April-May 2004

Several projects have aninternational focus: the Student Design Competition for Designing for the21st Century is still open; the US Access Board has compiled internationalresources in acoustics; Include 2005 invites your participation (UK) intheir 3rd biennial conference and a Dubai-based magazine Architecture+invites design proposals from the "emerging world." A range of educationalactivities are noted: US accessible distance learning resources, an onlinecourse, Building Careers in Design, the City of London is hosting a European-wideconference, Child in the City, and the United Kingdom Institute for InclusiveDesign has a new website. You can learn about a US architecture firm whochampions Visitability and about one US family’s process to create a ‘Homefor the Next 50 Years.’ Media resources include a Guild of Accessible WebDesigners (UK); the British Film Institute’s new media resource pack;the Universal Design Education Online website, and an online version ofa well-regarded video, Unlimited by Design (US).

NOTE: the April-May Calendarwas sent earlier. We will continue this practice in the future, to minimizethe length of the issue. Any comments from our readers? Information fromthe Online News may be freely copied and quoted as long as the individualauthor, and/or web site and this source is cited. Previous issues of theOnline News are available online at the Global Universal Design EducationNetwork website at: http://www.universaldesign.net.

NEWS FROM THE GLOBALNETWORK

AUSTRALIA

The Australian Government has proclaimed2004 to be the Year of the Built Environment. The quality of thebuilt environment makes a vital contribution to the lifestyle of everyAustralian and its enhancement makes a major contribution to the prosperityof our nation. The aim of the Year of the Built Environment is to encourageAustralians to celebrate and understand how the built environment makesa difference to their quality of life and to foster a sense of communityand purpose by setting directions for a positive and sustainable future.

One of the major themes is "Designfor All." From the shopping centre to the retirement village, architecturalvalues are beginning to have acceptance in the wider community, throughbetter understanding and higher expectations. Yet affordable housing isoften directly related to poor design. This theme and its sub-themes (Architecturefor All, Engineering for All, and Landscaping for All) examines the relationshipbetween affordability and design, and what the possibilities are for makinggood design more widely available. It explores how a change in governmentpolicies can encourage better design, and how technologies and buying patternsare influencing the architecture and design of our cities. Design for Allconsiders issues of accessibility, affordability, and quality design forall Australians. Well-designed cities, landscapes and buildings are animportant aspect of a healthy society, and a legacy for future generations.

The AustralianNetwork for Universal Housing Design (ANUHD) presented a paper at the NationalHousing Conference, Adelaide, November 2003, arguing that housing designswill need some inexpensive but important changes to cope with changes indemographics. The paper states, ‘One of the major changes in the firsthalf of this 21st century will be the increase in older people and peoplewith a disability who live in private houses in the Australian community’.Authors Herd, Ward and Seeger used the graphic developed by the Ministryof Health and Welfare, Japan that illustrates percentages of the populationabove age 65 in selected countries.

The paper explainsthat the challenge of the ageing demographic is reflected across the westernworld. ‘The Australian population most closely resembles that of the UnitedStates of America, with our older population also set to rise exponentially.In a recent dramatic revision of the nation's official population projections,the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that Australia had 13% ofits population at or over age 65 in 2002, and that is projected to go to27% in 2051. Of this group, there will be more than five times as manyAustralians aged 85 and over as there are now. The over-85 group will experiencethe highest growth rates of all (see Australian Bureau of Statistics, Populationprojections, Australia, 2002 to 2101)’.

CANADA

This study, completed underCanada Mortgage and Housing Corporations (CMHC) External Research Program(ERP), examines universal design. The purpose of the ERP study was to developa method for collecting and organizing information to implement and promoteuniversal design. This project realized the importance and usefulness ofuniversal design in many different fields. Universal design is a potentiallypowerful tool in the continuing drive for a more inclusive society. The report presents some conclusions reached regarding: Quantitative Measurements,Qualitative Measurements, Models, Leadership and Next Steps.

IRELAND

"InclusiveDesign Through Home Adaptations"

To Mark the European Year of Peoplewith Disabilities, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at the Breakingthe Barriers Conference in Belfast, launched "Inclusive Design ThroughHome Adaptations" a guide detailing the route to providing a successfuladaptation. The intent is to make design guidance available to all thoseinvolved in meeting the needs of the more vulnerable members of the community.Universal design is influencing new build housing through the use of featuressuch as level access and wider doorways to all new dwellings. These featuresmake it easier for people with disabilities to visit neighbors and thispromotes social inclusion. Design features do not just impact onthose with mobility problems. An inclusive approach to community needsalso raises awareness about how housing design can meet the requirementsof people with visual or hearing impairments, mental health or learningdifficulties, as well as people with restricted mobility.

For the guide in an alternative format,please contact: Adrian Blythe, Project Manager, adrian.blythe@nihe.gov.uk

JAPAN

The Japan Association forthe 2005 World Exposition, whose theme is "Nature’s Wisdom" with sub-themesof: Nature's Matrix, The Art of Life, and Development for Eco-Communities,has issued "GL4-5 Barrier-Free Design Standards for Facilities at EXPO2005." The Barrier-Free Design Standards for Facilities atEXPO 2005, have been drawn up to help ensure the safety and comfort ofall visitors, including the elderly and disabled, using the facilitieson the site of the 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan (EXPO 2005 Aichi).Prior to the opening of EXPO 2005 Aichi, the Organizer, in collaborationwith disabled persons, intends to conduct surveys to measure the barrier-freecondition of site facilities and report on the results in future barrier-freeguidebooks (official name to be finalized) and on the EXPO 2005 Web site.

NORWAY

Programof Action for Universal Design

UNITED KINGDOM

Child in the City

The purpose of this two and a halfday international conference is to bring together social scientists, policymakers, planners and practitioners to share current thinking and disseminategood practice on one of the most pressing challenges facing urban governments:integrating the play and recreational needs of children within the planning,design and governance of the modern city. The conference will have a broadfocus exploring the complex and multifaceted dimensions and interrelationshipsof children's lives, play and the city. It will look at children's socialand environmental needs as young citizens and how they can be integratedmore effectively into community and local governance processes.

Ultimately the conference will seekto identify guiding principles and practice for the realization of child-friendlycities. One dimension may be the challenge of weighing concerns forchildren and young people's safety from environmental and social hazards(e.g. crime, racism, traffic) against their right to shared access to,and enjoyment of, the public realm. Another is the way children's participationcontributes to the quality of social life and urban planning.

During the 2003 European Year of DisabledPeople, the British Film Institute, in partnership with Disability Equalityin Education, developed an educational resource pack, supported by in-servicetraining for teachers and cinema-based events for primary and secondarypupils. Additionally, the associated web site provides a wealth of informationon how disability has been represented in moving image from the earliestdays.

The media project is in response tothe growing inclusion in UK schools, wherein disabled children and studentsexpect, and are expected, to take part fully in the curriculum and sociallife of mainstream schools. There are increasing numbers of disabled childrenin every class who need to see themselves reflected positively, both inthe curriculum and the moving image media around them.

The Guild of Accessible Web Designerspromotes a vision of the future that assumes accessible web design to be,relevant, obtainable, and not at odds with successful business practice,or good visual and usable design. GAWDS.org is pushing accessibleweb design into the mainstream of web development - it may be travelingin that direction already - but the Guild aims to speed that process up.

Include 2005 will take place at theRoyal College of Art, London, UK, 5-8 April 2005. Abstracts are dueby 1 June 2004. At Include 2005, international figures in inclusive designwill discuss academic, conceptual and commercial work on topics rangingfrom fashion to workplace design, transport to domestic interiors and interactiondesign. We aim to keep delegates up to date with inclusive design thinkingand practice, to facilitate a creative, interdisciplinary atmosphere andto empower them to return to their organizations with valuable new ideasand know-how. A special feature of Include 2005 will be an explorationof the experience of leading design consultancies who have competed infive years of the DBA design challenge.

Better qualityhousing designed to adapt to changing household needs is the aim of a reviewof building controls announced on 10th March 2004 by the Office of theDeputy Prime Minister. Existing building regulations on accessibility couldbe strengthened by introducing the 'Lifetime Homes' standard - a seriesof design features to ensure that new or converted houses and flats haveflexibility built in at the design stage. Possible features could include:Stairs designed to take a stair lift at a later stage, Ground floor bedroom/WC,and Ground floor space for installation of a shower if required.
Parents of youngchildren through to frail, older people and those with temporary or permanentdisabilities will be among the many who could benefit from the forthcomingreview of Part M of the building regulations. In particular, the changewould allow people to remain in their own homes for longer as they ageor their circumstances change.

UKiiD, the United KingdomInstitute for Inclusive Design, has a new website that highlights good,inclusive design. The Bobby-approved site complies with UK’s 1995 DisabilityDiscrimination Act and includes a Forum for dialogue among members. UKiiDwas established in February 1995; founded as the British network of theEuropean Institute for Design and Disability. The website notes, ‘It bringstogether design professionals and disabled users who are committed to raisingthe profile and standard of inclusive design in every aspect of our lives;the built environment, transport, products and communication facilities.UKiiD promotes design for all people whatever their ability.

Two new resources focus on the topicof "Accessible Distance Learning." One resource is the Accessibility inDistance Education web site at the University of Maryland (UMUC) and theother is Access E-Learning at Georgia Tech.

The Accessibility in DistanceEducation website at UMUC aims to educate online faculty about how peoplewith disabilities navigate the web and the things they (faculty) need todo to ensure that electronic learning materials are accessible to all students. It is divided into 5 major sections: What is Accessibility, Legal Issues,Understanding Disabilities, How To & Best Practices.

Access E-Learning (AEL) fromthe Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE), Centerfor Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) is a free, ten-moduletutorial that is a resource for those seeking to make their distance educationaccessible for individuals with disabilities. AEL offers information onthe most common needs in distance education, and provides instruction intechniques that will enhance the usability of online materials for allstudents.

'Building Careers in Design' is a newcollege level online course for career and vocational counselors. This6-week 30 CRC credit course begins June 21 and is offered through the InterworkInstitute of San Diego State University, in cooperation with Adaptive Environments,Boston, MA. Daniel Hunter, ASLA, is the course instructor and Jacklyn Butcher,CRP, is course facilitator. The course fee is $175.

The course will provide counselorswith skills and knowledge that they can use with people with disabilitiesto help them begin training for quality careers in a range of design fields. Design fields are often overlooked as career options for people with disabilities.Developed by Adaptive Environments through a contract with the RSA NationalVocational Rehabilitation Technical Assistance Center, the course is partof 'Building Careers in Design,’ a web-based training and technical assistanceproject that includes extensive web resources on design careers for consumers,counselors, human resource personnel, and families. The course had a verysuccessful pilot in cooperation with the VR agencies in California, Massachusetts,North Carolina, and Oregon. Counselors applauded the in-depth content,access to successful designers with disabilities, and easy to use onlineresources that enabled them to assess interests and develop well-documentedIndividual Plans for Employment (IPE).

The web resources introduce the designfields to career seekers, people with disabilities, counselors, families,educators, potential employers, and service providers. The well-illustratedsite introduces design in general, a way of designing called universaldesign, design fields and careers, and paths of design education. It includesuseful information about how to identify interests leading to a careerin design, introduces designers with disabilities in a wide range of fields,illustrates design studios and highlights accommodations.

Building Careers in Design encouragespeople with disabilities into careers in the design fields, including architecture,landscape design, web design, urban design, and industrial design. The Building Careers in Design project is part of Access to Design Professions,which is funded in part by the National Endowment for the Arts LeadershipInitiative in Universal Design. Access to Design Professions was developedas a living memorial to the late Ron Mace, with the belief that the practiceof universal design will be improved by the involvement of designers withdisabilities.

There are standards in countries aroundthe world to address the acoustical needs experienced by children who areat particular risk of academic delay in noisy classrooms. This report preparedby Lois Thibault of the US Access Board cites work in several countriesand the World Health Organization.

British building standards have recentlybeen strengthened by new requirements for school acoustics. Enforcementof limits on background noise (35dB(A)) and reverberation time (0.6 seconds)in new classrooms began in July 2003 under Education Regulations 1999,SI 1999 No. 2 and Requirement E4/Part E/Schedule 1, 1 of the Building regulations2000. The standards are outlined in Building Bulletin 93 (replacingBuilding Bulletin 87), a comprehensive specification and detailed technicalassistance document available from: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/
schoolbuildings/designguidance/sbenvironmentalhs/acoustics/. The new regulations respond to findings from several researchers that documentexcessive noise and attendant lack of speech intelligibility in existingschools in England, Scotland, New Zealand, and elsewhere.

Classroom acoustics are also regulatedin many other European nations (Sweden, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland,and Italy all have requirements), in several Canadian provinces, and inAustralia and New Zealand. The World Health Organization has an activeinitiative on noise, publishing 'Guidelines for Community Noise' (http://www.who.int/docstore/peh/noise/guidelines2.html)in 1995. Chapter 4 includes recommendations for background noiseand reverberation time in classrooms that are consistent with the U.K.standard. WHO has recently published a pamphlet (No. 38) entitled'Noise in Schools' that is available upon request from info@ecehbonn.euro.who.int.

The U.S. Access Board has embarkedon an ambitious outreach program to introduce parents, educators, and schooladministrators to a new U.S. standard on classroom acoustics, ANSI/ASAS12.60-2002 'Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelinesfor Schools'. Developed by a working group of the Acoustical Societyof America and other key stakeholders and supported by the Access, thevoluntary standard -- it must be formally adopted by a jurisdiction tobecome enforceable -- contains background noise and reverberation limitsthat parallel those in the U.K. standard.

New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland,and Minnesota are currently considering use of the ANSI/ASA standard toguide new school construction. The California Coalition for High-PerformingSchools is also taking a look at limiting noise in classrooms. Manydepartments of education (New York State, Minneapolis, Washington State,others) have internal guidelines on classroom acoustics for new schoolconstruction with similar background noise/reverberation time limits tothose of the U.S. and international standards. Parents in severalstates are also using the ANSI/ASA standard to obtain IDEA accommodationsfor their hearing-impaired children attending public schools. Otherkids at particular risk of academic delay in noisy classrooms include childrenwho have learning disabilities of various types, kids for whom Englishis a second language, and children who have temporary undiagnosed hearingloss due to earaches, colds, and asthma. The Access Board hopes thatthe International Code Council will eventually incorporate the key limitsof the ANSI/ASA standard in the International Building Code, which alreadycontains acoustical requirements for multi-family housing.

As part of its outreach effort, TheBoard has recently developed a series of 5 factsheets on classroom acousticsthat have been posted to the Quiet Classrooms link on the Noise PollutionClearinghouse website at http://ww.quietclassrooms.org/ada/ada.htm. Entitled 'Listening for Learning', the new handouts identify kids at riskof academic delay in noisy classrooms, offer tips on how to tell if a classroomis too noisy for effective speech perception, and suggest interventionsthat can improve poorly-performing classrooms. In addition, separatefactsheets address cost and technical issues.

John Salmen, AIA and publisher of theUniversal Design News, invites you to get a good look at his "Home forthe Next 50 Years" in the May 2004 issue of Fine Homebuilding Magazine,available at most news stands. He and his wife planned the universallydesigned home to accommodate their next 50 years in great comfort and style.A series of columns by John in Universal Design News has chronicled theprocess of decision making, designing and renovating their bungalow ina historic neighborhood of Takoma Park, MD.

The National Endowment for the Artsannounces its '04 Request for Proposals for Universal Design Projects inresponse to recommendations emanating from the October 2-3, 2003 meeting."Envisioning Universal Design: Creating an Inclusive Society." This ProgramSolicitation requests proposals to carry out a project that will creategreater public awareness of and demand for universal designed environments,by educating designers, consumers, educators, developers, city planners,and others on this important design process. The successful proposalmust outline a project that will involve collaboration with the targetedaudiences, using innovative strategies in order to meet the broad socialneed, while bringing universal design into the mainstream.

"Envisioning Universal Design: Creatingan Inclusive Society" was convened by the National Endowment for the Arts(NEA), the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research(NIDRR), and the two NIDDR sponsored Rehabilitation Engineering ResearchCenters (RERC) on Universal Design and the Built Environment at the Universityat Buffalo and North Carolina State University, in cooperation with theAmerican Association of Retired Persons (AARP). Participants included 37experts drawn from academia, the design field, consumer groups and governmentagencies who assembled to develop recommendations for: 1) broadening thepractice of universal design and 2) shaping future funding priorities.The focus of this effort and this movement is to create more inclusivecommunities.

The Student Design Competition forDesigning for the 21st Century, an International Conference on UniversalDesign in Brazil has already registered 80 teams worldwide. Registrationcloses July 16, 2004 and all-digital submittals are due by midnight inoriginating time zone on August 16, 2004. Teams can address sitesin Brazil, Haiti and India. Submittal Criteria includes four criteria forall aspects of the design: Universal design/design-for-all; Sustainabledesign; Low cost; and Design excellence.

The Universal Design Education Online(UDEO) website has posted new materials from experienced universal designeducators and students. These include Leslie Weisman's module on "Beyondthe ADA," Brian Donnelly's two modules from his 2nd year industrial designcourse, and industrial design student projects from San Francisco StateUniversity. A new section on Architecture for Social Justice includes tenstudio descriptions from the winners of the 2003-2004 Architecture forSocial Justice Partnerships in Teaching Award. Each article on the sitehas an interactive forum attached where you can raise questions about theposted materials. Faculty who have posted materials are automatically notifiedwhen someone posts a message to their article, to facilitate the interaction.

There are extensive resources on thesite: readings in universal design, online publications and annotated listingas well as full text of key resources for developing accessible onlineteaching. You can see how to make accessible Flash, how to prepare accessiblePDF files, and how to write text descriptions.

Check out the Calendar and the Callsand Competition pages to see upcoming events. Old events are also archivedon the site. The editors invite additions to the materials; please seeHow to Submit. If some of your students have produced outstanding work,let them know about the site.

The National Center for DisabilityServices has recently made available the popular video production "Unlimitedby Design", produced by the R.E.R.C. on Universal Design in 1999. This19-minute video introduces the Unlimited By Design exhibit, which was originallyexhibited at the Smithsonian Institution/Cooper Hewitt National DesignMuseum in 1999. The contents of this web video were developed as a productof the RERC.

New Urbanism, a movement devoted topromoting enlightened urban and suburban design, walkable neighborhoods,etc., is having major influence on urban planning across the US, as describedin a recent press release from Concrete Change. One criticismof this excellent movement—and it is a fairly serious one—is that theirhome designs tend to be intensely vertical (often townhouses) and reinstatethe several-step stoop popular many decades ago.

Concrete Change and DRACH (the DisabilityRights Action Coalition for Housing) have been working for many years toget New Urbanists to design all their homes friendly to people with disabilities,and congruent with today's rapidly aging demographic.

The release says, "We're glad to letyou know that the website of Tunnell-Spangler, a New Urbanist architecturalfirm has begun to promote Visitability. They’ve posted an article and agallery of images of user-friendly entrances. (IMPORTANT NOTE: Someof these images have one step instead of zero! Ordinarily advocateswould be most upset about that fact. However, in these caseswe are looking at examples which contrast to the usual multiple steps onNew Urbanist home designs. A few have one step, but could easily have zero.)"

The Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh websitesays, in part: "TSW is currently working with Concrete Change and the EasyLivingHome program to spread the word that new housing can be both welcomingto persons with disabilities and aesthetically pleasing. Both are activeparticipants in the Visitability movement, an effort to incorporate basicaccess in all new homes...." To see the whole article, plus the images,see www.tunspan.com. This releasefrom Concrete Change also thanks Tom Walsh and Caleb Racicot of TSW andAssociates. Visit www.concretechange.org to see their frequently updated "What's New" section.

The recentlyheld "Visual design for an aging population" conference in St. Louis Missourireminds us of that our dependence on information in print, in the environmentand on the internet, increases daily. What are the factors that make designmore effective for the older user? How can design strategy impact policyand business? What factors must the designer consider in designing forthis audience?

Visual designersare called upon each day to configure information to be more functionalfor the user. As people age, their sensory, cognitive, and motorabilities change. Older adults process and manipulate information moreslowly. The aging brain does not necessarily 'degrade' as much as it compensates,finding strength from other areas. Visual design must take these changesinto consideration when targeting an older patient, customer or consumer.There are new models emerging to teach the designer how to consider thecognitive and physical needs specific to their audience and how to makedesign universally accessible.

The conferencewebsite includes some background and information on the speakers who areaddressing these issues. See: http://designandaging.org/

The Architecture + awards committeeinvites your participation in the international Architecture+ Awards 2004,‘Design for a New World, Humanizing our cities. For you. Forme. And for our neighbor’. Eligibility to enter the Awardsis open to architects, landscape architects, urban designers and planners,and students from across the globe, for projects successfully completedin the Middle East, Africa or Asia pacific region. The Architecture+ Awards2004 are the initiative of Inhouse Creative, the publishers of Dubai’spremier and the regions leading magazine on architecture and design ? Architecture+‘Architecture of a New World’. Architecture Plus (a+) "Architecture ofa new world" is distinguished by its commitment to seek out and celebratesignificant ideas and developments in architecture and design from geographicalregions that cover the Middle East, Africa, Asia and the Indian subcontinent,collectively referred to as the ‘emerging world’. All entrants mustregister on-line by May 15, 2004.

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ElaineOstroff, Editor. Director of the Global Universal Design Educator's Networkand Founding Director, Adaptive Environments

DianeRichard, Editorial Assistant. Center for Universal Design, College of Design,North Carolina State University

TheGlobal Universal Design Educator's Online News is produced and publishedthrough contracts with the Center for Universal Design and the AdaptiveEnvironments Center, in cooperation with the National Institute on RehabilitationResearch.

Global Universal Design EducatorsOnline News

Volume5 Number 4, April - May 2004

Contents

EDITOR'SNOTE

NEWS FROM THE GLOBALNETWORK

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

IRELAND

"InclusiveDesign Through Home Adaptations"

JAPAN

NORWAY

Programof Action for Universal Design

UNITED KINGDOM

Child in the City

Global Universal Design Educator'sNetwork e-mail list

Addingyour information, questions to the Online News: