Post Graduate Research

Post Graduate Research

Details about admission to the University of Western Sydney's research student program and information about scholarships are available at Research Degrees and Scholarships.

Current Post Graduate Research

Jane Bringolf - Universal Design
Universal design is about creating products and environments to suit people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds. For example, taps that everyone can operate even if they have arthritis, and housing designed in such a way that people can remain in their own home safely and comfortably as they age. ‘Universal’ in this context means usable, as far as possible, by everyone.

The Housing 21 survey by Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute (AHURI) shows that twenty-two percent of households have at least one member with a disability or long term health condition. However, the uptake of universal design features in new housing is not keeping pace with this demographic change. The purpose of this study is to investigate why the industry appears slow to respond and to find out what might be the barriers and facilitators to producing more universally designed homes. 

The opinions of built environment personnel and homeowners of universally designed homes are being sought via interviews and surveys. Industry and homeowner surveys can be accessed via the website or downloaded for printing in hard copy. Instructions for return of hard copies are included in the document. 

Built environment industry survey
Download and print a copy of the survey form (PDF 80kb
Download the Industry Survey Information Sheet (PDF 23kb)

Homeowner Survey
Download and print a copy of the survey form (PDF 51kb)
Download the Homeowner Survey Information Sheet (PDF 24kb)

Contact Details:
Ms Jane Bringolf

Post Graduate Completions

Dr Samantha Sharpe - Regional Dimensions of Innovative Activity in Outer Western Sydney

The aim of this research was to understand the socio-economic development of a metropolitan region in Sydney through an analysis of regional innovative activity. Click here to read the abstract.