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JOHN P. S. SALMEN, AIA, CAE

PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER
PUBLISHER, UNIVERSAL DESIGN NEWSLETTER

John P. S. Salmen, AIA is a licensed architect who has specialized in barrier free and Universal Design for more than 30 years. He is president of Universal Designers & Consultants Inc., an architectural firm he founded in 1991 that specializes in the field of designing products and environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Salmen is one of the leading experts in the technical aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and an international leader in the field of Universal Design. Publisher of Universal Design Newsletter, Salmen has authored several books including: Accessible Architecture, The Do-Able Renewable Home, Accommodating All Guests and Everyone’s Welcome. He has presented hundreds of Universal Design and accessibility seminars and keynote addresses throughout North America and the Pacific Rim.

Salmen is a voting member of the International Code Council/American National Standards Institute (ICC/ANSI) A117 Committee, the organization that administers and coordinates U.S. voluntary standardization and conformity assessment systems, including standards for facilities for people with physical disabilities. He was the representative of the American Institute of Architects on the ADAAG Review Federal Advisory Committee and a voting delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging. He currently serves as an appointed member of the Montgomery County Commission on People with Disabilities.

Having earned his Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Minnesota, he is a member of the American Institute of Architects and is certified by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards. In addition, he is licensed to practice architecture in the State of Maryland. In his capacities as Technical Director of the National Center for a Barrier-Free Environment in Washington, DC and his tenure as Director of Technology & Information for the American Hotel & Motel Association, Salmen has been involved in all aspects of design for people with disabilities and older people. Today, Salmen devotes his time to code development, facility evaluation, design, construction, accessibility litigation, writing, research and teaching.

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