An Interview with Darren Bates, Founder of the Smart Cities Library
Why he thinks we need a paradigm shift in urban design.
August 2020
Recently I was interviewed by a freelance journalist for an online publication, but not all of the interview was included in the final article. I’m sharing the full text here in case some of you might find it helpful or interesting. All claps are appreciated, and please do leave a comment or question, and I will reply shortly.
Can you share your pronouns, full name, where you’re based, and current title?
He, His, Him
Darren Bates
Austin, Texas, USA
President, Darren Bates LLC
Founder/Global Inclusion Strategist, Smart Cities Library
Can you describe your experience of Disability?
Even though I’m often asked about my personal experience of disability, I still find it awkward to answer every time. I’m triggered by this question because I don’t want anyone to think that there’s one form of disability, like some “default disabled person.” (For more about how disabled people feel about discussing their disabilities read this by Andrew Pulrang). As a society, how we build our communities almost entirely for non-disabled people or with some imaginary default disabled person in mind really bothers me. It’s that type of system which only expects one dimension of difference that I’m trying to change with the Smart Cities Library. The disabled community is not standardized or homogenous; each of us experiences disability differently, and our access needs are not the same. Now that I’ve said all of that, let me say that I identify as disabled, and so does my husband. We live at the intersection of being gay, bi-racial, and physically and psychiatrically disabled, so things get complicated. I have low vision, paralysis on parts of my body, and narcoleptic depression/anxiety, and a few others. I was born with some disabilities, and I developed other disabilities during my lifetime, from illness and age.
Do you feel that where you live, your environments have been planned and designed in an inclusive way, and with direct oversight from the Disability community? If not, can you describe ways that planning and design in your area impact you?
Sadly, I don’t — and I’m not aware of any city in the world planned, designed, or co-created with the Disability community. That’s a massive problem because, according to the United Nations, it’s estimated that 15% of the current global population or some 1 billion individuals live with one or more disabilities. More than 46 percent of older persons worldwide — those aged 60 years and over — have disabilities. Global trends in aging populations and the higher risk of disability in older persons are likely to lead to further increases in people affected by disability. I believe cities are for everyone, including seniors and the disabled, but that’s not the reality we’re living in today. I don’t know any city leader who says, “I want to build a city full of access and inclusion barriers, making it difficult or impossible for individuals with disabilities to access city services, public transportation, digital services, and participate in society.” But if we continue to plan and design our cities as though everyone is 30 years old, active, and non-disabled, the result will continue to be cities that are biased, non-accessible, non-inclusive, and well, just damn dumb.
The pandemic has prompted a lot of folks to talk about how we need to transform our urban planning and design to be more accessible and inclusive. Have you and your community been thinking and talking about this?
Absolutely we have, but we’ve been talking about the need for transformational change in the built environment for years and years, way before the COVID19 pandemic. There are 61 million people with disabilities in the United States. One-third of U.S. households have people with disabilities. That number will likely increase over time, as the coronavirus pandemic’s long-term effects are still unknown. We need a paradigm shift in urban planning and design for the 21st century. Accessible and inclusive cities that meet all residents’ needs, including older persons and residents with disabilities, don’t build themselves. Accessible and inclusive cities are only accessible and inclusive if they are deliberately designed to be accessible and inclusive — that requires intentional collaboration with the disabled community. Until cities co-create communities with disability-led organizations and people with lived experience of disability, accessible and inclusive cities will remain a goal and not reality.
If we continue to plan and design our cities as though everyone is 30 years old, active, and non-disabled, the result will continue to be cities that are biased, non-accessible, non-inclusive, and well, just damn dumb.
Do Smart Cities present specific, new challenges in terms of access and inclusion? If so, can you describe them?
That’s a big question that calls for a much more substantial explanation than I can provide here. The short answer is yes and no. Sadly, most cities are totally unfriendly to people with disabilities, and Smart Cities are no different when it comes to accessibility and inclusion. That said, Smart Cities present additional challenges for people with disabilities and older persons with the introduction and use of information and communications technology. At the core of these challenges is accessibility. For older persons and individuals with lived experience of disability, Smart City technologies hold promise to improve inclusion, participation, and independence. But that promise is not guaranteed. Only when Smart City technology fully integrates with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, auditory devices, braille displays, etc., will that promise be fulfilled. A city is not a Smart City because it uses technology. A city is a Smart City because the technology it uses is purposefully accessible and inclusive — ensuring no person is excluded or accidentally left behind.
What do Smart Cities need to do to make sure they’re inclusive, accessible, and safe?
City and government leaders often don’t know how to put people first or how to begin making their Smart City inclusive/accessible and safe for all residents. It’s just a matter of meeting them where they are on the spectrum of equity, inclusion, and accessibility — and helping them become aware of problems and systemic barriers. And then providing the right tools to outreach, collaborate, and co-create with the broader community, which includes the disabled and other historically marginalized populations. Accessible and inclusive Smart Cities are not something one person, group, government, or company can do alone. Smart Cities must collaborate with citizens and communities (private industry, leading experts, civic tech, academics, artists, advocacy, and disability groups). When they do, they harness the resources and tools needed to create more equitable, accessible, and inclusive communities.
A city is a Smart City because the technology it uses is purposefully accessible and inclusive — ensuring no person is excluded or accidentally left behind.
I once heard Apple CEO, Tim Cook, say, “All of our products should be infused with humanity.” I thought that was great! We must design and refine Smart Cities for human diversity and social inclusion. That’s what we do at the Smart Cities Library. We empower city leaders and private industry to infuse humanity into urban planning and design to create more accessible and inclusive Smart Cities that work for everyone, including us super cool folk with disabilities.
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About Darren Bates:
Darren Bates is a professional with disabilities, and a lifelong champion of equity, inclusion, and social justice for historically marginalized populations, including the disability and LGBTQ communities. Darren is an internationally recognized Global Inclusion Strategist and Founder of the Smart Cities Library — the premier online resource and consulting agency that helps city leaders and private industry around the world to co-design accessible, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive Smart Cities.
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Social Media Links:
Website: Smart Cities Library
Twitter: @SmartCitiesL
