Inclusive design: listening answers and explanations
A lecturer explains what inclusive design means and how it differs from universal design. The talk gives everyday examples of good inclusive design, then shows the harm non-inclusive design does to access, safety and comfort, with a focus on women at work.
Ten gaps in order. Q31-32 cover the definition, Q33-36 the examples (offices, toilets, then technology for the elderly). 'It's worth looking at the problems non-inclusive designs cause' starts the second half: safety (Q37-39) and comfort (Q40).
Answer key and self-check
Type what you wrote and hit mark. Hide the key first if you haven't done the part yet. Every question number jumps to its explanation.
How to attack this block: The lecturer moves through clear examples, so the note headings keep you on track. Several gaps need a noun that comes later in the sentence than you'd expect ('desks which can be adjusted', 'taps that you activate'). Check grammar: Q32 needs an adjective, Q37 an adjective, the rest nouns.
Question 31
Answer: adaptationThe opening, when the lecturer defines inclusive design
What should inclusive products not need in order to be used?
as many different types of people as possible can use them without any type of adaptation having to be made to the original design
Question says → You hear
without the need for anywithout any type of adaptation having to be made
Why: Inclusive products work for many people 'without any type of adaptation'. The gap needs a noun after 'any': adaptation.
The trap: 'Barriers' comes earlier, but products span barriers. Writing 'without the need for any barriers' changes the meaning.
Question 32
Answer: cognitiveWhen the lecturer compares inclusive and universal design
What kind of problems does universal design also cater for?
Universal design aims to make products that work for everyone and that includes considering the needs of people who have cognitive difficulties
Question says → You hear
catering for people with ... problemsconsidering the needs of people who have cognitive difficulties
Why: 'Cognitive difficulties' becomes 'cognitive problems'. The gap is an adjective: cognitive.
The trap: 'Challenge' is said straight after, but that describes how hard these needs are to meet, not the type of problem.
Question 33
Answer: desksWhen the lecturer says examples can be seen all around us
What workplace items can be adjusted?
In workplaces, it is common to see desks which can be adjusted to suit people of different heights or for wheelchair users.
Question says → You hear
which are adjustabledesks which can be adjusted
Why: 'Desks which can be adjusted' means adjustable desks. Plural, because the notes say 'which are'.
The trap: Wheelchairs are mentioned, but they're who the desks suit, not what is adjusted.
Question 34
Answer: tapsThe next example, public toilets in hotels, airports and offices
What in public toilets is easier to use?
Taps that you activate by sensor require no pressing or twisting movements.
Question says → You hear
easier to usethey're also easier for people with dexterity or mobility issues
Why: Sensor taps need no pressing or twisting, so they're easier to use. Plural: taps.
The trap: 'Sensor' is next to it, but the sensor is how the taps work. 'Sensors in public toilets' misses the actual object.
Question 35
Answer: blueWhen the lecturer says many products are designed with the elderly in mind
What do designers avoid in interfaces for older users?
we also become worse at distinguishing between similar colours, in particular shades of blue, which is why software designers rarely create interfaces with this colour
Question says → You hear
designers avoid using ... in interfacessoftware designers rarely create interfaces with this colour
Why: Older people find shades of blue hard to tell apart, so designers rarely use blue in interfaces. 'Rarely' becomes 'avoid'.
The trap: 'Colours' is the general word, but designers don't avoid colour altogether. 'This colour' points back to blue.
Question 36
Answer: voiceWhen the lecturer says motor skills decline with age
What else besides a mouse or keyboard can people use to give commands?
This can also affect their ability to use a mouse or keyboard. So, voice access is now a routine way of making commands.
Question says → You hear
make commands usingvoice access is now a routine way of making commands
Why: Voice access is now a routine way of making commands. The notes say 'their ...', so the one word is voice.
The trap: 'Hands' might fit after 'their', but the recording is about picking up a cup or opening a door, not commands. The command method is voice.
Question 37
Answer: pregnantWhen the lecturer says 'Safety is another issue'
Which women do seat belts cause the most problems for?
This has safety implications for all women, particularly those who are pregnant, as the seat belts worn by the dummy are not adapted to accommodate them.
Question says → You hear
especially problematic forparticularly those who are pregnant
Why: 'Particularly' matches 'especially', and the women are those who are pregnant. Adjective: pregnant.
The trap: 'All women' comes first, but the gap needs the group most at risk. The male crash-test dummy is the cause, not the answer.
Question 38
Answer: shouldersWhen the lecturer describes jackets designed for a small man
What about women's bodies makes PPE jackets unsuitable?
The problem with this is that women can be tall and still have much smaller shoulders than the average man.
Question says → You hear
unsuitable because of the size of women'smuch smaller shoulders than the average man
Why: 'The problem with this' leads to the answer: women's shoulders are much smaller. Plural: shoulders.
The trap: Tall is said first, but height is the reason a small man's jacket doesn't work. The size problem is the shoulders.
Question 39
Answer: policeThe end of the PPE section, about the recent report
For which emergency workers is PPE worst?
this problem was worst in the emergency services, particularly the police
Question says → You hear
dealing with emergencies is the worstworst in the emergency services, particularly the police
Why: The problem was worst in the emergency services, and particularly for the police. The notes add 'officers', so the gap is police.
The trap: 'Emergency' is in the notes already. Don't write it twice, and don't guess fire or ambulance: only the police are named.
Question 40
Answer: temperatureWhen the lecturer moves on to comfort at work
What in offices is often too low for women?
There is a standard setting for air conditioning to be at a temperature of 21 degrees, designed to suit men.
Question says → You hear
too low for womenwomen wrapped in blankets or wearing sweaters while the air conditioning is on high
Why: The standard air-conditioning temperature suits men, so women are cold. A temperature that's too cold is too low.
The trap: The air conditioning is 'on high' and 'set too high', so 'air conditioning' feels like the answer, but it's two words, and it's the temperature that is too low.
The recording talks about air conditioning being 'on high' and 'set too high', but the notes say '... is often too low for women'. The thing that's too low is the temperature, 21 degrees, set to suit men.
The gap ends the definition: products people can use 'without any type of adaptation'. The word comes at the very end of a long sentence, after 'barriers' and 'accessible', which people sometimes write instead.
Women can be tall, so height is tempting. The problem is 'much smaller shoulders than the average man'.
Words from this recording worth keeping
inclusive(Definition)
designed to include as many people as possible
span(Definition)
cover or reach across
accessible(Definition)
easy for everyone to use or reach
dexterity(Examples)
skill in using your hands
hygienic(Examples)
clean and free from germs
accommodate(Safety)
provide space or suit the needs of
hampered(Safety)
made something harder to do
metabolic rates(Comfort)
how fast the body uses energy
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