유니버설디자인 개념을 적용한 화장실 제품 평가기준 개발에 관한 연구

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) Demographic shifts and societal changes emphasize the imperative for comprehensive transformations in the social and living environment, aiming to cultivate equal opportunities for social engagement among diverse populations, including the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Ensuring accessibility and usability of spaces and facilities without discrimination aligns with the philosophical principles of universal design, and the application and necessity of such principles are increasing. In response to the ongoing demand for a functional system, such as an assessing process, for the practical implementation and validation of universal design, the limitations of the current BF certification administered by the Korean government become apparent. Addressing these limitations and establishing evaluation criteria in the product domain are crucial for ensuring the integrated use of spaces and facilities. Consequently, this study endeavors to propose product evaluation criteria that incorporate the universal design concept, fostering integrated usability of spaces and facilities. (Method) The research employed a multi-faceted approach, encompassing a literature review, an expert opinion survey, and an Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) analysis to establish criteria for evaluating universal design features in toilet products. Through an extensive literature review, targets, Universal Design (UD) factors, and criteria for evaluation were identified. Subsequently, a Content Validity Ratio (CVR) survey involving 18 experts in relevant fields was conducted, and a written survey was administered to discern the relative importance of each item. The AHP analysis method was then applied to determine the relative importance of each criterion, utilizing the statistical package 'R package' for the analytical process. (Results) After conducting a literature analysis, 11 toilet product items were identified that incorporated the universal design concept and could potentially integrate with the BF certification system were identified. Subsequently, seven comprehensive evaluation factors for universal design were established, covering safety, convenience, function·durability, economy, health, aesthetics, and ease of management. In the survey and analysis of the relative importance of these factors for each of the 11 products, convenience emerged as the highest priority in 6 products, while safety ranked as the second-highest priority in 5 products. Conversely, economic feasibility was identified as the least significant factor among the 10 products. (Conclusions) Through a comprehensive review of literature and expert opinions, a comprehensive evaluation criteria for toilet products to which the universal design concept is applied has been presented. It is expected that this can be used as basic data when establishing universal design product certification in the future. However, in the case of product evaluation items related to the application of each evaluation standard, there are limitations in that verification on actual products was not conducted and the spatial scope was limited to products in the bathroom interior space, so supplementation through follow-up research is required.