of different accessories, such as handrails, stair and soft cushions, the beach turns into a “pool edge”, from which it is easier to bathe. Today this additional space is a “must have” and all shipyards require designers to envisage it into the design of all new models. Moreover, if the platform surface is coplanar with respect to the main deck, once the stern hatch is open, it can represent an added value for people with walking problems, as it offers the opportunity to enjoy a spacious surface both for boarding/disembarking and for bathing. The advantages of this device are in fact rendered null when the “beach” is not at the same level as the deck, as in Fig. 4.54: the presence of steps, often of different heights, makes it very difficult or

Fig. 4.52 A cabin with two single beds, located in the aft of a large sailing yacht. The step and the lack of space to manoeuvre do not correspond, even remotely, to the ergonomic and anthropometric needs of a person in a wheelchair

impossible, for people with walking problems to use it. It is therefore necessary to provide a single level or the adoption of mechanical aids, possibly integrated into the deck, which facilitate the overcoming of the various steps. Bathing systems The operation to allow a disabled person to bathe is far from trivial. Considering that the height between the main deck and the surface of the water increases in proportion to the size of the hull, it is easily understandable that diving is a complex and sometimes risky operation for a person with walking difficulties. Currently the most common method consists in lifting them

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Fig. 4.53 An example of a bathroom in a 10/12-m-long boat. In addition to the inability to access it due to the narrow door, the floor is just enough to contain a person standing. The toilet is impossible to reach by a wheelchair user

Fig. 4.54 Although equipped with every comfort, a stern “beach” whose surface is not coplanar to the main deck, remains inaccessible, and therefore useless, for most users

into the air while seated in a fabric harness, through a hoist connected to the boom of the boat. Once it is rotated beyond the exterior of the boat, the individual can descend independently by manoeuvring a rope connected to a hoist. Depending on his strength and capabilities, this method can be more or less usable. It is quite obvious that even such a system has limitations: a very elderly person or a very small

child, for example, will not have sufficient arm capacity to manoeuvre the hoist, while a disabled person who cannot use their arms will be unable to use it. As previously explained, the harness does not guarantee the ideal support for a whole series of specific disabilities and, moreover, being moved in this way can still be uncomfortable on a psychological level. Another system to access the sea consists of an arc-shaped metal structure, whose terminals

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are embedded into the deck, allowing it to rotate towards the stern of the boat. In the central part of the arch there is a swing-shaped structure, with a seat and protections (and supports if necessary), free from constraints with respect to the arch, so that a person can swing while moving the arch to and from the sea. The person positioned in the seat can then manoeuvre independently through a hoist, or let someone else on board take care of it, also using the sail winches, to control movement without effort and with safety. Heeling The last problem, depending on the physics of sailing rather than the boats design, is the heeling (when a boat leans to one side during sailing), to which the monohull boats are subjected to during

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sailing. In a condition of accentuated heeling or repeated and variable rolling, a sailboat offers no guarantee to the disabled person to avoid overturning and the consequent fall from their wheelchair, with a high risk of being injured and damaging their wheelchair. It would mean that a person in a wheelchair can use the boat only when it is stationary, at anchor or moored in a port protected from waves. It is therefore necessary, also in this case, to think about how to allow a certain user to sail in total safety through the application of various types of aids, that might already exist in the industrial production of other means of transport, adapted for new requirements on board.

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5.1

Transom

As already described in the previous chapter, in order for a boat to be accessible, it is advisable to provide a completely open transom. The design of the boats, thanks to the geometry of modern hulls, has already led to this result, but it is of fundamental importance not to hamper the users passage with steps or bulky elements (anything else that can in any way create an obstacle or represent an insurmountable barrier for an individual in a wheelchair and for all other people with walking issues) towards steering the boat (Figs. 5.1 and 5.2).

5.2

Boarding Systems

It is really incomprehensible how, although the majority of modern pleasure boats have an open and accessible transom, the most common boarding system consists of a gangway of just over 40 cm in width, fixed in an unsafe way and never coplanar with the deck of the boat, thus becoming an impediment that makes the boat inaccessible not only to people in wheelchairs, but also to individuals belonging to the weaker segments. These gangways are, in fact, devoid of lateral protection and can also create problems for people with a poor sense of balance or who suffer vertigo (Figs. 5.3 and 5.4).

A designer must therefore take into account the problems and difficulties of a disabled person and try as much as possible to satisfy their needs. This means designing any accessory, aid, environment or even only part of it, in such a way as to satisfy the ergonomic, spatial, safety and autonomy requests of all those who are unable to overcome certain physical and, sometimes, psychological obstacles. This may also mean having to completely rethink what has been designed to date. An example can be disembarking from the bow through a gangway that can vanish inside the hull/just under the deck when not needed, (see Fig. 5.5). But this is not enough: to allow a wheelchair user to be really able to disembark from the bow and move on the deck, it is necessary to provide a wide bow area, also accessible from the aft cockpit through large side walkways that allow a wheelchair to pass. Thanks to this dual system, it would be possible to solve the boarding/disembarking issue both in the case of a low, fixed or floating wharf, and in the case of concrete piers that are generally quite high. With regard to this last issue, a solution that can be implemented in a short time and which would also allow disabled people to have an accessible berth in each port or marina, consists of an existing system, already in use in the civil construction sector, for restoration of facades or for cleaning the windows of buildings: electrically operated scaffolding, to fix permanently to concrete piers, can be an ideal solution to

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_5

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Fig. 5.1 A blind transom, typical of boats constructed up to around the year 2000: it does not allow access to any type of disadvantaged user and can be difficult even for able-bodied people

Fig. 5.2 A fully open transom and a wheelhouse consisting of twin wheels sufficiently distant from each other, represents the ideal solution for easy and barrierfree boarding

facilitate access to any type of boat equipped with an open and accessible transom. A tilting platform would also guarantee the individual’s safety and reduce the possibility of damaging the boat due to wave motion or the rise and fall in the level of the sea due to the tides. It would be useful for each marina to offer a small percentage of places for boats with disabled people on board, equipped with particular characteristics to facilitate access on board and manoeuvres. This could be quickly included in all national and international regulations with a rule similar to

that which obliges public car parks to reserve a certain percentage of parking stalls for disabled people (Fig. 5.6).

5.3

Systems for Steering the Boat

A design practice linked to small-medium sized pleasure boats regards the insertion, at the stern of the cockpit, of the steering wheel. Obviously, since it is a single wheel, it is located necessarily along the longitudinal axis of the yacht where it

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Fig. 5.3 Despite the perfectly accessible transom, a disabled person will never be able to board because of the narrow and insecure gangway

Fig. 5.4 An inclusive design must be able to facilitate the boarding and disembarkation of a person in a wheelchair in total safety and, as much as possible, independently

is fixed to a metal or fiberglass support in which the rotation fulcrum insists, through which the movement is transmitted to the submerged rudder: this solution makes the cockpit and the companionway, for the descent below deck, completely inaccessible to people in wheelchairs (Fig. 5.7).

An innovative solution to solve the issue, not only from a functional point of view, but also of attention to design and ergonomics, can be a helm consisting of a passing wheel, in which the support is integrated in the deck and all mechanisms are hidden under it. A so designed concept allows a person in a wheelchair to easily pass

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Fig. 5.5 Offering a person in a wheelchair the possibility of boarding a yacht both from the bow and from the stern means completely rethinking the entire boat’s design, to make it totally accessible

through the wheel to access the cockpit area. In this way, a path without hindrance along the longitudinal axis of the boat, is therefore conceivable (Fig. 5.8). The current trend, even on boats of less than 15 m in length, is to equip the yacht with a twinwheel steering system, in order to offer greater comfort when sailing. However, if the distance between the two wheels is less than 70 cm, a wheelchair may have difficulty passing through them, as it requires a passage of at least 75 cm in width when considering the space for hands. The most effective solution, in this case, is to distance the wheels more, as in Fig. 5.10, or opt for smaller diameter wheels, so as not to risk collisions between the helms and a wheelchair during passage (Fig. 5.9). The biggest problem for a monohull boat, during navigation, is given by the heeling to which it is subjected, especially in upwind sailing or in the case of rough seas. If in such conditions an ablebodied user is usually subject to a loss of balance, it is obvious to imagine that a disabled person will find himself in even greater difficulties due to the strong possibility of overturning, with the risk of suffering significant physical injury (Fig. 5.11).

It is therefore necessary to adopt auxiliary systems on the boat that secure the wheelchair to the deck, such as a locking system, similar to those found on city trains and buses that consist of a jaw system that closes, locking the wheels of the wheelchair as soon as they lean on it. To be able to easily free themselves, even in emergency situations, these aids provide a quick unlocking system by the simple push of a piston. It is also important to equip the wheelchair with belts, similar to those used on racing cars and easily available on the market, so that the disabled person is perfectly secured to his own wheelchair. Besides that, to allow a disabled person to sail safely, it is useful to arrange the boat with a tilting platform, positioned near the helms or manoeuvres, which guarantee the straightening of the wheelchair in the event of heeling or rolling, even constant, modifying its inclination at every instant through an electronic control system based on the gyroscope principle. A similar system already exists in the nautical accessories market to keep tables, beds, billiards and bowling alleys in a horizontal position (Fig. 5.12).

5.3 Systems for Steering the Boat Fig. 5.6 An innovative permanent boarding system for accessible berths, suitable for both ports and marinas

Fig. 5.7 Pleasure boats between 10 and 15 m in length are usually equipped with a central steering wheel: this solution does not allow access to the cockpit and to the companionway

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Fig. 5.8 Innovative wheelhouse with central passing wheel: the mechanisms are located under the deck to allow the wheelchair to pass through the wheel and access the cockpit area

Fig. 5.9 A double wheel steering system: in this case the wheels are too close to each other and do not allow the passage of a wheelchair

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Fig. 5.10 By correctly spacing the wheels it is possible to allow easy passage for a wheelchair, without affecting the functionality of the steering system

Fig. 5.11 The heeling of a boat makes it unusable during navigation by people in wheelchairs, due to the high risk of overturning of a wheelchair

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Fig. 5.12 To prevent a wheelchair from overturning, it must be safely secured to the deck by wheel locking systems normally mounted on city trains and buses, but it is also necessary to locate the chair on an electronically controlled tilting platform, in order to counteract the rolling of the boat

5.4

Cockpit and Side Walkways

As already seen in the previous chapter, the fixed table, fitted between the benches of the guest cockpit, do not allow any access to companionway by disabled people (Fig. 5.13). Designing correctly for a wider user range means immediately thinking of a distribution scheme, as a whole, which provides total accessibility to every space on the boat: therefore, it is not necessary to consider each situation from time to time, but to think in an integrated way, preparing therefore a linear path, free from obstacles and impediments. To offer the possibility of using furniture, positioned along this route, it is therefore mandatory to reflect on its storage. For example, it is possible to imagine a table that is removed if necessary, so as to leave the passage free, but it is also necessary to think of where to store it. The problem arises, as is easily understood, in pleasure boats, where the storage space is not sufficient to contain bulky objects. A good solution, already adopted on several yachts, consists of a table which, when not in use, disappears in its technical compartment, created in the deck, simply by acting on a pantograph mechanism supported by hydraulic pistons (Fig. 5.14).

Continuing with the analysis of the deck, another issue, already considered in the previous chapter, relates to the lateral passages that lead to the bow from the cockpit. A design taking into account the needs of disabled people must therefore reconsider the entire layout and the spatial relationship between the deck and the interior, in order to be able to obtain sufficiently wide passages along the sides that allow wheelchairs to pass safely and without obstacles or steps. For this reason, it is necessary that the difference in height between the cockpit and the side decks, which also characterizes boats over 18 m (certainly not as problematic as those within 15 m), must be solved with moderate slopes, accessible to the disabled even independently (Figs. 5.15 and 5.16).

5.5

Companionway Hatch and Accessibility Below Deck

It is quite frequent that the guest cockpit has a “funnel” shape on boats of between 10 and 15 m, which does not allow people in wheelchairs to reach the companionway. It is therefore essential that the passage between the cockpit benches has a constant minimum width of 80 cm, from stern to bow (Fig. 5.17).

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Fig. 5.13 Offering the possibility of boarding independently and correctly spacing the helms, to avoid interference in the passage of a wheelchair, and then putting a fixed table in the middle of the guest cockpit, means not designing according to the principles of Sailing for Everyone

Fig. 5.14 A simple retractable table, with a pantograph system, allows people in wheelchairs to overcome the obstacle, if necessary

Unfortunately, the deck accessibility is not the only issue on board. On almost all existing sailing boats, in fact, the shape and structure of the

companionway makes it impossible for a person in a wheelchair to access the spaces below deck. This occurs for various reasons: first of all, the

120 Fig. 5.15 The passage connecting the cockpit with the bow of the boat does not in any way allow the wheelchair to pass, due to its limited width. Furthermore, even on boats over 18 m, the difference in height is only overcome through steps of different heights, making the side walkway inaccessible to any person with walking problems

Fig. 5.16 An attentive design must consider the skills of disabled people, solving the differences in height through ramps to allow them to reach the bow of the boat independently

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Fig. 5.17 The passage between the two cockpit benches is a bottleneck in many small boats: a wheelchair user needs a constant width of at least 75/80 cm

net size of the passage is always insufficient; it is advisable to design it with a minimum width of 80 cm, to offer easy access by wheelchair. In recent years, designers and shipbuilders have evolved the design of the classic companionway, generally consisting of two separate parts, creating a one-piece door, which slides laterally and no longer towards the bow. This is absolutely important because, if we consider the skills of a person in a wheelchair, the movement towards one of the two sides is ergonomically easier and correct for them, compared to the gesture of pushing it forward, being clearly limited to extend their arms just beyond the knees. Finally, the modern companionways must cease to have any step or barrier in the lower part of the vertical panel, as is still made today, but at most a very small step, not exceeding 25 mm, so as to prevent water from flowing inside, without however prohibiting passage to the disabled (Fig. 5.18). In summary, a fully accessible companionway is the first issue on which to set up a design that takes into account the needs of disabled people. It must have a net width of at least 80 cm, as well as having a one-piece hatch sliding sideways and must not have steps or obstacles higher than 25 mm. It is also advisable to insert an internal

safety threshold, with a limit switch strip, for greater personal safety (Fig. 5.19). As already stated, it would be useless to make only the cockpit and deckhouse accessible without extending this novel design approach also to the interior spaces. It is necessary to provide assisting systems which can be used by everyone, to get below deck, facilitating access both for people in wheelchairs and for people with mobility difficulties who are unable to descend or climb the steep stairs that have always characterized all boats. Focusing on the size of the pleasure boats, in relation to the most suitable descent system, it is possible to divide them into two categories: those from 10 to 13.99 m where, due to space problems, the best solution is to insert a lifting platform, and those from 14 to 23.99 m where it is possible to replace the traditional stair and the lift with a variable slope ramp, which can be used by anyone, without any particular need for external aids. Starting from the first category, it is certainly not difficult to imagine building future boats with lifts provided as standard equipment because, in addition to the economic factor, they have significant dimensions and weights; it is conceivable, however, to base good design on unwritten rules, for example making it

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Fig. 5.18 A companionway built on a modern sailing boat: the design takes into account the needs of the disabled, but the width of the passage is still insufficient

Fig. 5.19 It is necessary to modify the current design approach and finally project to allow a wider user to be able to access the spaces below deck easily, independently and without risks

mandatory to create a sort of technical compartment equipped with all the arrangements for which, in the event that a person in a wheelchair decides to buy a new or used boat, it is possible to install a lift at any time with a few simple operations. When he wishes to sell the yacht, he will only have to dismantle the lift, maybe reusing it on another boat equipped with the

same predispositions, so as to avoid the buyer feeling the presence of dedicated aids that, in some cases, can create a form of “psychological discrimination” towards the boat he is buying. This philosophy, if applied critically and developed with intelligence and particular sensitivity towards “good” design, can work on any issue so far addressed (Fig. 5.20).

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Fig. 5.20 The stair of any existing boat represents a real insurmountable barrier: it is necessary to adopt a new design approach that makes it possible to install optional and non-permanent aids

Industrial production, today, offers lifts operated by piston, pantograph and fork: without having to invent anything new. It is therefore sufficient to modify what already exists in the market, with just few adaptations for marine use, such as the construction material of the structure (which must be in stainless steel), and the 12/24V power supply that is normally used onboard boats. It is therefore necessary to set standard dimensions for any models of retractable lifts, choosing among those the most suitable for purpose, in order to give a precise directive to the designers, who should do nothing but provide a technical compartment in the distribution layout, which would only be used in case of necessity. Let’s not forget that a compartment of this type can also be used to hold supplies of various kinds, giving the possibility to those who do not need such aids, to use it as an additional storage space (Fig. 5.21). Regarding the accessibility analysis of the second category, it is surprising that, even today,

no boat has ever been built by replacing the access stair, certainly wider than those built on smaller boats, but equally steep, with a ramp equipped with handrails for greater safety and comfort, so as to lead anyone above and below deck, without the risk of slipping on the steps or falling ruinously, as can easily happen on the stairs currently on board. It is quite obvious that, due to the very small internal dimensions of the boats, it will almost never be possible to install ramps with a slope of around 8%, as for example indicated by Italian civil construction legislation.1 It is also true, however, that by using 1

Cf.: Italian Ministry of Infrastructures and Transport, D. M. 14 June 1989, n. 236. Article 8.1.11: “It is not considered accessible to overcome a difference in height greater than 3.20 m obtained exclusively by inclined slopes placed in succession. The minimum width of a ramp must be: • of 0.90 m to allow the transit of a wheelchair user; • of 1.50 m to allow two people to cross.Every 10 m in length and in the presence of interruptions through

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Fig. 5.21 Conceptual idea of a possible retractable lift, designed to make the interior of any boat accessible for disabled people in total autonomy

retractable aids, such as electric winches normally mounted on off-road cars, it is possible to overcome the issue of excessive slope and enter/exit the boat in total autonomy, hooking the wheelchair to a remote-controlled winch. In the same way, it is possible to adopt small slopes to replace the widespread internal jumps, generally consisting of one or two steps, between one environment and another of the boat (Fig. 5.22 and 5.23).

5.6

Below Deck Spaces

Continuing with the ideal path to make boats accessible in total autonomy, the next step consists in the analysis of the possible solutions to be adopted to make the interior environments,

doors, the ramp must have a horizontal platform of minimum size equal to 1.50  1.50 m, or 1.40  1.70 m transversely and 1.70 m in the longitudinal direction of travel, beyond the opening dimensions of any doors.If there is a parapet on the side of the ramp, the ramp must have a curb of at least 10 cm in height. The slope of the ramps must not exceed 8%. Higher slopes are allowed, in cases of adjustment, related to the actual linear development of the ramp”.

generally present in a pleasure boat, usable, regardless of the size of the hull. Saloon The design of the central space of a boat should be based on a few simple rules to be accessible and usable: first of all, it is essential that any passage, from stern to bow, is absolutely free from fixed obstacles, such as seats, tables, etc. Even the mast of the boat can itself constitute a barrier, as it is almost always passing through the deck in the middle of the hull: in some rare cases, it leans on the deck, but there is always a steel tube, through which it can transmit the loads to the structure of the hull. Since we cannot eliminate this fundamental element, always placed along the axis of symmetry, for any reason (unless creating a structural beam that connects the hull and the deck, on which the mast can release the stresses, with evident stellar costs) it is necessary that it becomes a design constraint around which to create manoeuvring and passage spaces, so as to avoid interference between a wheelchair and the mast itself (Figs. 5.24 and 5.25). The table of the dining area must not have fixed seats or benches along the corridor, both to

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Fig. 5.22 Despite the large size of the boat and the available space, still today designers keep on using only traditional stairs, very steep and inaccessible

Fig. 5.23 It is possible to create innovation with solutions accessible by anyone only by reconsidering the project in its entirety, following the principles of Design for All

avoid restricting the passage and to offer the disabled person the possibility not only to easily move around in the whole saloon, but to take their place independently at the table, when needed. The table must always be adjustable in height: although it is quite widespread on most

existing boats (in order to lower the table top to the seats to transform the dining area into a large bed), it is not always provided. The possibility of adjusting the height of the table’s top according to the needs of each person is a design detail expressing particular attention towards

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Fig. 5.24 Fixed furnishings can hinder passage and make disabled people’s life on board uncomfortable

Fig. 5.25 A design taking into account the needs of people in wheelchairs improves the spatial quality of any environment, even in small sailing boats

individuals with different physical characteristics or abilities. In addition, it is advisable to foresee a specific area of the saloon so as to give a wheelchair user the possibility to make a 360° turn, without having to force the person to perform complex manoeuvres (Fig. 5.26).

Kitchen Unlike what happens in modern houses, the layout of the kitchen of boats is often characterized by bulky and not very rational solutions, which can make it uncomfortable to use for ablebodied persons and totally inaccessible for

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Fig. 5.26 The possibility of being able to remove chairs, positioned in the middle of the saloon, allows people in wheelchairs to easily take their place at the table

disabled people. The main problems in the use of a traditionally designed kitchen are the following: impossibility to operate the hob and sink from the front, impossibility of accessing the upper cabinets due to their excessive height, low possibility of rotating the wheelchair without colliding with the lower cabinets. An accessible kitchen must therefore offer space for the wheelchair users legs under the hob and the sink, upper cabinets opening downwards and allowing a 360° rotation to be able to access the objects placed on the bottom, a wide surrounding space for easy movement of a wheelchair and the placement of the oven and microwave where the arms of the disabled person can reach them without effort (Figs. 5.27 and 5.28). Doors In almost all boats, the entrance doors to the cabins and bathrooms are much narrower than the minimum width allowed in homes by civil legislation. The motivation depends on the limited space available and on a design tradition that is still considered as standard. If this is understandable in small yachts, where the interior space is very limited, it is not so in boats over 16 m, where there are no particular spatial issues.

To be able to pass through, a wheelchair needs a doorway of a minimum net width of 75 cm. It follows that almost the entire existing boating fleet is practically inaccessible (Fig. 5.29). The adoption of sliding doors, instead of the classic hinged ones, makes access more comfortable and avoids a reduction of the space necessary for the rotation of a wheelchair into the environment, while also eliminating the annoying issue of opening/closing the door while sitting in a wheelchair. More careful planning can therefore favour better distribution even in confined spaces. If necessary, the use of small slopes can solve the problem of overcoming the lower step, used until a few years ago in most door frames and still in use today in yachts reproducing classic interiors (Fig. 5.30). Bedroom The height of the beds on board should never be greater than the height of the wheelchair seat. Therefore, mattresses placed at a height greater than 50/60 cm can create problems for a disabled person when moving from their wheelchair to the bed. The use of excessively high beds is frequent in the bow cabins in which, in order to benefit

128 Fig. 5.27 A traditional kitchen does not allow the movement of a wheelchair, nor favour the correct ergonomics of disabled people

Fig. 5.28 Designing for a wide range of users positively impacts the usability of the kitchen for everyone: it is very important therefore to respect the ergonomic needs of a person in a wheelchair

5

Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

5.6 Below Deck Spaces

129

Fig. 5.29 The entrance of a cabin in a medium-length boat: the net width of the door is so narrow that it does not allow access for a wheelchair in any way, as well as making the passage uncomfortable even for able-bodied people

from a greater mattress surface, the increase in height allows designers to use the wider curvature of the hull (Figs. 5.31 and 5.32).

available space could be used for larger bathrooms, therefore accessible and, above all, usable by everyone.

It is therefore evident that a cabin, in order to be accessible, must have easy and sufficiently wide door passage, a generous floor surface to allow a wheelchair to rotate 360° and a bed height similar to the wheelchair seat. In the case of cabins with single beds, it is advisable to maintain a distance between the beds of more than one metre, to allow a disabled person to move comfortably (Fig. 5.33).

It is therefore possible to correctly design bathrooms on small boats, by just following some simple rules: steps should not be present in the floor; the shower must be integrated to the floor and equipped with a folding seat, to allow a disabled person to shower without soaking his wheelchair; the space in correspondence with the shower tray (flush with floor) must be at least 80 cm and possibly placed next to the toilet; the washbasin cabinet must have an open space in correspondence with the sink to allow the disabled to use it from the front; storage cabinets must be at a suitable height to facilitate opening and the use from below; the mirror needs to be inclined if placed too high (due to the shape of the deckhouse), to allow people in wheelchairs to mirror themselves. Grab bars and accessories,

Bathrooms The bathrooms of boats between 10 and 14 m are almost always inaccessible. This happens due to the limited space that the designers dedicate, generally, to these environments, due to the modern trend of having a bathroom for each cabin. Probably, by limiting the number of bathrooms compared to that of the cabins, the

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Fig. 5.30 The door of the bathroom is sized to allow easy passage for a wheelchair: the sliding door is preferable to the hinged one, although the latter does not create particular problems for disabled users if the internal space of the bathroom is enough to allow the rotation of the wheelchair; to be noted is the small slope, useful for overcoming the lower step that is so often present in classic and vintage boats

Fig. 5.31 The wide floor in front of the bed allows the wheelchair excellent freedom of manoeuvre, but the excessive height of the bed makes it difficult for the disabled person to move from their wheelchair to the mattress

usually mounted in disabled bathrooms, are not always necessary, unless requested for specific needs (Figs. 5.34, 5.35 and 5.36).

An innovative solution trying to solve the dimensional issue, guaranteeing the total accessibility of the bathroom, adopts the concept of a

5.6 Below Deck Spaces Fig. 5.32 In addition to being at the correct height, the bed presents an edge free from obstacles, allowing the disabled person to move directly onto the mattress, without risking injury to themself

Fig. 5.33 A cabin with two beds requires a large floor surface, to allow the disabled person to manoeuvre easily and be able to rotate 360°

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Guidelines for Access, Movement and Use of Spaces

As already stated, the design of the bathrooms must follow the rules of ergonomics and common sense, so that all people can use this space without any discomfort. In summary, it is important that all fixtures are accessible, that the space to manoeuvre a wheelchair is present and wide, that the shower is equipped with a folding seat so as not to soak the wheelchair and that the mirror and cabinets are at the correct height to be used by everyone, even from below (Figs. 5.38, 5.39 and 5.40).

5.7

Fig. 5.34 Narrow and cramped space, insufficient floor surface and unsurpassed steps: these are, in general, the characteristics of the bathroom in a modern boat, whose dimensions would instead offer the (wasted) opportunity to obtain much more comfortable and accessible spaces

prefabricated cell consisting of a WC/sink area, of adequate size to accommodate a wheelchair, and a circular entrance area, whose diameter, equal to 150 cm, allows the wheelchair to rotate 360° without any obstacle. The cylinder is made up of two sliding doors, which can disappear into their compartments when they are opened, to avoid creating bulk as much as possible. The cylinder offers a space comparable to the lobby of the bathrooms in a modern house, so that, being in the WC area behind closed doors, the individual can enjoy maximum privacy. Another function of the cylinder is to be able, if necessary, to become a fully usable shower area that can be separated from the other spaces simply by closing the doors, so as to avoid wetting the adjacent areas. Finally, suggesting to mount the cell on board small boats, which have very little space, the cylinder ensures the rotation of the wheelchair, while keeping the toilet area separate (Fig. 5.37).

Bathing Systems

Recalling what has been repeated several times in the previous paragraphs, a good designer must not only be able to solve the issues presented so far in the best way, but it is necessary that they do it with the utmost respect for the individual. The operation to allow a disabled person to bathe is very delicate, as it means having to move them from the deck to the water slowly and in total safety. In the previous chapter it was highlighted that the system consisting of a fabric harness hanging from the boom of the boat is not only uncomfortable for the person but also very risky, and is therefore to be avoided as much as possible (Fig. 5.41). It is very important to be aware of people’s needs and to take into consideration that even an elderly person, a pregnant woman or a child may have difficulty getting on and off a boat using the bathing ladder, usually located at the stern or along the side of the boat. It is therefore, once again, a matter of designing for a wider audience, in order to make the boat as inclusive as possible. There are already effective systems to allow bathing, such as the simple swinging structure (see Fig. 5.42). However, it is necessary to pay attention to the excessive use of certain systems to make boats accessible to avoid the boat seeming overly aimed at a certain type of user, which could have a negative effect on the remaining users, which, in general, tend to ignore (more than discriminate) disability and diversity. For this reason, it is essential to use all the

5.7 Bathing Systems Fig. 5.35 A small bathroom must be designed to best meet the basic needs of disabled people

Fig. 5.36 An exemplary example of a perfectly accessible bathroom: door with double hinged panels, floor surface suitable for a 360° rotation of the wheelchair, sink free from a lower cabinet for comfortable use and the WC, placed at 45° with respect to the bulkheads, to allow the disabled person to move from the wheelchair, without external help or supporting bars

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Fig. 5.37 A concept design of a bathroom cell, to be adopted in any boat from 10 m upwards, represents an interesting solution for accessibility on board

Fig. 5.38 Even the bathrooms washbasin cabinet, as already seen for the kitchen one, must offer the possibility to insert the legs under the sink

Fig. 5.39 In the case of a shower integrated into the bathroom space, it is useful to equip it with a curtain, to separate it from the surrounding furnishings, and with a folding seat, so as not to soak the wheelchair

available technologies, making the investment more accessible also from an economic point of view, and to adopt aiding devices, such as the

one in Fig. 5.43, already on the market,2 that can offer multiple solutions simultaneously, allowing anyone to access the boat from different types of

2

Cf.: Opacmare Transformer. http://www.opacmare.com/ Catalog/transformer-integrato-nel-portellone-del-garage/.

5.7 Bathing Systems

Fig. 5.40 In the event that the shower is made up of a rigid box, it is not important to foresee the rotation of the wheelchair, but it is necessary that the width of the door is

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wide enough to allow the disabled person to access it frontally and move onto the retractable seat, avoiding wetting their wheelchair

Fig. 5.41 The most used system, currently, to lower the disabled person into the water: besides being unsafe, it fails to respect the dignity of the person

136 Fig. 5.42 The bathing system inspired by the “swing” concept

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5.7 Bathing Systems

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Fig. 5.43 Designed for an extended range of user, the Transformer platform is produced and marketed by the Italian company “Opacmare”: it is a multifunctional gangway that allows access on board and bathing

wharf, or to bathe, without special efforts, but using a simple remote control. As it is with buildings architecture, the removal (or reduction)

of obstacles and impediments from pleasure boats will make their use easier and more comfortable for everyone.

6

Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

The following chapter illustrates some projects created by the author during a path of research and were developed both during the exercise of his profession and in the completion of a Ph.D. in industrial design, obtained at the Department of Engineering and Architecture of the University of Trieste, Italy. These studies have made it possible to apply what has been observed and evaluated, and already explained in the previous chapters. The concepts shown are not presented as a conclusive design response, but as an in-depth analysis of the various functional problems within research that also took into account design issues.

6.1

Experimental Concept Design of a 28-foot (8.53 mt)

Concept project made in 2004, developed by architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari. Despite being related to a boat of under 10 m (8.53 m) in length, it is an important example of the attention given to the theme of Sailing for Everyone. The 28-footer is a monotype racer designed by sailing schools, ideal to offer disabled people, in a crew with able-bodied people, the opportunity to experience emotions similar to those enjoyed on a smaller boat. The design philosophy, based on the concept of “versatility”, inspired a boat that can also be used by able-bodied crews, through the installation of a tiller, so as to be sold to a

much wider user market. The choice of who will steer the boat allows calibration of the difficulty degree of sailing: it can be maneuvered with a crew entirely composed of disabled people, mixed or fully able: in mixed mode, a maximum of five people can be on board. The project includes a large cockpit, accessible through an 80-cm-wide gangway (Fig. 6.1). The controls (helm and ropes) are deferred and duplicated towards the bow by means of hoists, offering the possibility for two individuals in wheelchairs, positioned at the bow, to divide the tasks for sailing. At any moment it is obviously possible for them to exchange their roles (Fig. 6.2). As mentioned, there is however the possibility of inserting a tiller bar at the stern, so that an able-bodied user can steer the boat in case of a student crew or in emergency situations. The small forward deckhouse was designed to offer shelter from splashes of water and to house the protruding parts of a wheelchair, the sailing tools, as well being a storage locker. The boat is equipped with a ballasted bulb that makes it selfrighting, so as to avoid excessive heeling, or even capsizing, due to strong wind. It is clearly foreseen that the disabled components of the crew, in addition to wearing life jackets (like all the others), can easily release the belts that secure them to their wheelchairs, avoiding them remaining underwater if a capsize occurs. The systems for fastening a wheelchair to the boat deck is also equipped with an emergency quick release.

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7_6

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140 Fig. 6.1 This 28-foot boat has been designed to create maximum integration between people, thanks to the possibility of hosting mixed crews

Fig. 6.2 The design philosophy was based on the concept of “versatility” to offer an accessible and inclusive boat

6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

6.2 Experimental Concept Design of a 33-foot (10.05 mt)

6.2

Experimental Concept Design of a 33-foot (10.05 mt)

Project carried out by the author in 2001 as his Degree thesis in Architecture, at the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, supervisor Prof. Corrado Terzi, co-supervisor Prof. Andrea Vallicelli. This 33-foot monohull is 10 m long and 3.40 m wide; measures in which it is really difficult to design layouts different to the traditional one, as illustrated in Chap. 4. From this assumption, the design of this boat was made starting from a blank sheet and developed according to the principles already illustrated and, above all, following a continuous logical thread to offer maximum accessibility to a wider range of user. The layout features sensitive innovations, including the aft “beach”, the large full-height glass door, a lateral distribution corridor and a sleeping area moved towards the bow. The choices made are essentially linked to very clear objectives: cancellation of obstacles for the best accessibility, high quality of comfort on board, strong connection between the inside and outside environments and maximum use of spaces. A totally inclusive project, therefore, especially from an ergonomic point of view: design is, by now, a “psychological” element and must be interpreted to give added value, represented by the product’s ability to express an innovation that satisfies all users (Fig. 6.3).

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The layout of the deck, asymmetrical, is studied in detail so that a person in a wheelchair can live life on board in maximum autonomy. In fact, he is assisted by various aids. Boarding takes place via a retractable davit contained in the roll-bar structure, which can move the person in his wheelchair and avoid him being separated from his wheelchair. Once on board, he can access the interior, directly from the large aft platform, through a large sliding glass door and a hydraulic lift that allows him to overcome a minimum height difference of just 40 cm, or reach the central cockpit with the assistance of a lift integrated in the deck area (Fig. 6.4). The interiors consist of a comfortable and bright dining area for 4/6 people, separated from the adjacent large aft beach by the sliding glass door, offering direct and continuous visual contact with the sea, an element that is usually not considered in traditional design. The upper cockpit, located centrally, contributes to implementing this distribution choice. Through the innovative lateral distribution corridor, perfectly accessible thanks to the correct sizing of the passage, it is possible to reach the cabin, which is easily accessible by the disabled person directly from the corridor, and a bathroom equipped with a 180° folding door to facilitate entrance by wheelchair. The surface of the bathroom, in fact, can be greatly enlarged, when used by a disabled person in a wheelchair, simply by choosing to

Fig. 6.3 The deck plan highlights a layout very different from that of the existing boats

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Fig. 6.4 The interior layout differs significantly from what was illustrated in Chap. 4

close the door against the cabinet on the left: in this way they will be able to use the bathroom in absolute comfort. At the bow there is a cabin with a double bed for eventual companions or guests. It should be noted that the kitchen, the navigation instruments and the storage lockers have been placed on the left side, in order to rationalize space and not create obstacles along the corridor (Fig. 6.5).

6.3

Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt)

Experimental project of year 2003, developed by the architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari. This boat, 13.71 m long, represents the next step, if compared to the previous projects, but, more than all the others, it is innovative and effective for the results achieved. In fact, renouncing the idea of having to use bulky, heavy and expensive mechanical aids, the boat is designed to be comfortable and to also be able to compete against traditional boats of the same size. The importance of designing an innovative and pleasant deck was taken into account, in the belief that an accessible boat must also be beautiful and elegant: for this reason, the main feature of this 45-footer is the totally flush deck (Fig. 6.6).

The result is a very streamlined line, softened by the soft curves of the aft cockpit and by the rounded shape of the deck. The project foresees a new type of fully accessible wheelhouse: a large wheel positioned in the centre of the cockpit, along the longitudinal axis of the boat, which allows people in wheelchairs to pass through it, as it is devoid of the supporting column containing all the mechanisms for the movement of the rudder (now placed under the deck). This allows the boat to have, in addition to a truly original and extremely refined helm, total accessibility from the transom to the dining area below deck. The particular conformation of the project allows a minimum difference in height between the cockpit and the space below deck, which are joined by a ramp that makes the path linear and free of obstacles (Fig. 6.7). The interiors, as well as the cockpit and deck, are very innovative and demonstrate in-depth ergonomic research. The design pays attention to the furnishings and the wide floor space guarantees that a disabled person will be able to move around below deck without encountering obstacles of any kind (Fig. 6.8). The distribution layout foresees a central saloon consisting of a dining area, an accessible kitchen on the opposite side, two cabins for guests with private bathrooms and a spacious

6.3 Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt)

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Fig. 6.5 The section drawings are used to check the correct dimensioning of the spaces. On the right the sequence of the boarding system and consequent transfer to the upper cockpit

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6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.6 The deck is clean and free of obstacles. The cockpit is perfectly accessible and usable by people in wheelchairs

Fig. 6.7 The section drawing perfectly clarifies the linear path to allow a disabled person to reach the space below deck, starting from the transom

Fig. 6.8 Despite the limited space available, the interior layout has cabins comparable to those of a traditional boat of equal length

6.3 Experimental Concept Design of a 45-foot (13.71 mt)

cabin for a disabled person, with easy access to the bed and a comfortable dedicated bathroom (Fig. 6.9). This boat is devoid of any mechanical aid in order to reduce construction costs and weight, but it can be equipped with totally servo-assisted sailing equipment, embracing the philosophy of Easy Sailing, typical of modern high-end boats. The only issue not yet resolved in this project, especially due to spatial problems, concerns the accessibility of the bow area: a topic that will be addressed in the following experimental project (Figs. 6.10, 6.11 and 6.12).

6.4

Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt)

Experimental project of 2011, developed by architects Paolo and Mario Ferrari, with the collaboration of arch. Andrea Bocchin. This 23.5-m-long boat focuses on creating slopes and eliminating any obstacle, so as to allow anyone to move freely on board without the requirement of special adaptations. The lack of obstacles on the deck is already evident in the cockpit, where the wheels of the helms, resulting from the 45foot project, have no spokes, allowing a disabled

Fig. 6.9 A wheelchair can easily access the areas below deck, thanks to a linear path that leads from the transom to the companionway, passing through the innovative wheelhouse and to the descent ramp

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helmsman to have a comfortable and correct posture and proving that such a system can be used by anyone, with no differences (Fig. 6.13). In correspondence with the twin wheels of the helm, tilting platforms are mounted to the deck, controlled by an electric box unit, which, thanks to an instant response time, allow the wheelchair to maintain an ideal position even when the boat is heeled. It is obviously possible to provide these systems also in correspondence with the other sail control positions, in order to guarantee maximum safety for any other crew members in wheelchairs (Fig. 6.14). The deck is characterized by a large glazed deckhouse, embraced by two ramps, one on each side of the boat, which lead the disabled person from the cockpit to the bow, thus completing what had not been possible in the previous design experiences. At the stern, on the other hand, two “L” shaped seats can be joined to serve as two telescopic tables which, when not needed, disappear into the deck (Figs. 6.15 and 6.16). The ergonomic research, then, obviously focused on the passage from outside to inside, with the insertion of a ramp equipped with lateral fall protection. Even in this project, the insertion of any mechanical aid has been deliberately avoided, showing that an attentive design can

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6 Design Proposals for Accessible and Inclusive Boats

Fig. 6.10 Below deck, the disabled person can use all the common areas and easily access his own cabin, equipped with a dedicated bathroom

Fig. 6.11 The helm is completely accessible: a large wheel, free from obstacles, allows the wheelchair to pass through it

contribute to making accessibility possible to means of transport up to now dedicated only to the few (Fig. 6.17).

Going down using the ramp, there is access to a saloon consisting of a symmetrical dining area and a spacious kitchen on the left side. On the

6.4 Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt)

Fig. 6.12 The disabled helmsman can steer the boat thanks to some safety additions, such as fixing the wheelchair to the deck and fastening securing belts. It is

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possible to mount a tilting platform to straighten the wheelchair in case of excessive heeling of the boat

Fig. 6.13 The cockpit, completely transformable in its spaces, has two symmetrical helms perfectly usable by anyone

opposite side there is a single cabin and a daily bathroom. At the aft there are two guest cabins with dedicated bathrooms, while the two forward cabins and bathrooms are totally accessible.

Finally, the crew area, located at the far bow, can accommodate up to 4 people (Figs. 6.18, 6.19 and 6.20).

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Fig. 6.14 The helm, in addition to being ergonomically correct, is equipped with a tilting system that always keeps the helmsman in a horizontal position

Fig. 6.15 The great innovation of this 77-foot project consists of two ramps along the lateral passages of the deck, which allow the disabled person to move independently from stern to bow Fig. 6.16 Once on board, a person in a wheelchair can move around the entire deck, from the cockpit to the bow, through the side walkways or, again, access the living spaces below deck through the large companionway

6.4 Experimental Concept Design of a 77-foot (23.47 mt)

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Fig. 6.17 The connection between the exterior and the interior spaces is obtained by inserting a ramp

Fig. 6.18 The internal space available for this large yacht is able to offer maximum accessibility and two cabins, in which 360° rotation of a wheelchair is possible

Fig. 6.19 The analysis of the flows helps to understand the accessible routes in the underlying environments, coming down from the deck

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Fig. 6.20 The 77-foot design experience concludes deep research into accessible and inclusive monohull boats. Starting from here, however, a detailed study on the standardization of the proposed solutions is certainly possible

Conclusions

The research carried out so far has allowed us to explore the offering of monohull sailing boats usable by people with motor disabilities and to propose design solutions inspired by Design for All, in a truly inclusive perspective with respect to human diversity and non-mortification of disadvantaged people. The number of older people, for example, is constantly growing. In fact, it is expected that by 2050 an impressive figure of 2.4 billion individuals1 will be reached worldwide. Generic data, but sufficient to give an idea of the number of people who will be discriminated against because of being unable to use objects designed for an abstract “standard user”. Everyone has the right to inclusion and to be able to use products and environments independently and comfortably. It can undoubtedly be said that Inclusive Design is spreading increasingly, in particular when applied to buildings made for collective use and inspired by the DfA criteria. This discipline is quite recent, but is starting to have concrete implications and is enjoying wide success in the sector of product design, in which the advantages of its application are immediately tangible: customer loyalty and market expansion, with positive feedback on corporate image too. It is therefore necessary to export these principles to the boat building industry. In fact, this examination revealed that the nautical market is lacking in availability of accessible means of transport, which allow a disabled person or

weaker groups of people to access sailing, despite the growing demand from both individuals and sailing schools. This book therefore aims to be an initial tool, useful for the design of inclusive sailing boats, as well as a starting point for solutions that can also be applied to motor boats. In fact, it proposes alternative solutions to the traditional design approach of a boat: the distribution of spaces has been redefined and several solutions have been adopted, besides a more attentive sizing to the needs of people with motor issues. Solutions have also been studied to improve the accessibility of a boat, starting from the boarding system from a wharf to the boat’s deck, contributing to make these vehicles inclusive and aggregating, as well as free from discriminating elements. The technical indications have been tested with four “experimental projects” on hulls of variable length from 28 to 77 feet. These projects interacted with the possible solutions previously defined and, in a type of feedback process, they highlighted further problems to be considered and also provided precise indications about the critical issues and the difficulties of an inclusive design. Accessibility and safety are the two parameters that guided the previously exposed study activities. Accessibility was examined in relation to the external space (boarding systems, mobility in the cockpit and on the deck) considering both the position of the guest, whom is transported, and that of the crew, which is responsible for the

1

Love, P. (ed.) (2015), Ageing: Debate the Issues, OECD Insights, OECD Publishing, Paris, December 18, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1787/9789264242654-en. © Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7

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management of the boat. The internal space was examined starting from the problems of accessibility and mobility to reach the main functions (bathrooms, bed) and those related to the use of the living area, such as the preparation of food and furniture designed according to the needs of people in wheelchairs. The safety of the disabled person was considered for each of the aforementioned functions; it is desirable that in future other issues will be reconsidered, such as the structure of the wheelchair. Furthermore, it is useful that the engineering of the described safety systems (maintenance of the horizontal plane, wheelchair locks, etc.) are deepened, simplified and made easier, through subsequent investigations: as it is important to remember that everything works in a space continuously oscillating on the three Cartesian axes.

Conclusions

This book also intends to make up for the almost total absence of specific publications on the topic addressed, creating a reference within the literature of this research field. The design experimentation, conducted through the development of sailing yachts of different sizes, represents an element of novelty compared to what has been done to date in pleasure boating. By adopting all or part of the solutions proposed in the research, it is possible to create a new type of sailing boat and allow everyone not only to sail independently and safely, but also to create new business opportunities, such as yacht charter for extended users, inclusive sailing schools and the development of further solutions increasingly useful to build boats truly “for all”.

Epilogue by Andrea Ratti

The luxury of deprivation The most recent economic data continues to highlight a constant growth trend in the world yachting market. Within this trend, social dynamics intersect in an equally evident way, confirming that the mechanisms of progressive concentration of wealth increasingly condition the orientation and the structuring of sectors linked to the production of unnecessary and/or luxury goods. Turnover increases, while production volumes decrease and, consequently, the number of users involved or interested in benefiting from the output of this sector. Within this scenario, it has often been suggested that the dynamics of social evolution are the only ones capable of truly influencing the markets, so economists are always very inclined to warn us against believing that “the market is always right”, stating that those who believe that they are smarter than the market may face major disappointments. Nonetheless, history also teaches that, without vision, no element of strong innovation would have ever introduced radical changes in the methods of attributing value to products. In order for this to materialize, however, design must preserve and enhance the strategic dimension of its role as well as its responsibility and, from this point of view, I believe that the study reported in these pages is an expression of it.

Adopting a ‘Design for All' oriented approach does not mean looking for banal technical solutions to issues relating to ergonomics applied to living spaces, but rather adopting a cognitive and speculative perspective that can allow openings to an interpretation of absolutely unexplored spaces. It opens up the possibility of intuiting and experimenting with the potential for the use of materials and components that go beyond simply satisfying elementary and codified requirements. Starting from the search for possibilities to make a living space more usable, regardless of the user who will use it, does not only mean expanding the group of potential users, but reserving the opportunity to explore and anticipate new housing models, discover unexpressed needs and values. It means building the privilege of approaching a project with that margin of uncertainty in defining the path that represents the only condition for overcoming a perhaps more rigorous, but potentially sterile or even boring design model. Only when we understand that perceptual synaesthesia is not a starting point, but a result to be pursued, do we realize that we can maximize the role of a single sense only when we break it down and dissociate it from its joint role with all the others. Imagining ourselves in a condition of reduced or modified mobility, hypothesizing to perform vital functions in conditions of deprivation of light, excluding hearing to receive and exchange

© Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2020 P. Ferrari, Planning Inclusive Yachts, Design For Inclusion 1, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-55207-7

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information, does not mean identifying ourselves in “disadvantaged” situations, but, from a design point of view, opening new and otherwise unintelligible contexts, worlds and ways of using the environment and artefacts that surround us. Such a mental approach can lead, for example, to interpret the sensory power of materials according to a different or even inverted hierarchy. When designing a boat, solving the issue of noise or the propagation of vibrations from a physical-technical point of view tends to legitimize an approach aimed at the resolution of a problem that we know how to quantify, to measure instrumentally and to approach in terms of solution. All of this provides us with relative security. However, very often we fail to notice that we are actually solving a task that we have assigned ourselves by previously defining that parameter as a problem. But are we able to quantify what amount of possible results we are precluding, and which we could draw upon, if we considered that parameter as a resource, interpreting it, for example, as if it were a building material?

Epilogue

What heritage of information can contain a sound, potentially modulated in frequency and intensity, when we imagine the privilege of hearing over sight as a channel for acquiring information and for interacting with the surrounding environment? What potential could be explored, when thinking of exploiting an on-board vibration as an actuation mechanism to trigger a change of properties or the morphology of a material or of a device with interactive capabilities? Designing for an enlarged range of users does not mean sharing an ethical dimension of doing, but implies the possibility of accessing a powerful channel that forces us to broaden our perspective. This is a real luxury that any designer cannot afford to waste. Prof. Andrea Ratti Associate Professor at Department of Design Polytechnic University of Milan Italy

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