Links to Media
Built Environment
A Trend With Universal Appeal: Home Design Concept is Moving into Mainstream
Author: Paul Restuccia, The Boston Herald
Date: April 25, 2003
Citation: Boston held its first full-fledged conference on universal design with an emphasis on affordable housing, but the concept is gaining ground among an increasing number of nonprofit and market-rate housing developers who want to build maximum flexibility into their homes. Universal design posits that good design is that which works for the greatest number of people - whether they are old or young, healthy or disabled.
A Whole World of Universal Design
Author: Stephen Milne, Principal at Modernity Design, NYC
Date: Fall 2001
Citation: Published at CORE77. "Integrating Differences: Theories & Applications of Universal Design" was the subject of a symposium given at the Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.) and co-hosted by the State University of New York at Buffalo, New York (SUNY). Organizers assembled an impressive, international list of experts from a variety of disciplines to present the latest in Universal Design applications. This article resulted from that symposium.
Accessibility
Author: Mike Kennedy, American School and University
Date: October 1, 2003
Citation: Since the Americans with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990, schools have upgraded their student housing to provide better accommodations. This article discusses this in the context of a new book by University of Minnesota General College's Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy (CRDEUL). The referenced book is titled Curriculum Transformation and Disability: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education.
Accessibility Regulations and a Universal Design Philosophy inspire the Design Process
Author: Barbara Knecht
Date: 2004
Citation: Instead of stifling creativity, a climate of access pushes architects to be inventive. Accessibility is a mandate; universal design is a movement. Accessible, adaptable, and visitable environments are covered in the codes, standards, and regulations. Architects have practiced "sustainable" and "universal" design since long before they became Sustainable Design and Universal Design. Energy efficiency and accessibility have made their way into the codes. There will always be architects who doggedly meet the minimum prescribed standards, but the best examples of both will continue to come from those who embrace the concepts, push the technology, and use them as a platform for invention.
Accessibility, usability and universal design
Authors: Susanne Iwarsson, Agneta Ståhl
Date: 1/2003
Citation: Article appears in Lund Virtual Medical Journal (Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, Sweden), February 2003 Issue. The article originally appeared in Disabil Rehabil 2003 Jan 21;25(2):57-66. Susanne Iwarsson and Agneta Stahl use a synthesizing approach in positioning and defining three key concepts used in disability research and also applied in community planning: accessibility, usability and universal design.
Accessible Design Should be a Given
Author: Whitney Gould
Date: June 2003
Citation: If more architects were disabled, it's a good bet that our buildings and bridges would be more accessible. But in most cases, you probably wouldn't even notice. Accommodations for people of all degrees of physical ability and infirmity would be seamlessly incorporated from the get-go…. But in the 21st century, there is no excuse for making inclusiveness an afterthought. It should be a given.
Affordable Housing: Designing an Amercian Asset
Author/reviewer: Architecture Week
Date: Spring 2004
Citation: Description of an exhibit at The National Building Museum (February 28-August 8, 2004). The 18 projects illustrated in this exhibition, from across the nation and in a range of urban and rural settings, demonstrate that well designed developments can offer new opportunities for the least wealthy Americans, while creating real value as assets for their surrounding communities. The projects show an increased recognition of the needs of tenants, and display sensitivity to the human experience in all spaces, from public and private areas to transition spaces such as entrances, porches, lobbies, hallways, and foyers. Many provide flexibility for different family types, easy expansion, and personalization.
Are We Ready for Elderly Tourists?
Authors: SOCIO Economic & Environmental Research Institute
Date: 2004
Citation: Tourism is an important foreign exchange earner for Malaysia and the elderly tourist sector is a growing one. The purpose of this article is to highlight the increasing number of elderly tourists, the need for barrier-free and accessible tourist spots to cater for this segment of tourists, the existing state of such facilities in major Malaysian cities and finally
the resources available to make Penang a barrier-free tourist destination. (Note that this publication is in PDF and may not be accessible to all)
the resources available to make Penang a barrier-free tourist destination. (Note that this publication is in PDF and may not be accessible to all)
Awareness Days: Some Alternatives to Simulation Exercises
Author: Art Blaser
Date: 9/2003
Citation: Originally the cover story in the September/October Disability Rag's Ragged Edge print magazine, this is now posted in the online version of Ragged Edge.
Building a world fit for people: "Nothing about us without us"
Reviewer: Maria Morskieft
Date: 11/2002
Citation: Review appeared in Disability World,in the November-December 2002 issue of the e-zine which is published bi-monthly. An excerpt notes, "The book celebrates the inspiration these designers have given to their colleagues, to their surroundings and to the designing world in general ... and they show the importance of seeing people with a disability not only as consumers of design but also as a source of information or as a designer themselves."
Can Accessible/Universal Design Also Be Aesthetic?
Author: Karen G. Stone
Date: 2000
Citation: Published on DisWeb (a platform for issues of concern to people with disabilities and others who wish to increase their awareness of these issues), sponsored by Candy & Charles Creative Concepts. The author’s personal quest for aesthetically pleasing accessible/UD homes that entailed photographing Scandinavian homes with accessible and universal design features (also see companion article, Photographs Demonstrating Aesthetic Universal Design which actually shows the author’s photographs.)
Chicago Botanic Garden Enables Hobbyists of All Ages, Abilities
Author: AIA
Date: 2004
Citation: For the many who visit the Chicago Botanic Garden, the 11,000-square-foot Beuhler Enabling Garden is their own piece of heaven in the luscious greenery. Desirous of a place to dig dirt or prune plants but unable to pursue traditional “hands and knees” gardening, they come to the Chicago garden to find the tools that can help them partake in a favorite activity at any age, ability, or stage of life.
Doing Universal Design
Reviewer: B.J. Novitski
Date: 1 August 2001
Citation: CD-ROM Review: Universal Design Exemplars by the Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University, 2000
How to Retire at Home
Author: Allan Nakatsui, Architectural Engineer with Access
Citation: Most of us have dreams of retiring in our own homes and never having to move again. Unfortunately, life happens, and many of us will have to give up this dream due to a mobility issue related to aging, an injury, or a medical condition. The article discusses how the right renovations can make this possible with reference to Canada.
Interiors by Design, Bringing down the barriers
Author: Emmet Pierce, San Diego Union-Tribune Staff Writer
Date: 10/13/2002
Citation: Article appears on Am Able site and it originally appeared in The San Diego Union - Tribune; Oct 13, 2002; pg. I.1 Accessible housing advocates Susan Mack and Robert Novick are on the same journey, but they've taken distinctly different paths. Mack, an occupational therapist, has worked with Pacific Century Homes to create 17 "universal design" houses in suburban Murrieta. ....
Link to Review of Universal Design Handbook
Reviewer: A. Vernon Woodworth
Date: 9/2002
Citation: Sept/Oct 2002 issue of ArchitectureBoston
Notes from Metropolis: Inclusion
Author: Susan S. Szenasy, Editor in Chief
Date: August/September 2002
Citation: There's only one man in a wheelchair inside the cavernous Schimmel Auditorium and he's behind the last row of seats. He's attending a public hearing about the future of the World Trade Center site. Real issues like how to build the twenty-first-century city and make it accessible, environmentally sensitive, poetic, inspiring, secure (for users as well as for their protectors, like firefighters and police) were on the public's agenda that night. The article addresses the meeting and the author’s reaction.
Recent Columns from Louis Tenenbaum
Author: Louis Tenenbaum, Independent living strategist, co
Date: 1/2000-Present
Citation: Mr. Tenenbaum is a regular columnist for HousingZone.com. The titles of the archived articles are: Visitability and National Aging in Place Week, The Basics, The Senior Network, Universal Design: For Now and Later, Universal Guidelines, Understanding the Seniors Market, What is Remodeling to Age in Place?, Senior Remodeling and other titles.
Responses of the Public to Residential Universal Design Features
Authors: Margaret A. Christenson, MPH, OTR, FAOTA, et al
Date: 2000
Citation: Lifease® conducted a survey on a home with Universal design features. This house was visited by several thousand people. They were asked to respond to several of the features included in the home. The results of that survey are included in this article.
Ropes Courses for All
Authors: Karyn Martin, Bob Fulton
Date: March/April 1999
Citation: Originally appeared in Camping Magazine (publication of American Camping Association) and available from Universal Bridges. The time for universal concepts and inclusion in ropes courses has arrived. While not every camp can meet every inclusion need, every camp director can begin to incorporate universal concepts into their camp’s challenge activities. Also available in .pdf
Strive for Universal Utility
Author: Daphne Allen, Editor
Date: September 2003
Citation: Originally Published in PMPN (Pharmaceutical and Medical Packaging News), September 2003, and available on it’s affiliate web site Medical devicelink. Universal Design encourages drug packagers to do something new—to consider every user during design. Even CPSC’s test protocol doesn’t do that, leaving out of its testing the oldest of seniors. Perhaps Universal Design will help refine today’s packages so that no one is left behind.
Technology’s helping hand
Author: In-Sung Yoo, USA Today
Date: 7/6/2003
Citation: On July 7, 2003, USA Today featured the RERC on Technology Transfer (T2 RERC) in an article highlighting the universally-designed "Lids Off™ Jar Opener" that is now marketed by Black and Decker. The article discusses the principles of Universal Design and briefly describes NIDRR's Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) program.
The Universal Design Home
Author: Deena Maniscalchi
Citation: Excerpted from the Springfield Union News and available at The Home Store web site. Have you ever noticed that most houses have been designed and built to suit the "average" American adult... a young, able-bodied, six-foot tall male. Realistically, this does not describe the average home dweller. The result: a home where light switches are too high for children, electrical outlets too low for the arthritic, .... Welcome to a new era in housing design - The Universal Design Home, a residence that has been created to be usable by all family members, whether young or old, physically fit or challenged.
Universal Design
Author: James Rydeen, American School and University
Date: May 1, 1999
Citation: Article discusses how converting an existing school into a user-friendly building for all students, staff and community presents one of the most unique challenges for a school district. Many people do not understand the difficulties encountered in remodeling for the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), or for the curriculum, and program enhancements and entitlements that have been added and mandated by state and federal governments.
Universal Design and Preservation Can Live Under the Same Roof
Author: Ryan Suda
Citation: Published at Half-the-Planet.com. Often, those features that characterize a building as historic are the very elements that pose obstacles to accessibility. Reconciling the demands of preservation and accessibility requires flexibility, and a willingness to think beyond the details of legislation. This article talks about a couple of historical renovations and the related accessibility issues.
Universal Design Handbook
Reviewers: Cherie Lebbon, Pamela Heckel, Sally Levine, Steve
Date: 2/2002-3/2002
Citation: Customer reviews, Amazon.com
Universal Kitchen and Bathroom Planning: Design That Adapts to People
Reviewer: David Wihowski
Date: 9/5/2000
Citation: Customer Review, Amazon.com
Information Design
A Multimedia Resource for Inclusive Community Service
Authors: Institute for Community Inclusion and Emily E. Mil
Date: 2002
Citation: Supporting efforts by the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to increase the participation of people with disabilities in national service programs, a CNCS Fellow documented the exchange of talents and opportunities between national service programs and individuals with disabilities. This resulted in a multimedia resource, part documentary and part training tool, featuring voices, images, and ideas meant to bolster the inclusion of people with disabilities and the communities in which they serve.
Anyone, Anywhere Access to Community-oriented Services
Authors: Pier-Luigi Emiliani, Michael Pieper, et al
Date: July 2001
Citation: ERCIM News online edition, No.46, July 2001. PALIO, a new project recently funded by the European Commission’s Information Society Technologies (IST) Programme, builds on previous European research and technological development efforts to provide a novel understanding of anyone, anywhere access to community-oriented services. This brief article reports on the aims and objectives of the project, as well as its potential contributions to the universal access community in Human Computer Interaction.
In Other Words … Communicating Across a Life Span … Universal Design in Print and Web ....
Author: Helen Osborne, M.Ed, OTR/L, President, Health Lite
Date: 1/2001
Citation: Article appears in On Call, January 2001 issue. Universal design is an approach to design that not only addresses specific physical disabilities, but also takes into account a wide array of physical, cognitive, and linguistic abilities of people throughout the world over an entire life span. This article includes some ways health care providers can use universal design principles in print and Web-based communications.
Learning-Impaired Prod Changes
Author: Arlene Levinson, AP National Writer
Date: September 2000
Citation: Originally at dailynews.yahoo.com and now available via Cal State San Marcos web site. A terrific teaching article about how even small changes based on "ADA compliance" actually facilitate different learning styles.
The Application of Universal Instructional Design to ESL
Author: Kregg C. Strehorn, Universidad Católica de Temuco,
Date: March 2001
Citation: Published in The Internet TESL Journal, Vol. VII, No. 3, March 2001. UID aims at full inclusion in the classroom by viewing all students within a continuum of learning abilities. Thus, a course “no matter the subject” can be designed in which an array of learning approaches and teaching strategies are stressed so that all students can participate fully despite any type of learning style or disability. The author believes that ESL and UID are a natural fit.
The Design of Accessible Distance Education Environments That Use Collaborative Learning
Authors: Katrina T. Schenker & Lawrence A. Scadden, Ph.D.,
Date: January 2002
Citation: Published in Information Technology and Disabilities, Vol. VIII No. 1 January, 2002. ISSN 1073-5127 It is assumed that new technology enhances opportunities for disabled students in higher education. Adequate research data is needed to assess the effectiveness of technology for enhancing learning and to demonstrate how people who have been marginalized by social, economic, and physical situations best use the technology. This article reports the goals and efforts of a pilot project designed to study the development and testing of optimal methods for facilitating learning through the use of information technology by all students, including those with disabilities.
The Inclusive Design Guidelines for HCI
Reviewer: Rita Lauria
Date: July 2003
Citation: In Inclusive Design Guidelines for HCI, editors Colette Nicolle and Julio Abascal pull together a wealth of advice for human-computer interaction (HCI) practitioners and present a range of inclusive design guidelines that exist for HCI.
Universal Design for Learning
Author: David Rose, Assoc. Ed., with Bob Dolan, Guest
Date: Fall 2000
Citation: JSET (Journal of Special Education Technology, Volume 15, Number 4, Fall 2000. Educational assessment can be used to inform student instruction, assuming it is used properly. However, this powerful educational tool is used improperly far too often. This column discusses some of the limitations of current assessment practice and how application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) concepts can improve assessment accuracy and its applicability to instruction.
Universal Design Makes Assessments Fairer and More Accurate
Author: Brian Doore, University of Maine, CCI
Date: Winter 2002
Citation: Published in Facts Online, the newsletter of LEARNS (Maine’s Statewide Systems Change Initiative for Inclusive Education), Volume 6, Winter 2002. Right now there is a revolution happening at test development centers around the nation and around the world. Principles of Universal design are being applied to one of the most influential aspects of education – assessment. This revolution began in architecture, and is now spreading to all aspects of education, including assessment.
Universal Design of Distance Learning
Author: Sheryl Burgstahler, PhD, University of Washington
Date: 1/2002
Citation: Published in Information Technology and Disabilities, Vol. VIII No. 1 January, 2002. ISSN 1073-5127 The article discusses how “Increasing access to more students is a common reason given for providing instruction in a distance learning format. However, these access arguments usually focus on people separated by distance and time and rarely include consideration of students with disabilities. In fact, the design of many distance learning courses erects barriers to the full participation of students and instructors with some types of disabilities.”
Universal Design: Is It Really About Design?
Author: Jim Tobias, Inclusive Technologies
Date: December 2003
Citation: Universal design (UD) of information technology products is usually portrayed as either an approach to design or a set of recommended and deprecated features. In either case, the focus of UD advocates has been on design per se. However, there is evidence that informational issues are the principal barriers to broader market success for UD. Consumers (and clinicians, caregivers, and third-party payers) are not sufficiently aware of the benefits of “UD products” or mobilized to shop for them.
