Types of Materials Invited
You are invited to submit several types of materials for possible publication on this site in order to promote universal design within schools and other institutions. We welcome teaching materials as well as resources and information about opportunities to learn or participate in universal design-related activities.
- Program Overview
- Course or Studio Outline
- Course Projects, Units or Lecture
- Student Research or Thesis Project
- Short Event
- Teaching Technique
- Learn
- Resource
- Opportunity to Participate
1. Program Overview
1A. Specialized universal design programs
This could be a graduate program, an undergraduate major, or a certificate
program. What distinguishes this program is that there is some distinct
recognition earned by each student who completes the program. The submission
must include a summary description of the entire program as well as titles
of each component and brief content description. For example, there is
a master's level specialization in Inclusive Design at the University
at Buffalo in the Department of Architecture.
1B. Programs with universal design infused throughout
This could also be a graduate program, an undergraduate major, or a certificate
program. What distinguishes this is that universal design is infused throughout
the curriculum, and there is no special notice or recognition about the
universal design content. For example, the Interior Design program at
Eastern Michigan University has infused universal design content in lecture,
studio and practicum experiences throughout the four-year degree program.
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2. Course or Studio Outline
2A. Courses that focuses on universal design
This is a stand-alone course devoted to the topic. It may be within a
degree program, or part of a continuing education program. For example,
The College of Design at NC State offers an online, semester-long introductory
course in universal design.
2B. Courses with universal design infused throughout
The course content integrates universal design issues and values within
the overall course content. For example, a landscape design course at
the University of Oregon at Eugene addressed social factors in design.
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3. Course Project, Unit or Lecture
This is an independent unit that may be incorporated into a number of courses. These will vary widely in length. A unit can be a single lecture (e.g., introduction to universal design), a week-long sketch problem, or a several-week project. For example, you can see a multi-week module, the Transition Station project that was part of a second-year architectural design studio at the University at Buffalo on this web site. A much briefer example is the module that is part of the Architecture and Human Behavior course at the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee.
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4. Student Research or Thesis Project
We welcome examples of outstanding student projects. Students must submit these projects or theses with the recommendation of the faculty member. For example, graphic design students at the Rhode Island School of Design conducted a research project on accessible web design.
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5. Short Event
This could be a mini-course or institute, a workshop or seminar, a design charette, a design competition, or an exhibit. It is characterized by its occasional quality; it is not an ongoing activity. For example, the Adaptive Environments Center's "Learning by Design" summer workshop for elementary school children involved them in planning a universally designed South Boston Waterfront Park.
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6. Teaching Technique
6A. Teaching technique that accommodates
teachers with disabilities and/or unique styles
We welcome any details of how you have incorporated your own teaching
style and or personal situation in your teaching. For example, Terry Brown,
landscape professor at the University of Michigan, has developed techniques
over the years that support his changing stamina.
6B. Teaching technique that accommodates
students with disabilities and/or unique learning styles
We invite detailed examples, using specific teaching contexts, of how
you present your teaching so that diverse learners can participate. For
example, in Universal Design in Education (Bowe, 2000), Frank Bowe describes
his presentation methods at Hofstra University so that his multicultural
and other diverse learners can access the curriculum and the overall educational
process.
6C. User involvement method
This specific category invites detailed descriptions of the processes
that you have used, in more than one type of educational context, to engage
the end user. The sources that you use, the agreements that you have with
users, the preparation with the users in advance of their participation,
the preparation of the students, the results of the user involvement -
all the detail that relates to user participation is welcome. For example,
workshops at the Industrial Designers Society of America (IDSA) national
conference in New Orleans, the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC)
regional conference in Tennessee, and the Association of Collegiate Schools
of Architecture (ACSA)/American Institute of Architects (AIA)/Cranbrook
Institute seminar in Michigan involved user/expert participants from nearby
local communities in participatory sessions.
6D. Evaluation method
We want to share the methods by which you evaluate your program, project,
event, and attitudes of participants. If possible, include evaluation
methods for student work in response to both specific assignments in which
you have emphasized universal design as well as other assignments in which
it was not highlighted. What are the indicators that you use? What do
students expect in their evaluation?
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7. Learn
These range from single courses of any length to entire programs that are offered for individuals interested in studying universal design. They include degree programs that contain universal design instruction, programs that lead to a certificate in universal design, single or a series of distance education courses on universal design, short courses or institutes (typically a few days to a few weeks in duration), and continuing education courses (typically a few hours to a single day in length).
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8. Resource
This could be any material that supports the teaching or study of Universal Design such as a white paper, book, bibliography, web site, or other similar material. An annotated bibliography of your "Top Ten Resources" would be a valuable addition. Another example is the comprehensive Universal Design Custom Bibliography Tool that the Trace RandD Center at the University of Wisconsin at Madison offers on their web site.
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9. Opportunity to Participate
This site lists two types of opportunities to participate. The first type are items on a calendar of events that lists all types of conferences, workshops, meetings, and other events that include content on universal design. The second is calls for submissions of manuscripts to publications, and proposals to conferences, as well as entries to competitions that include or feature universal design as a primary judging or selection criterion.
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