Why Universal Design is Not Just ‘Access’
The term is largely attributed to the late Ronald L. Mace, former program director of The Centre for Universal Design and is said to have been coined as early as the 1980s. Even so, at least locally in Australia, there seems to be an increasing focus on UD with several organisations attributing increasing value in […]
Why Universal Design is Vital
For their biannual conference to be held later this year, the Association of Consultants in Access Australia (ACAA) have made the theme of the conference ‘Universal Design – a better way.’ The keynote speaker for the conference is professor Edward Steinfeld, director of the US-based Centre for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA). Steinfeld is seen […]
How Smarter School Architecture Can Help Kids Eat Healthier Food
To address the growing obesity crisis among its children, a rural Virginia school had to give itself a full redesign.
The Americans with Disability Act at 25
When the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) became law 25 years ago, “everybody was thinking about the iconic person in a wheelchair,” says civil rights lawyer Sid Wolinsky. Or that the ADA — which bans discrimination based on disability — was for someone who is deaf, or blind.
Disabilities on display
Dedicated to the collection, preservation and display of artifacts that help to shine a light on the history of people with disabilities, the Museum of disABILITY History remains committed to advancing the understanding, acceptance and independence of the disabled.
Expanding the frontiers of universal design
Interior designers take accessibility beyond building code requirements | Universal design encompasses much more than physical accessibility. It means creating spaces that are meaningful to their diverse users, it means going beyond building code requirements, and it means including an operational component in accommodation. These were some of the messages from The Changing Face of […]
Inside the world’s best kindergarten
At Fuji Kindergarten outside Tokyo, kids make the most of a magical environment designed just for them. The roof of their oval-shaped school, designed by Tokyo-based firm Tezuka Architects, is an endless playground, and trees grow right through classrooms.
‘Design empathy’ builds inclusive spaces for people with autism
Fluorescent lights. A wall painted bright yellow. A smoke detector that keeps beeping through a meeting. These are things that you might encounter in an office or a classroom without much notice. But what if you saw those fluorescent lights flickering intensely and heard them emitting a painfully sharp buzz? Or if that yellow wall […]
The Substantive Impact of Universal Design
If you stare at the periodic table long enough, you find your element — a scientifically natural state of comfort, ease and exemplarity. Your math lecture, her running track, his art studio, the blue denim chair in which I sit as I write — all elements of a periodic peoplehood, a map of the very […]
From the community: Removing Barriers and Transforming Lives At The Center for Enriched Living
What seemed like a dream not too long ago is now becoming a reality. The Center for Enriched Living (CEL) is literally Opening the Doors for people with developmental disabilities with an ambitious $3.5 million dollar campaign that will renovate the building with Universal Design. CEL, a non-profit organization in Riverwoods, provides social, recreational and […]