June-July 2004

Ten countries are representedin this issue. Check out the policy-related efforts in Afghanistan, Venice,and the United Kingdom "Access Statements." Learn more about universaldesign in information and learning from three sources: the RNIB anda journal in the UK and at the US-based AHEAD conference. Review the upcomingconferences: Designing for the 21st Century III has the extraordinary fullprogram online and an urban design conference is being developed in Bahrain.Check out the continuing concern for housing in the research project inPortugal, between a university and industry, more information from theUK on Lifetime Homes, and the US opportunity to replicate the successfulEasy Living Home (cm) program that began in Georgia. Think about the awardsand competitions you might enter: they include the UK access areas awardand two in the US: the Dyson/IDSA industrial design student competitionand the PVA awards. Enjoy the many examples and resources from Toyota inJapan, the UK’s new website for inclusive design at the RSA and books soldin the US through the mass retailer, Home Depot. Don’t forget user needs:see the Australian journal and the US-based survey on consumer productsfrom Georgia Tech.

NOTE: the June-July Calendarwas sent earlier. We will continue this practice in the future, to minimizethe length of the issue. Information from the Online News may be freelycopied and quoted as long as the individual author, and/or web site andthis 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

AFGHANISTAN

In late 2003, the Afghan Task Forceon Disability completed the Comprehensive National Disability Policy underthe framework of the National Constitution. The vision of this ComprehensiveNational Disability Policy is to create a barrier-free society in Afghanistanbased on the principles of participation, integration and the equalizationof opportunities, defined by the United Nations in its World Programmeof Action concerning Disabled Persons; the Standard Rules for the Equalizationof Opportunities for Disabled Persons; The Biwako Millennium Frameworkfor Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights-based Societyfor Persons with Disabilities in the Asia and Pacific region, and morerecently in the elaboration for the International Convention to Protectand Promote the Rights of Disabled Persons.

AUSTRALIA

The current issue (#1-2004)of this on-line publication is titled "Using it all up - user centred design."The theme is intended to provoke exploration of the potential contradictionsof user-centred design defined here as an advocated disposition towardsdesigning. User-centred design is often promoted as ‘socially responsible’because it focuses on how people actually interact with specific productsand designed environments, rather than prioritising product form and appearance.The papers published constitute a broad spectrum of understandings anddispositions towards user-centred design and its perceived problems.

BAHRAIN

Heritage,Globalization and the Built Environment

BRAZIL

You can now review the wide-rangingprogram for the Designing for the 21st Century III: An International Conferenceon Universal Design at the conference website: http://www.designfor21st.org/. The conference will be held December 7-12, 2004 in Rio de Janeiro withmore than 200 sessions over the course of six days. There are multipleopportunities for the growing number of practitioners and promoters ofuniversal design worldwide to engage with each other as multi-disciplinarycolleagues. Designers, educators, leaders from disability, aging and sustainabilityorganizations, business, media and government are invited to participatein this extensive, in-depth event.

The opportunities for intensiveinteraction and participation include the Pre-conference charettes, mostof which take place in local settings in collaboration with local agenciesand organizations; the Working groups during the Core conference and inthe Post conference sessions: the International Educator’s Forum and LatinAmerican Strategic Planning Forum.

Adaptive Environments, a25-year-old USA-based non-governmental organization, continues in its roleas primary Host for the Designing for the 21st Century Conferences. Centrode Vida Independente do Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), the first independentliving center in Latin America, is Host Partner. Co-Sponsors are NEC Foundationof America, the United Nations Global Programme on Disability and the UniversalDesign Consortium (Japan). Metropolis magazine is Media Sponsor.

Presenters are from 32 differentnations and conference delegates are expected from at least 50 nations.Globally, English is the dominant language in over 60 nations and commonlyunderstood as the lingua franca of the present time. However, Designingfor the 21st Century III is about dialogue across cultures. Braziliansspeak Portuguese and the rest of the hemisphere speaks Spanish. All Pre-Conferencesessions and as many Core Conference sessions as possible will be simultaneouslytranslated into Portuguese, and to the maximum extent possible, also intoSpanish.

Keynote speakers and presentersinclude: Francesc Aragall, President, Design for All Foundation, Barcelona,former President, European Institute on Design and Disability, Spain; SingapalliBalaram, Principal Designer and Senior Professor at the National Instituteof Design, the Head of the Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Chairpersonof Knowledge Management Centre, India; Roger Coleman, Professor of InclusiveDesign, Co-Director of the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal Collegeof Art (RCA), UK; Jean-Pierre Gonnot, Chief, Inclusive Development Section,DESA, United Nations; Judy Heumann, World Bank, Advisor on Disability andDevelopment, USA; Jaime Lerner [Invited], President, International Unionof Architects, former Mayor of Curitiba and Governor of Paranha, Brazil;Patricia Moore, internationally known gerontologist and industrial designer,USA; Jim Sandhu, Principal, Inclusive Design Research Associates Limited,former President, European Institute for Design and Disability, UK; SusanSzenasy, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolis magazine, USA; Riadh Tappuni, Ph.D.,Senior Urban Development Officer, UN Economic and Social Commission forWestern Asia, Beirut, Lebanon; C.J. Walsh, Chief Technical Consultant,Sustainable Design International Ltd., Member, EU 2004 Working Group onUrban Environment Research, Ireland; Lesley Kanes Weisman, Professor Emeritus,New Jersey Institute of Technology and author of more than 50 texts includingDiscrimination by Design: A Feminist Critique of the Man-Made Environment,USA; and John Zeisel, Ph.D., Co-Founder and President of Hearthstone AlzheimerCare, author of many books and articles including Inquiry by Design: Toolsfor Environment-Behavior Research, USA.

Details of sessions and presentersfor all three elements of the Designing for the 21st Century III conference,the Pre-Conference Intensive Sessions, the Core Conference and the Post-Conference,can be found on the conference website, at: http://www.designfor21st.org/

GREECE

OlympicGames and Accessibility

ITALY

Venice- Architectural Barriers Plan

The article came courtesy of the 6/14/04issue of buongiorno@veniceword.com. For more news from Venice, visit:www.veniceword.com

Tall, short, male, female, plump, slim,young, mature, elderly-we are all so different in so many ways. This Toyotashowroom offers an opportunity to notice for oneself the importance ofuniversal design, a design approach that strives to accommodate the differencesin the ways individuals use a product.

The House of the Future at Universityof Aveiro (UA CdF) Project aims to establish multidisciplinary R&Dteams from University of Aveiro to participate in the conception and constructionof the House of the Future demonstration unit, whilst promoting their synergiesand their own internal dynamics. This project (UA CdF) is the resultof a successful cooperation between companies from the habitat field (currently12) and the University of Aveiro. This cooperation started with a universityprogram aimed to develop the regional industry, sponsored by the PortugueseMinistry of Economy, but took specific shape around the idea of buildingtogether a House of the Future demonstration unit. The project was namedHouse of the Future (ProjCdf), and its concept has had an impact on theUniversity itself.

The first seminar about universal designfor students and experts in the field of architecture, urbanism, traffic,design and law, organized by the Association of Disabled Students of NoviSad in cooperation with the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University ofNovi Sad, took place in Novi Sad City Hole on April 24, 2004. The goalof this seminar was to inform students and experts about different aspectsof physical accessibility and accessible information by pointing out nationaland international regulations, their implementation, consequences and sanctionsfor not respecting them, as well as the advantages of multidisciplinaryapproach in building an accessible environment.

During the preparation period variousnational, European and American standards and regulations as well as theconcept of universal design development were collected. Most of these textsare now accessible in the Serbian language. About 200 English and Frenchpages have been translated for this occasion and collected in a sort oftextbook that was forwarded to university libraries, institutions for designand building and to organizations of people with disabilities whose representativesattended the program.

The city of Ljubljana(Slovenia) was appointed as the official winner of the European MobilityWeek award 2004. The award, presented by European Commissioner for environmentMargot Wallström during an official ceremony held in Brussels, recognizeslocal action to promote sustainable transport in European cities and towns.Special focus was given to permanent measures taken in favor of the accessibilityof disabled people, theme of last year’s European Mobility Week.

Ljubljana's localauthorities launched several permanent measures in line with the EuropeanMobility Week Charter, including: Increasing of the parking placesfor people with disabilities; Installing ramps for wheelchair users inthe passenger centre of the local public transport operator; Organizinga round table, in close cooperation with the Slovenian National Councilof Disabled People, on bus and bus stop accessibility and the attitudeof drivers towards disabled users.

The Access All Areas Awardsrecognise small and medium sized enterprises that have made their servicesaccessible to disabled people in innovative and creative ways. The Awardsare run by the Department for Work and Pensions and supported by Vodafone. The closing date for this years entries is 30 September 2004. Theweb site includes information about last years award winners.

The Disability Rights Commission(DRC) has announced the publication of guidance on Access Statements: "Achievingan inclusive environment by ensuring continuity throughout the planning,design and management of buildings and spaces". This is part of acampaign to get information to businesses in advance of October 2004. On October 1, 2004 the new law goes into affect stating that where a physicalfeature makes it impossible or unreasonably difficult for disabled personsto access your goods or services, your organization is required to takereasonable steps to: "Remove the feature;’ or Alter it so it no longerhas that effect; or Provide a reasonable means of avoiding the feature;or Provide a reasonable alternative method of making the service available."

The Joseph Rowntree Foundation/ Habinteg Lifetime homes web site has recently been updated and wortha look at if you are interested in the design of new accessible homes.

Lifetime Homes make lifeas easy as possible, for as long as possible because they are thoughtfullydesigned. They are homes for everyone and bring benefits to anyone wholives in them because of the individual choices that they make possible. The flexibility and adaptability of Lifetime Homes accommodate life eventsquickly, cost-effectively and without upheaval. The site discussesthe 16 Lifetime Homes standards, presents some case studies and has a librarysection that includes information on Design, Planning, Construction, Cost,and 21st Century Living.

On July 12, 2004,the Royal Institute of British Architecture (RIBA) Schools Forum in partnershipwith SENJIT- Institute of Education is hosting a conference on inclusivedesign in schools. Areas to be explored include designing within a DDAframework, Building Bulletin 77 and standardized public sports facilitiesin schools. The conference takes place at the Brunei Gallery at the Schoolof Oriental and African Studies in London's Russell Square and will beaccompanied by a one-day DfES exhibition on exemplary school design andlaunch of a new CABE/RIBA Building Futures publication, Learning Environmentsfor the Future.

Royal NationalInstitute of the Blind (RNIB) has launched a campaign for good web design.Thousands of blind and partially sighted people in the United Kingdom arenow using the Internet to find an enormous amount of information and touse services that were previously unavailable to them, such as online shoppingand banking, timetable information, sports results, news, TV and radiolistings, etc. An ordinary computer can be equipped with synthesized speechoutput or braille display technology to enable people who can't see thecomputer screen easily to use the Internet either through sound or by touch.This new technology has the potential to revolutionize the lives of visuallyimpaired people, who until now have been forced to rely on other peoplefor information. However, the technology for visually impaired people relieson good web site coding, and will only work properly if web pages are writtenin correct HTML (hypertext mark-up language). Blind people find many websites unusable because the coding falls below an acceptable standard. RNIBfeels this is unacceptable. In some cases, it may also be unlawful.

The Royal Societyfor the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures & Commerce (RSA) is collaboratingwith the Design Council to develop online inclusive design resources foreducation and business and design professionals. A new resource will belaunched on 30 June. The resource, RSA Inclusive Design Resource,will make key information available to students, tutors and design professionals.It contains contextual information as well as information on strategies,tools and methods, together with useful case studies. The site itself isan example of inclusive design.

Additionally,RSA has posted the winners of its RSA Design Directions Competition. A campaign to engage greater voter participation, an inclusive transportinterchange, an environmentally friendly bamboo water bottle and stampsbearing a powerful message about genetic modification are among the winningdesigns in RSA Design Directions 2003-04. To be posted by June 30thwill be the winners of the "Inclusive Worlds" category where students weregiven a number of areas/scenarios and asked to submit designs that tookinto account the greatest number of potential users. These areas included,among others, domestic and public environments and how they can be mademore inclusive and more accessible; how interfaces that limit exclusioncan be better designed to accommodate those normally excluded, by providinggreater access and also facilitating greater independence and autonomy;fashion and clothing, and how smart wearables can change lives.

The UniversalAccess in the Information Society (UAIS) Journal solicits original researchcontributions addressing the accessibility, usability and acceptabilityof Information Society Technologies by anyone, anywhere, at anytime, andthrough any media and device. Universal access refers to the systematiceffort to proactively apply principles, methods and tools of universaldesign, in order to develop Information Society Technologies, which areaccessible and usable by all citizens. The Journal's unique focusis on theoretical, methodological, and empirical research, of both technologicaland non-technological nature, that addresses equitable access and activeparticipation of potentially all citizens in the Information Society.

There is a specialissue planned (1 July 2004 deadline) titled "Web and Aging: Challengesand Opportunities." Recent research shows that older adults are beginningto incorporate Web use in their daily activities, mainly because the Webpresents an opportunity for them to maintain a high quality of life. Asa consequence, a variety of new opportunities and challenges related tothe use of the Web by older adults arise in a Universal Access perspective. The main objective of this special issue is to bring together work by researchers,academics and practitioners from various disciplines who are interestedin the interrelationships among web access, web usability and ageing. Contributionson novel methodologies, theories, products and design guidelines that addressthese issues, as well as on related case studies, are solicited.

A special collaboration hasresulted in a new garden at the Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center,a facility for people who are severely disabled, near Seattle, Washington.The garden's design and construction were completed by a design/ buildstudio of two dozen University of Washington students from the departmentsof architecture, landscape architecture, and art. What the studentsfinally produced is not only fully accessible, it inspires the visual,tactile, olfactory, and auditory senses and provides a safe, calming placefor residents to gather or to wander.

The Association on Higher Educationand Disability (AHEAD) conference will take place July 13-17, 2004 in Miami.Thomas Hehir, EdD; Director, School Leadership Program, Harvard GraduateSchool of Education is the conference keynoter, with "Confronting Ableismin Education." AHEAD is the premier networking opportunity for disabilityservice colleagues from around the world.

Multiple sessions on universal designillustrate AHEAD’s commitment to universal design. These include pre-conferenceintensives: Keeping Our Eyes on the Prize: Leadership and Management ofDisability Services; Working with Faculty Toward Universal Design; Aligningthe Pieces: A UDL Approach to Online Learning for All. Concurrent sessionsinclude: Accessibility: More than Ramps and Automatic Doors-Duke University'sCollaboration Dance to Accessibility; Creating Accessible Campus Servicesfor Students with Disabilities: Tools for Professional Development; CreatingAccessible Distance - Learning Websites; Exploring the Equity and ExcellenceUniversal Design for Learning Tool Kit; Increasing Participation, Performanceand Persistence - Universal Design for Learning in Postsecondary Instruction;Making Campus Web Pages Accessible: Policy and Administration; Studentand Faculty Perceptions of Inclusive College Instruction; and UniversalDesign: It's A Big Universe! How Do I Start?

Dyson, Inc. and the Industrial DesignSociety of America, (IDSA) have teamed up to challenge industrial designstudents to create an innovative household product that reflects Dyson'sphilosophy and commitment to intelligent, function-first design and willbe designed to work better by solving a problem. The deadline forsubmission is December 5, 2004. The winning product will reflect Dyson'sphilosophy and commitment to intelligent, function-first design and willbe designed to work better by solving a problem. In addition, the designmust be founded on sound research and human factors. Each entry will bejudged for creativity and ingenuity of features. The competition is opento undergraduate and graduate industrial design students enrolled in anyof the NASAD-accredited (National Association of Schools of Art & Design)degree programs or individual student members of IDSA enrolled in undergraduateor graduate programs.

EasyLiving Home (cm) is the nation'sfirst voluntary certification program that specifies criteria in everydayhome construction to add convenience in new homes and to welcome all friends,family and visitors regardless of age, size or physical ability. Builders pay a small fee per house to receive technical assistance anduse of the EasyLiving Home (cm) brand name, and then an EasyLiving Home(cm) coalition member checks the home for compliance and awards certification.

Officially launched in Georgia in 2001,the program now boasts more than twenty participating Georgia for-profithomebuilders and fifty certified homes…and these numbers are growing.

With "visitability" becoming betterknown nationally, the market for universally designed houses larger thanever, and many inquiries about EasyLiving Home (cm) from around the nation,the Georgia coalition has decided it is time to implement the program beyondGeorgia. Over the next year the Georgia coalition will select coalitionsfrom across the country that want to replicate the Easy Living Home certificationprogram.

They are looking for enthusiastic groupsof people to form coalitions that encompass a large metropolitan area,or a whole state. Each coalition would include for-profit homebuilders—preferablya commitment to full participation from a Statewide or large metropolitanHome Builders Association. It would also include a commitment fromone or more statewide or large metropolitan disability-related organizationssuch as Statewide Independent Living Council, an Independent Living Center,a Governor’s Council on Developmental Disabilities, or similar group.

The coalition should be able to dedicatethe resources for one member or staff person of a Home Builders Associationand one member or staff person of a disability-related organization toattend a two-day Replication Summit to be held in Atlanta (evening of September18 through morning of September 20, 2004). Costs will includeflights, hotel room and meals, and a Summit registration fee.

If you have an interest in gettinginvolved in your state and would like to get more information about thesummit and becoming an official EasyLiving Home (cm affiliate, please emailMettina van der Veen, Replication Project Director, at Mettina@easylivinghome.org,or phone her at 404-723-5503.

The Georgia coalition is grateful tothe National Endowment for the Arts, Universal Design Leadership Initiativefor funding the Replication Project Director position and other replication-relatedcosts. For more information on the program in Georgia, visit their website:www.easylivinghome.org

Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI)is conducting a survey for a research project that is designed to addressthe universal design of consumer-oriented products. The goal of thesurvey is to measure user perceptions of attempts at building accessibilityfeatures into products such as ATMs, cell phones, personal digital assistants(PDAs), on-line training software, distance learning software, voice recognitiontechnologies, and televisions. Respondent’s answers will assist usin judging the impact of efforts of the Federal Government to promote accessibledesign practices. The survey will be open until October 1st 2004.

Meredith Publishing on behalf of HomeDepot has produced two new publications, Bathroom Design and Planning 1-2-3and Kitchen Design and Planning 1-2-3. Significantly, each book includesa chapter on universal design which incorporate the seven Principles ofUniversal Design key design principles: Equitable use, flexibility in use,simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error,low physical effort, size and space for approach use. Photographs showuniversal design at work and inspire readers to invest in design featuresnow that will make their homes free of obstacles and enjoyable for allfor various life's stages and changes. Universal design makes these spacesefficient, usable, and comfortable for all, while still maintaining style.The Center for Universal Design, College of Design, North Carolina StateUniversity, provided in-depth review and editing with the addition of somefeatures and content.

The books may be obtained at your localHome Depot, http://www.homedepot.com , or via Amazon.com, http://www.amazon.com

The LEAD (Leadership Exchange in Artsand Disability) Conference for ADA/504 Coordinators and Accessibility Managersworking at Museums, Theaters, Arts and Performing Arts Centers, Entertainmentand Concert Venues, and Cultural and Arts Service Organizations, will beheld August 12-14, 2004 in Washington, D.C. This is a uniquenational professional network devoted to training emerging leaders whoare dedicated to, not only complying with Federal laws and legislation,but setting the standards for and engaging in best practices in the field.

Training and Conference Highlights:sessions with experts on a wide variety of current and topical accessibilityissues, training on key issues of policy and procedure, exhibit and vendorresources including accessible technologies, effective communication tools,and specific information on products and services, small open forums forexploration of best practices in the field and one-on-one consultationson accessibility for your organization's website. Also, meet and engagein open dialogue with John Wodatch, Chief of the Disability Rights Sectionin the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and shareyour ideas and learn what has helped make other organizations accessibleto people with disabilities.

In conjunction with the National LowImpact Development Conference in Washington, D.C. September 21-23, 2004,we are pleased to announce the National Low Impact Development StudentDesign Competition. This competition is an opportunity for studentsto investigate integrative technologies in sustainable design and environmentalstewardship, compete for design awards and learn about innovative sustainableLow Impact Development techniques. This national competition invites studentsand academic programs to submit design and planning problems and solutionsthat respond to the innovative and creative use of Low Impact Developmenttechniques in the built environment.

Annually, the Paralyzed Veterans ofAmerica (PVA) honors an individual for their outstanding contribution towarda barrier-free environment. The annual presentation of the Barrier-FreeAmerica Award is a chance to recognize an individual for his/her sensitivityto the importance of accessible design, as well as the difference thisindividual has made through a particular project in achieving a barrier-freeenvironment. In 2004, they honored Fredric Bell, FAIA, for the accessibilityof the redevelopment plans for lower Manhattan. The deadline forthis years’ award nominations is November 5, 2004.

The Health andHuman Services Office on Disability is co-sponsoring, with the Centersfor Medicare and Medicaid Services, Fannie Mae Corporation, NCB DevelopmentCorporation, and the Department of Housing and Urban Development, a HousingSymposium for Persons with Disabilities - Understanding Universal Designand Access Modification on June 30,2004.

The SymposiumObjectives are: Help national disability-based constituent organizationrepresentatives understand the important role each has in supporting theirmembership advocacy for and/or sponsoring of homeownership; understandkey aspects of universal design and access modifications/retrofitting,such as financing, policy, and technical design issues, so that personswith disabilities can effectively promote the use of these mechanisms;provide best practices and lessons learned from experts and state and localcommunities in addressing universal design and access modifications; andprovide a roadmap on obtaining residential-based universal design and accessmodifications for persons with disabilities.
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More information,including the agenda, panelist's bios, Power Point presentations, and othersupporting documents will be available at www.hhs.gov/od,posted under "Meetings and Events."

Global Universal Design Educator'sNetwork e-mail list

TheTrace Research and Development Center is the host of the educator’s emaillist. Note that the email list and the Online News are two distinct features.The list is interactive, unlike the Online News that you receive bi-monthly.If you want to be part of an interactive e-mail exchange with other peoplewho are interested in teaching and learning about universal design education,you must subscribe as explained below. Once you subscribe you will receivedirections for how to use the list.

* To subscribe go to http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/universaldesign-edwhere you can subscribe online. You will also learn more about the purposeof the list.

Addingyour information, questions to the Online News:

Tosubscribe to the Online News, 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.

Global Universal Design EducatorsOnline News

Volume5 Number 5, June - July 2004

Contents

EDITOR'SNOTE

NEWS FROM THE GLOBALNETWORK

AFGHANISTAN

AUSTRALIA

BAHRAIN

Heritage,Globalization and the Built Environment

BRAZIL

GREECE

OlympicGames and Accessibility

ITALY

Venice- Architectural Barriers Plan

Global Universal Design Educator'sNetwork e-mail list

Addingyour information, questions to the Online News: