Global Universal Design EducatorsOnline News

Volume5 Number 6, August - September 2004

Contents

• Editor's Note
• Newsfrom the Global Network
o AFRICA
• Access2004 - A Conference on Partnership in Disability
• AccessibilityFor All: International Conference on Accessible Tourism 
o BRAZIL
• InclusiveTourism Conference
• Designingfor the 21st Century III: Pre-Conference days
o EUROPE
• Councilof Europe Questionnaire on Accessibility
• DfAand AT Awards
• POLISProject 
o JAPAN
• UniversalDesign in the Workplace
o MALAYSIA
• AreWe Ready for Elderly Tourists? 
o NORDIC/SCANDINAVIAN
• Form& Funktion
o SCOTLAND
• OpenSpace: People Space
o UNITEDSTATES
• 2005Best of Seniors Housing Design and Marketing Awards
• ADA Game
• AHEADBrochures on Universal Design
• AIBDResolutions on Environmentally Sustainable Design, Universal Design
• AssistiveTechnology and Accessible Media Conference
• Checklistfor Polling Place Accessibility
• Children,Youth and Environment
• ITTATC
• MakingA Splash: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Aquatic Venues
• NewABA and ADA Accessibility Guidelines
• NODSurvey, Accessible America 2004 Competition
• Studentsand Universal Design
• SummerIssue of ICON
• Surveyon Universal Design Features in New, Single-Family Housing
• UDEO- Calendar and Calls/Competitions
o WORLD
• WorldBank Disability Conference
• GlobalUniversal Design Educator's Network e-mail list
• Calendar(opens a different window)
• Adding yourinformation, questions to the Online News

EDITOR'SNOTE

NOTE: the August-SeptemberCalendar was sent earlier. We will continue this practice in the future,to minimize the length of the issue. Information from the Online News maybe freely copied and quoted as long as the individual author, and/or website and this source is cited. Previous issues of the Online News are availableonline at the Global Universal Design Education Network website at:
http://www.universaldesign.net.

NEWS FROM THE GLOBALNETWORK

AFRICA

In 2004 South Africa will celebratea decade of democracy - Access 2004 is planned to coincide with these celebrationsand take place November 30 - December 2004 in Cape Town, South Africa.Access 2004 will ensure that disability related planning, development andimplementation remain relevant as per the Integrated National DisabilityStrategy and Integrated Provincial Disability Strategy. One of the biggestchallenges is still to ensure that disability becomes and remains partof mainstream development, planning and implementation.

For more, see: http://www.access2004.co.za/

AccessibilityFor All: International Conference on Accessible Tourism

Kenya Disabled DevelopmentSociety will host this International Conference on Accessible Tourism inNairobi (Kenya), October 7-9, 2004. All interested parties from other partsof the world are invited to attend. Topics for the conference will be:- Accessible Tourism (Tourism for all) - Accessible environment - AccessibleAccommodation - Universal Design - Accessibility as a human right - Travelagent on specially adapted trips. There will also be exhibition space formanufacturers on items related to accessibility and universal design products.This will be a golden opportunity to capture markets for their productsin this part of the world. Pre- and post-conference activities will takeparticipants to our beautiful national parks / national reserves and beautifulhistorical sites of the 12th century, at the coastal region of the country.Seize this opportunity to see this beautiful part of the world.

For more information, contact:Peter Bodo Ong’aro, bodo@avu.org

BRAZIL

The "Inclusive Tourism Conference"(The Congresso Ibero-Americano de Accessible no Turismo) will take placeat the Continental Hotel in Canelas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from November17 to 19, 2004.  Some of the topics covered at the conference are:Tourism for Travelers with Disabilities: A New Market Niche In Tourism,Accessibility in Tourism Policy and the Rights of Consumers, Theme Parks,Tourism Sites, and Public Events: How Do We Make Them Accessible?, A ModelCity for Transportation and Mobility,  Accessible Travel Circuits:Routes & Destinations, Maritime Access: A Model to Follow, Ground Transportation:It is Time for a Change, Air Travel: Are We Ready?, My Hotel is Preparingto Attract People with Disabilities, and My Restaurant is Making a ProfitServing Customers Who Have Disabilities. 

The conference details (onlyin Portuguese) are available at: http://www.turismosembarreiras.com.br/

The Rolling Rains Reportreported on the conference in a recent issue. The Rolling Rains Reporthighlights Universal Design thinking and the travel and hospitality industry.Its Web Log (blog) format is suited to its content of daily posts on newsitems, conferences, research questions of interest, and works-in-progress.Readership includes those already engaged in Universal Design as well astravel agents, tour operators, travel & leisure writers, and tourismindustry professionals.

http://www.RollingRains.com

Designingfor the 21st Century III: Pre-Conference Days

Here is more detail on theinternational conference in universal design that will be held in Rio deJaneiro, December 7-12, 2004. This highlights the two Pre-Conference dayson Tuesday, 7 December and Wednesday, 8 December and their two types ofhighly interactive programs - Intensive Sessions and Charettes. All areled by international experts.

Intensive Sessions are eitherfull-day or half-day sessions that provide state-of-the-art concentratedlearning on specific topics.  Intensive sessions require pre-registrationand payment of a Pre-Conference Intensive fee. The multi-part Charrettesbegin during the Pre-Conference period; many of them will be held in theRio community. The opening session is followed by two working sessionsduring the Core Conference along with a final presentation. Charrette sessionsrequire pre-registration and payment of a Charrette fee. The titles ofthe Intensives and Charettes follow.

Full-Day Pre-ConferenceIntensive Sessions:
A Day of Media and TechnologyAccess; Exhibit and Information Systems for Tourist Destinations - UniversalDesign and the Inclusive Interpretive Program; Extreme Design (a workshopon design and perception); Inclusive Innovation: Focus on Health Care Delivery;The Intersection of Universal Design & the Ecologically Healthy City;Understanding Universal Design Through a Facility and Site Survey; UniversalDesign and the International Travel & Hospitality Industry; UniversalDesign in Public Transit; Web Accessibility for Designers. 

For more information on thefull-day sessions, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#pre_fd,

Half Day Sessions:
Beyond Bricks and Mortar:Universal Design for Learning and the Transformation of Education; Design-for-Allin Faith Communities; Making Places for People: the Role of Citizen Participation;The Mandate for Green/Sustainable Design: Good for People-Good for thePlanet Earth; The Norwegian Experiment; Urban Places, Human Spaces. 

For more information on thehalf-day sessions, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#pre_hd,

Charrettes/Case Studies:
Assessment of Living Spacefor Elders in Brazil; Help! How Big is That? - Toys to Introduce MathematicalConcepts for Visually Impaired Children; Learning Environments for Childrenwith Cognitive Disabilities: Mainstreaming for Inclusion; Principles ofUniversal Design Revisited; Sugar Loaf: A Celebration of History, Ecologyand Accessibility; Universal Design and the Marine Environment - From Alongthe Shore to Offshore; Universal Design in Museums. 

For more information on theCharrettes/Case Studies, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#char. 

Full conference details areat: http://www.designfor21st.org/.

EUROPE

Councilof Europe Questionnaire on Accessibility

The source for this information was:http://www.ifhohyp.org/php/page.php?page=news&news_id=20

The questionnaire itself can be seenat: http://www.ifhohyp.org/documents/council_of_europe_questionnaire_on_accessibility.doc

The website for the Council of Europe,Integration of People with Disabilities focus: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Social_Cohesion/soc-sp/Integration/

DfA and AT Awards

The European Commission is eager torecognize the efforts made by designers, engineers, design students andcompanies in the area of Design for All and Assistive Technology. If youare striving to improve the quality of life for everyone, value new innovationsand visualize what the future holds, they want to hear from you. To qualifyfor the Design for All and Assistive Technology awards, we are seekingentries from designers, engineers, design students and companies. Eachentry will be judged according to Accessibility, Aesthetics, Appropriateness,Availability, Awareness, Affordability and Advancement.  The categoriesare: Daily living, Mobility and transportation, Communication and information,Lifelong learning, Employment and professional life, and Culture, leisureand sport.  Closing date for entries is September 15, 2004.

For more information, see: www.dfa-at-awards.org

POLIS Project

The POLIS project stands for Decisionsupport tools and policy initiatives in support of a universal design ofbuildings. POLIS started on January 1, 2004 and is funded by the Commissionof the European Communities.  The main goals are: To provide for adetailed analysis of the economics, i.e., costs and benefits associatedto accessibility and to use this information to develop a decision supportsystem for a universal building design (DSS.UBD), to address the relevanceof the proposed solutions within the existing EU/member country policyinstruments and to suggest practical means of integration within existingor, very likely, newly required policy instruments, towards the ultimategoal of an "accessibility for all" EU standard, and  to disseminatethe results towards diverse audiences (EU and member state authorities,designers, engineers, product developers, etc.) and to identify businessopportunities in terms of new-era assistive technologies and services.

Full details available at: http://www.polis-ubd.net/publish/home.shtml

JAPAN

This information appearedon the RICS web site (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and isbased on continuing research by the Universal Design Committee of the JapanFacility Management Promotion Association. It represents the researchers’approach to developing universal design guidelines for workplace design,and includes the identification of critical success factors (CSFs) thatplay a key role in facilities planning and assessment. 

For more information, see:
http://www.rics.org/ricscms/bin/show?class=Feature&template=/includes/showfeature.html&id=1111

MALAYSIA

AreWe Ready for Elderly Tourists?

The report discusses the Market Potentialand states "Through the promotion of non-handicapping environments, weare actually promoting "Tourism for All" with the concept of a universaldesign for all built environments, which incorporate barrier-free features." It then goes on to present what Penang would gain from this initiativeand how it currently fares on accessibility.  Local authorities estimatecompliance to the UBBL (Uniform Building Bylaws), funding, training, dissemination,etc… as anywhere from 5-70%. 

User views were also solicited on awarenessof "By-laws 34A of the Uniform Building Bylaws (UBBL) regarding the provisionof disabled friendly facilities in all public and private buildings withina stipulated time e.g. ramps & railings, disabled toilets, Brailleblocks and pavements, and signage." And this ranged from about 50-100%. When asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = none at all, 5 = very adequate),as to whether key public places have adequate disabled friendly facilities,the overall rating was a 2, meaning facilities were considered "Inadequate." 

The report concludes by talking aboutneighboring countries and their efforts to make their cities accessibleto attract foreign tourism.  It notes though, that in Malaysia, Putrajayais a good example of a city with barrier-free access.  Unfortunately,the other states of Malaysia have yet to have similar facilities. It isconsidered a good time for Penang to capitalize on this niche tourism marketand provide an example that the rest of Malaysia can follow.  ThePenang government has made much progress in providing disabled access locally. The government cannot do it all and the article calls for the private sectorto make sure that their premises comply with the UBBL to ensure that Penangis viewed as a barrier-free tourist destination.

The full report is available at: http://www.seri.com.my/EconBrief/EconBrief2004-06.PDF(please note that it is only available in PDF format and may not be accessibleto all)

NORDIC/SCANDINAVIAN

Form& Funktion

To see the fullissue of this edition of Form & Funktion, see: http://www.nsh.se/Form&Funktion/Form&Funktion_1-2004.pdf

For past issuesof Form & Funktion, see: http://www.nsh.se/in_english/Form&Funktion_in_English.htm.

(please notethat Form & Funktion is only available in PDF format and may not beaccessible to all)

For more on Sweden’s2005 Year of Design, see: http://www.merdesign.se/

SCOTLAND

This international conference on InclusiveOutdoor Environments takes place October 27-29, 2004 in Edinburgh, Scotland.The conference will review recent research and debate current issues surroundinggood design for open space and social inclusion - spaces and places forthe 21st century. The program will include contributions from an internationalarray of experts covering the major themes of the conference: childrenand young people; disability and social inclusion; health and restorativeenvironments and tourism and leisure.

For complete conference details, see:http://www.openspace.eca.ac.uk/conference/confbackground.htm

UNITED STATES

2005Best of Seniors Housing Design and Marketing Awards

The Best of Seniors Housing awardsprogram celebrates the best and most successful seniors projects and recognizesvisionary projects still "on the boards." The National Association of HomeBuilders (NAHB) Seniors Housing Council pioneered its awards program in1992 to showcase the finest projects from active adult communities andsenior apartments to CCRCs and assisted living communities. In additionto honoring outstanding designs across the country, the Seniors HousingCouncil has added a new marketing component to acknowledge achievementsin marketing all forms of seniors housing.  The entry deadline isOctober 22, 2004.

The full details of the Awards areat: http://www.nahb.org/award_details.aspx?sectionID=471&awardID=131

ADAGame

The ADA Gamesimulates how advocacy can promote positive changes in communities. Playerstake on the role of advocates for disability rights in one of eight virtualcommunities in the Southeastern United States and work together to improvecompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their communitiesin the areas of: Program Access, Public Accommodations, Transportation,Employment, and Communication. During the registration process, you arerandomly assigned to one of the following cities: Birmingham (AL), Orlando(FL), Atlanta (GA), Louisville (KY), Biloxi (MS), Charlotte (NC), Charleston(SC), or Nashville (TN). You can switch cities at any time, but are encouragedto remain with one city throughout the game to work together towards buildinga more accessible community.

The lead sponsorof the "ADA Game" is the Southeast Disability and Business Technical AssistanceCenter (DBTAC), one of 10 centers funded by the National Institute on Disabilityand Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) at the U.S. Department of Education. The Southeast DBTAC is hosted at the Center for Assistive Technology andEnvironmental Access at the College of Architecture at the Georgia Instituteof Technology in Atlanta, Georgia

The ADA Gameweb site is at: http://www.adagame.org/

AHEADBrochures on Universal Design

AHEAD (the Associationfor Higher Education and Disability) has produced two new universal designbrochures: "Universal Design in Higher Education" and "Universal Design:A Guide for Students."

The first explainsuniversal design principles and presents the concepts and applicationsof universal design with faculty, administrators and other campus staffin mind via these useful sections: Universal Design Overview, UniversalDesign Principles Explained, Frequently Asked Questions and References.

The second brochureexplains how universal design principles are applied to learning and encouragesstudents to think about their educational experience in a new way. Whilegeared to students, this publication is actually useful to anyone who wantsto implement universal design into the curriculum. Topics include: An Outlineof Universal Design Principles, A Summary of Service Provision and StudentIdentity, Ideas for Promoting Universal Design on Campus, Frequently AskedQuestions, and References

Information aboutthese brochures and other new AHEAD publications is available at: 
http://www.ahead.org/publications/index.htm

AIBDResolutions on Environmentally Sustainable Design, Universal Design

The American Institute ofBuilding Design (AIBD) board of directors accepted two resolutions to supportUniversal Design and Sustainable Design at the AIBD's 54th annual conventionheld in Washington, D.C., July 28-31, 2004. 

The first resolution statesthat AIBD "shall encourage and support our membership in the voluntarypractice of environmentally sustainable design and our corporate membersthat provide environmentally sustainable products and services" and committo the following long term objectives for environmentally sustainable design:"Support building design that results in resource-efficient construction,Continue to encourage the research and use of new technologies, materialsand practices, Support market demand for cost effective, environmentallysustainable design, and Provide educational opportunities to our membershipabout the practice of environmentally sustainable design."

The second resolution statesthat AIBD "shall encourage and support our membership in the voluntarypractice of universal design in housing and our corporate members thatprovide products and services to the physically challenged and commit tothe following long term objectives for universal design in housing: "Supportcreative design solutions to improve the built environment of the physicallychallenged, Support market demand for cost effective, universal designsolutions that will allow our elderly or disabled population to "age inplace," Provide educational opportunities to our membership about the methodsand practice of universal design in housing, and Continue to promote theAmerican Institute of Building Design as the leading professional organizationin the design of residences for all people, including the physically challenged.

For more information andthe full text of the resolutions, please contact: Bobbi Falasco, Directorof Operations, bobbi@aibd.org, www.aibd.org

AssistiveTechnology and Accessible Media Conference

This conference will be heldNovember 9-12, 2004 at Colorado University (CU)-Boulder. The conferenceis sponsored by CU-Boulder in collaboration with EASI, AHEAD & others.Session highlights include: Creating eBooks using Adobe PDF, MicrosoftLIT and Daisy Format, Aligning the Pieces: A UDL Approach to Online Learningfor All, Achieving Web Accessibility with Section 508, Digital Collectionsof Historical Documents and Accessibility, Assistive Technology: The Keyto Learner Centered Teaching, and Evaluating Text to Speech Software forCollege Students with Learning Disabilities.

For more information, goto: www.colorado.edu/Atconference

Checklistfor Polling Place Accessibility

The Department of Justice has releasedthe well-illustrated "ADA Checklist for Polling Places" to help local officialsimprove voting accessibility nationwide. The 33-page checklist covers awide range of accessibility issues, including parking, passenger drop-offareas, walkways, building entrances and hallways, and use of the votingarea. It helps election officials recognize and identify accessibilityproblems at the schools, religious institutions, and public buildings thatserve as polling places throughout the United States and offers practical,simple, and efficient solutions for eliminating barriers, including temporarymeasures for Election Day. 

This publication is available at www.ada.gov/votingck.htm

Children,Youth and Environment

In this issue, CYE publishes the sixwinning papers in the 2003 Graduate Student Paper Award for Excellencein Research competition. They represent the best qualities of researchthat advances knowledge about the significance of the environment to childrenand youth. These articles are about: the impacts of poverty deconcentrationon children and youth, youth participation in urban agriculture and communitydevelopment, an historical analysis of young people's use of public space,student participation in the redevelopment of school grounds, young people'sperceptions of restorative environments, and conceptualizing social capitalamong young people.

For this edition, see: http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/a4.pl

Past issues, as they are archived,are available at: http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/CYE_BackIssues/

ITTATC

The latest edition of The InformationTechnology Technical Assistance & Training Center (ITTATC), ACCESSE and IT NEWS, "Promoting Accessible IT & Telecommunications" is available. Besides articles about Upcoming Events, FCC Telecommunications/Regulations,For Your Action/Information, Articles/Publications and Past Events, itcontains a useful Resources section.

There is also an on-line resource publication"Accessibility in the User-Centered Design Process Development." This isa resource to assist usability professionals in incorporating accessibledesign practices into the user-centered design process. This resource isdesigned primarily for usability professionals who know User-Centered Design(UCD) processes and techniques, including the principles of usability testing,and have a basic understanding of accessibility. This resource does notinclude design solutions or guidance on specific accessibility design issues.

The current edition is available at:http://www.ittatc.org/news/july_04.cfm

The archives of past editions are at:http://www.ittatc.org/news/

Accessibility in the User-CenteredDesign Process Development available at: http://www.ittatc.org/technical/access-ucd/about.cfm

MakingA Splash: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Aquatic Venues

The National Center on Accessibility(NCA) has released a new monograph on the inclusion of people with disabilitiesin aquatic facilities. This online monograph discusses some of the majorconsiderations for the successful inclusion of people with disabilitiesat aquatic facilities including visitor expectations, accessibility guidelinesfor swimming pools, considerations for aquatic staff, policies and procedures,family restrooms, pool lifts, aquatic chairs and water slides. Be sureto check out the video clips. 

Other NCA monographs include: TrailSurfaces: What Do I Need to Know Now?, Effective Communication in Parksand Recreation, What are Alternative Formats? How Do They Apply to Programsand Services?, Accessible Picnic Tables: Requirements and Recommendations,Campground Accessibility: Issues and Recommendations, Principles for AdaptingActivities in Recreation Programs and Settings, What is an Accessible Trail?,Providing Access to Beaches, and more.

This monograph and other NCS monographsare available at: www.ncaonline.org

NewADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines

The U.S. Access Board announces therelease of new design guidelines that cover access for people with disabilitiesunder the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The guidelines update access requirements for a wide range of facilitiesin the public and private sectors covered by the law. As part of this update,the Board also revised its guidelines for Federal buildings under the ArchitecturalBarriers Act (ABA) of 1968.  The ABA requires access to facilitiesdesigned, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds.  Under thenew guidelines, a more consistent level of access is specified under boththe ADA and the ABA. 

Following is an excerpt of guidanceoffered by Kathy Gips of the New England ADA & Accessible IT Center:

"Confused? You are not alone.

As many of you know, on July 23 theU.S. Access Board issued updated accessibility guidelines for new or alteredfacilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the ArchitecturalBarriers Act. The ADA applies to state and local governments and to theprivate sector. The ABA applies to federal agencies.

These new ADA guidelines will becomeenforceable standards when the U.S. Department of Justice adopts them aspart of their ADA regulations. The ABA will become enforceable standardswhen the four federal standard setting agencies adopt them. The best-casescenario for the Department of Justice adoption is twelve months; twentyfour months (or longer) is more likely.

Meanwhile continue to use the ADA Standardsthat are in the 8x10 inch grey and white book "Nondiscrimination on theBasis of Disability by Public Accommodations and Commercial FacilitiesRevised as of July 1, 1994" - yes it's ten years old but it is the currentlegal standard. You can order them from us (no charge) or get them fromthe U.S. Department of Justice's website www.ada.gov.They're smack in the middle of the page.

Several architects have called andsaid they plan to use the ADAAG '04 instead of the current ADA Standards.Our concern is that in some places the requirements provide less or differentaccess requirements. Here are a few examples:

1. ADAAG '04 - Small parking lots of1-4 cars will need one accessible space, but that space won't require asign or any other designation.

Current ADA Standards requires an accessiblespace with appropriate above grade signage in all parking lots

2. ADAAG '04 allows the distance fromthe centerline of the toilet in an accessible restroom to be 16-18 inchesfrom the wall.

Current ADA Standards requires thecenterline to be at 18 inches.

3. ADAAG '04 allows the door to swinginto the clear floor space required at fixtures in accessible restroomsas long as there's one 30x48 inch clear floor space beyond the door.

Current ADA Standards do not allowthe door to swing into the clear floor spaces required at fixtures.

When the Department of Justice issuestheir new regulations they will give us plenty of time from when we getbuilding permits to when the new design standards will go into effect.It may be a bit of a messy transition period.

Yes it's confusing. Plus throw in tothe mix that several states have adopted IBC 2000/ANSI 117.1 and Massachusettshas its own accessibility code. Meanwhile perhaps the best use of the ADAAG'04 is where the current ADA Standards don't address an issue or are confusing.The ADAAG '04 can be used for clarification." Contact Kathy Gips, kgips@adaptiveenvironments.orgif you have any questions. 

For full content of the guidelines,see: http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba.htm

NODSurvey, Accessible America 2004 Competition

The National Organization on Disability(N.O.D.) recently announced that its national survey of Americans withdisabilities, conducted every four years by the Harris organization, wasreleased in late June. The N.O.D./Harris Survey was last conducted in 2000. It concluded that Americans with disabilities are at a critical disadvantagecompared to other Americans in ten key areas of life. Continuing a trend,the survey found slow and modest progress in the indicators, which Harrishas tracked since 1986.

Additionally, N.O.D. urges America’smayors and chief elected officials to enter their communities in the fourthannual $25,000 "Accessible America" award competition, open to all U.S.cities and towns. The winner of N.O.D.’s Accessible America 2004 competitionwill be a city or town where citizens with disabilities have opportunitiesfor full and equal participation in the life of their community, includingaccess to education, jobs, voting, transportation, housing, religious worship,and a full range of social, recreational, cultural, and sports activities.Another area that N.O.D. is giving special focus in the post-September11 era is emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. The competitionhighlights thorough community-wide progress and inspires replication. The competition deadline is October 31, 2004.

For full survey results, see: http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1537

For full details on Accessible American2004 Competition, see: http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1551

Studentsand Universal Design

Recently, three student efforts involvinguniversal design were reported.  In the North Kansas City School District,carpentry and interior design students built a three bedroom, 1,580 squarefoot universally designed house as their project for the past school year."Universal design" elements include a no-step entry, raised electricaloutlets, wide doorways with lever-action hardware, rocker-type switches,roll-in master shower, blocking installed for grab bars, height adjustableshowerheads, multiple cabinet heights in the kitchen, base cabinets withrollout shelves, raised dishwasher, and disposal and range hood switcheson the front of the cabinets. The house is framed for future elevator installationand stair lift to the unfinished basement.

At Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas,sixteen interior design students and their instructor were approached bythe director of RISE (Resource. Information. Support. Empowerment) andasked to design a kitchen using "universal design." After an interviewwith RISE, each student in the class designed their own universally designedkitchen. RISE is a federally funded program that provides skills trainingand support to assist individuals with disabilities in living an independentlife. This is not the first time the instructor has done a design likethis. "I am always looking for community projects." The instructor said.One of her classes did a project for Habitat for Humanities, and the studentchapter of American Society for Interior Designers, is currently workingon a plan with the Women’s and Children’s Shelter.

Recently, the 2004 winners of the NorthCarolina Sustainable Building Design Competition were announced. The NorthCarolina Sustainable Building Design Competition is a program to engagestudents in the state's public universities and community colleges to learnand apply the lessons of sustainable development in the design and constructionof buildings. Student teams designed a home for an actual site in NorthCarolina incorporating a sustainable approach to design that includes energyefficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, waste reduction, useof locally available materials, and attention to the particular assetsof the site. Furthermore, the North Carolina Sustainable Building DesignCompetition required provisions for a safe area under extreme weather conditions,recognition of the health implications of building materials, and universalaccess for the building and site. In this way, hundreds of students eachyear receive universal design materials and training, and get practicein integrating universal design into housing design. The Design Competitionreinforces the connection between universal design and sustainable design:universal features save money and resources by reducing the need to renovatehomes as residents' needs change. Universal homes look good and work wellfor all users.

An article on the North Kansas CitySchool District project: 

http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1452&dept_id=155077&newsid=8307474&PAG=461&rfi=9

An article on the Lamar Universityclass is at: http://www.lamar.edu/news/story.asp?ID=728

The full details of the North CarolinaSustainable Building Design Competition are at: http://www.sustainabledesigncompetition.org/site/sdc/public/home.cfm

Summer Issueof ICON

The Summer Issue of ICON, from theAmerican Society of Interior Design (ASID), has a large article on UniversalDesign, "Universal Design: Transparent, Inclusive, Attractive . . . andan Essential Consideration for Today’s Residential Designers."  Thearticle builds on the precept that "Advocates predict that in the nextdecade universal design will transform the American home, significantlyaltering real estate, design and construction standards. Their benchmarkis the capacity of a home to accommodate the physical, sensory and psychologicalabilities and limitations of all its occupants—and their visitors—overthe course of their lifetimes."

For the full contents, see: http://www.asid.org/ASID2/resource/icon.asp(please note that the Universal Design article is only available in PDFformat and may not be accessible to all)

AISD Universal Design Resource Center:http://www.asid.org/asid2/resource/ud_info.asp

Surveyon Universal Design Features in New, Single-Family Housing

A new surveyon universal design features in new, single family housing is scheduledto be open until October 1, 2004.  The findings will be availableto all who participate and are interested in the results.  The purposeof this survey is to determine what design features and products are consideredessential for new houses (particularly in the private housing market) tobe universally designed.  This survey is about universal design, thus,includes, but is not limited to, features of Visit-Ability and accessibility. Questions are asked about design features and products and respondentsselect whether each particular feature is essential to universal design(Level 1), enhances universal design (Level 2), or should not be includedas a feature of universal design (Level 3). 

The results ofthis survey may be used to inform housing professionals (educators, policymakers, designers, builders and developers) as they develop strategiesto promote universal design in housing. Your participation in this surveyis strongly encouraged, especially if you have a working knowledge of universaldesign and housing.  Your participation is critical as we move towardmaking universal design the standard for the design and construction ofnew, single family housing, rather than the exception.

The survey maybe taken on line or with a paper copy.  It will take you approximately30 minutes to complete.  You can access the survey on-line (see below)or request a hard copy by contacting Dr. Sandra C. Hartje, Associate Professorof Interior Design and Housing, Seattle Pacific University at shartje@spu.eduor 206-281-2204. 

The survey isavailable at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2NPPH7K3

UDEO- Calendar and Calls/Competitions

The UniversalDesign Education Online’s Upcoming Calls and Competitions page lists severaldesign competitions and opportunities that have social justice components.These competition listings and links promote critical investigation intothe ways that designers address social equity and cultural differences.Professors and students might find interesting opportunities for both studioand independent work. The listings are updated monthly, and there is anarchive of past competitions for your reference. 

Also, the UniversalDesign Education Online’s Calendar of Current Events announces many conferencesand events that address issues of diversity and inclusion in design. Theselistings give professors and students an excellent overview of what ishappening worldwide in specific areas such as information design, interiordesign, community development, urban design, environmental design, engineering,industrial design, architecture, landscape architecture, aging, tourism,and globalization.  As with the competition page, the listings areupdated monthly, and there is an archive of past events for your reference. 

The UpcomingCalls and Competition page is available at: http://www.udeducation.org/resources/competitions/showcurrentcompetitions.asp

The Calendarof Current Events page is available at: http://www.udeducation.org/resources/calendar/showcurrentevents.asp

If you have alisting for these pages, please send it to Elaine Ostroff at Elaine@ostroff.org

WORLD

WorldBank Disability Conference

In celebration of the United Nation’sInternational Day of Disabled Persons 2004, the World Bank is holding aconference, "Disability and Inclusive Development: Sharing, Learning, andBuilding Alliances," November 30-December 1, 2004. This conference willbring together hundreds of disability and development experts from aroundthe world who will participate in panel discussions, hear keynote addressesfrom distinguished speakers within the disability and economic developmentcommunities, browse the many disability-related display booths, and shareknowledge on state-of-the-art technology and best practice in disabilitywork. This event constitutes the follow-up to the December 2002 internationaldisability conference.

For full conference details, see:http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTSOCIALPROTECTION/EXTDISABILITY/0,,content
MDK:20241693~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282699,00.html

Calendar

Though the maincalendar portion was sent out earlier, there is one errata.

ERRATA … WhiteHouse Conference is: October 23-26, 2005 and not October 23-26, 2004 aspreviously stated.

Global Universal Design Educator'sNetwork e-mail list

Addingyour information, questions to the Online News: 

To subscribe to the OnlineNews, send an e-mail message to the same address. There is no charge. 

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