Can Re-Zoning Save the Suburbs
Aaron Murphy, of the website Empowering the Mature Mind, has written a great piece about how re-zoning and creative thinking is needed to restructure our communities to be more age friendly. We often think of Aging in Place as an issue of home modification, but livable communities are also necessary if older adults are going […]
Urban Lighting System
We often focus on mobility concerns when thinking about Universal Design, but perceptual concerns, like lighting, are just as important. Tom Jarvis, a Research Associate at the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, has created an urban lighting system that uses standard scaffolding tubes and LED lights, which has the potential to illuminate the neglected areas […]
New Canadian Accessibility Council
The capital city of Nunavut Canada has recently announced the possibility of a Canadian Accessibility Council being formed next year. The committee would assess accessibility issues within current and future infrastructure, and act as a stamp of accessibility approval for building projects. Currently in its beginning stages, the plan for the creation of the council […]
Ramps Blended into Stairs
Pictures of ramps incorporated into stairs have been gaining some attention on architecture and design blogs. While some of these designs are indeed beautiful to look at, they tend to be inaccessible, not ADA compliant, and downright unsafe. The ramp pictured to the left is located in Vancouver, Canada, so it is not required to […]
Access to Indian Latrines Studied
Indian latrines are toilets that require people to squat to use. Unfortunately there are no accessible standards for Indian latrines and older people and people with disabilities are greatly handicapped by their design. While on academic sabbatical in India, Abir Mullick, a Project Director with the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Universal Design at […]
Timed Traffic Crosswalks Too Fast for Many Elderly: Study
A new British study published June 14 in the journal Age and Ageing found that the time given by automated crosswalks is often insufficient to allow older adults to cross the street safely. In the UK the average speed needed to cross a street in the time allotted by the cross walk is about 4 […]
What Is a Complete Street?
You may have heard this term before but not understood what it means or how it affects us as we age. A complete street is one that accommodates all people who use a roadway, not just those in cars. It offers a safe way for people to travel, regardless of their age, ability or mode […]
Turkey’s Changemakers: They Hit the Streets for an Accessible City
A television show in Turkey devoted a recent episode to the issue of accessibility on a citywide scale. “Turkey’s Changemakers” focused on an organization known as “Open Istanbul!” and how they are making efforts to eliminate barriers throughout Turkey’s capital city. Open Istanbul! is an expedition group that takes volunteers on tours around Istanbul while […]
Complete Streets: It’s About More Than Just Bike Lanes
Over the last four years, New York City has seen a transportation renaissance on its streets, striking a better balance by providing more space for walking, biking, and transit.
Livable Communities: What Good is a UD Home if You Can’t Leave the House?
As Amy Levner, AARP’s manager of education on livable communities, explains, “Universally Designed houses and livable communities must be connected. Universally designed houses enhance mobility and quality of life inside the home and livable communities do the same thing outside of the home.” Livable communities coordinate housing, transportation and land use in order to help […]