Brigstow Institute Ideas Exchange Funding: 'Designing in' defribillators: combining art and urban planning to increase the visibility of public access defibrillators in civic spaces

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) (sometimes called ‘heart re-starters’) are pieces of emergency equipment that can help save the life of a victim of a sudden cardiac arrest. These devices require no formal training – anyone can use one in an emergency. Indeed, they are designed to be as simple to use as possible. Time, however, is of the essence. Locating and using an AED within the first few minutes of witnessing a collapse is the best way of increasing the chances of survival.

The University of Bristol, along with other civic and public organisations, is expanding the provision of AEDs in key accessible locations across campus. However, little is known about how best to make the location of these devices as visible and easily locatable in an emergency as possible, particularly for people with potential accessibility difficulties (including vision, language, literacy or mobility difficulties). There is a national project led by the British Heart Foundation (‘TheCircuit’) to register the presence of AEDs in public spaces so that Ambulance Services know the locations, but this does not address how to make sure they are seen, noticed and used in the vital moments after a collapse. Being presented with an unforeseen emergency situation means clear place-marking is critical.

This project aims to support the identification and bringing together of cross-disciplinary expertise from art & design, urban planning and health to creatively consider ways to ‘signpost’ campus users and members of the public to the locations of these live-saving devices. We aim to co-create novel ways of identifying AEDs in the built environment, and develop answerable research questions around how to use design to maximise accessibility and usage in an emergency. This project will forge new collaborations and as engage collaborators from community groups with specific accessibility needs.
PI: Dr Matthew BookerCollaborative Partner: Urban Planning and Visual Communication (UWE)