April-May 2004

Several projects have an international focus: the Student Design Competition for Designing for the 21st Century is still open; the US Access Board has compiled international resources in acoustics; Include 2005 invites your participation (UK) in their 3rd biennial conference and a Dubai-based magazine Architecture+ invites design proposals from the "emerging world." A range of educational activities are noted: US accessible distance learning resources, an online course, Building Careers in Design, the City of London is hosting a European-wide conference, Child in the City, and the United Kingdom Institute for Inclusive Design has a new website. You can learn about a US architecture firm who champions Visitability and about one US family’s process to create a ‘Home for the Next 50 Years.’ Media resources include a Guild of Accessible Web Designers (UK); the British Film Institute’s new media resource pack; the Universal Design Education Online website, and an online version of a well-regarded video, Unlimited by Design (US).

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

NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL NETWORK

AUSTRALIA

The Australian Government has proclaimed 2004 to be the Year of the Built Environment. The quality of the built environment makes a vital contribution to the lifestyle of every Australian and its enhancement makes a major contribution to the prosperity of our nation. The aim of the Year of the Built Environment is to encourage Australians to celebrate and understand how the built environment makes a difference to their quality of life and to foster a sense of community and purpose by setting directions for a positive and sustainable future.

One of the major themes is "Design for All." From the shopping centre to the retirement village, architectural values are beginning to have acceptance in the wider community, through better understanding and higher expectations. Yet affordable housing is often directly related to poor design. This theme and its sub-themes (Architecture for All, Engineering for All, and Landscaping for All) examines the relationship between affordability and design, and what the possibilities are for making good design more widely available. It explores how a change in government policies can encourage better design, and how technologies and buying patterns are influencing the architecture and design of our cities. Design for All considers issues of accessibility, affordability, and quality design for all Australians. Well-designed cities, landscapes and buildings are an important aspect of a healthy society, and a legacy for future generations.

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

The paper explains that the challenge of the ageing demographic is reflected across the western world. ‘The Australian population most closely resembles that of the United States of America, with our older population also set to rise exponentially. In a recent dramatic revision of the nation's official population projections, the Australian Bureau of Statistics estimates that Australia had 13% of its population at or over age 65 in 2002, and that is projected to go to 27% in 2051. Of this group, there will be more than five times as many Australians aged 85 and over as there are now. The over-85 group will experience the highest growth rates of all (see Australian Bureau of Statistics, Population projections, Australia, 2002 to 2101)’.

CANADA

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

IRELAND

"Inclusive Design Through Home Adaptations"

To Mark the European Year of People with Disabilities, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive at the Breaking the Barriers Conference in Belfast, launched "Inclusive Design Through Home Adaptations" a guide detailing the route to providing a successful adaptation. The intent is to make design guidance available to all those involved in meeting the needs of the more vulnerable members of the community. Universal design is influencing new build housing through the use of features such as level access and wider doorways to all new dwellings. These features make it easier for people with disabilities to visit neighbors and this promotes social inclusion. Design features do not just impact on those with mobility problems. An inclusive approach to community needs also raises awareness about how housing design can meet the requirements of people with visual or hearing impairments, mental health or learning difficulties, as well as people with restricted mobility.

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

JAPAN

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

NORWAY

Program of Action for Universal Design

UNITED KINGDOM

Child in the City

The purpose of this two and a half day international conference is to bring together social scientists, policy makers, planners and practitioners to share current thinking and disseminate good practice on one of the most pressing challenges facing urban governments: integrating the play and recreational needs of children within the planning, design and governance of the modern city. The conference will have a broad focus exploring the complex and multifaceted dimensions and interrelationships of children's lives, play and the city. It will look at children's social and environmental needs as young citizens and how they can be integrated more effectively into community and local governance processes.

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

During the 2003 European Year of Disabled People, the British Film Institute, in partnership with Disability Equality in Education, developed an educational resource pack, supported by in-service training for teachers and cinema-based events for primary and secondary pupils. Additionally, the associated web site provides a wealth of information on how disability has been represented in moving image from the earliest days.

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

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

Include 2005 will take place at the Royal College of Art, London, UK, 5-8 April 2005. Abstracts are due by 1 June 2004. At Include 2005, international figures in inclusive design will discuss academic, conceptual and commercial work on topics ranging from fashion to workplace design, transport to domestic interiors and interaction design. We aim to keep delegates up to date with inclusive design thinking and practice, to facilitate a creative, interdisciplinary atmosphere and to empower them to return to their organizations with valuable new ideas and know-how. A special feature of Include 2005 will be an exploration of the experience of leading design consultancies who have competed in five years of the DBA design challenge.

Better quality housing designed to adapt to changing household needs is the aim of a review of building controls announced on 10th March 2004 by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. Existing building regulations on accessibility could be strengthened by introducing the 'Lifetime Homes' standard - a series of design features to ensure that new or converted houses and flats have flexibility built in at the design stage. Possible features could include: Stairs designed to take a stair lift at a later stage, Ground floor bedroom/WC, and Ground floor space for installation of a shower if required.
Parents of young children through to frail, older people and those with temporary or permanent disabilities will be among the many who could benefit from the forthcoming review of Part M of the building regulations. In particular, the change would allow people to remain in their own homes for longer as they age or their circumstances change.

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

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

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

Access E-Learning (AEL) from the Georgia Tech Research on Accessible Distance Education (GRADE), Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) is a free, ten-module tutorial that is a resource for those seeking to make their distance education accessible for individuals with disabilities. AEL offers information on the most common needs in distance education, and provides instruction in techniques that will enhance the usability of online materials for all students.

'Building Careers in Design' is a new college level online course for career and vocational counselors. This 6-week 30 CRC credit course begins June 21 and is offered through the Interwork Institute of San Diego State University, in cooperation with Adaptive Environments, Boston, MA. Daniel Hunter, ASLA, is the course instructor and Jacklyn Butcher, CRP, is course facilitator. The course fee is $175.

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

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

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

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

British building standards have recently been strengthened by new requirements for school acoustics. Enforcement of limits on background noise (35dB(A)) and reverberation time (0.6 seconds) in new classrooms began in July 2003 under Education Regulations 1999, SI 1999 No. 2 and Requirement E4/Part E/Schedule 1, 1 of the Building regulations 2000. The standards are outlined in Building Bulletin 93 (replacing Building Bulletin 87), a comprehensive specification and detailed technical assistance document available from: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/resourcesfinanceandbuilding/
schoolbuildings/designguidance/sbenvironmentalhs/acoustics/. The new regulations respond to findings from several researchers that document excessive noise and attendant lack of speech intelligibility in existing schools in England, Scotland, New Zealand, and elsewhere.

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

The U.S. Access Board has embarked on an ambitious outreach program to introduce parents, educators, and school administrators to a new U.S. standard on classroom acoustics, ANSI/ASA S12.60-2002 'Acoustical Performance Criteria, Design Requirements and Guidelines for Schools'. Developed by a working group of the Acoustical Society of America and other key stakeholders and supported by the Access, the voluntary standard -- it must be formally adopted by a jurisdiction to become enforceable -- contains background noise and reverberation limits that parallel those in the U.K. standard.

New Jersey, Connecticut, Maryland, and Minnesota are currently considering use of the ANSI/ASA standard to guide new school construction. The California Coalition for High-Performing Schools is also taking a look at limiting noise in classrooms. Many departments of education (New York State, Minneapolis, Washington State, others) have internal guidelines on classroom acoustics for new school construction with similar background noise/reverberation time limits to those of the U.S. and international standards. Parents in several states are also using the ANSI/ASA standard to obtain IDEA accommodations for their hearing-impaired children attending public schools. Other kids at particular risk of academic delay in noisy classrooms include children who have learning disabilities of various types, kids for whom English is a second language, and children who have temporary undiagnosed hearing loss due to earaches, colds, and asthma. The Access Board hopes that the International Code Council will eventually incorporate the key limits of the ANSI/ASA standard in the International Building Code, which already contains acoustical requirements for multi-family housing.

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

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

The National Endowment for the Arts announces its '04 Request for Proposals for Universal Design Projects in response to recommendations emanating from the October 2-3, 2003 meeting. "Envisioning Universal Design: Creating an Inclusive Society." This Program Solicitation requests proposals to carry out a project that will create greater public awareness of and demand for universal designed environments, by educating designers, consumers, educators, developers, city planners, and others on this important design process. The successful proposal must outline a project that will involve collaboration with the targeted audiences, using innovative strategies in order to meet the broad social need, while bringing universal design into the mainstream.

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

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

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

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

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

The National Center for Disability Services has recently made available the popular video production "Unlimited by Design", produced by the R.E.R.C. on Universal Design in 1999. This 19-minute video introduces the Unlimited By Design exhibit, which was originally exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution/Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum in 1999. The contents of this web video were developed as a product of the RERC.

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

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

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

The Tunnell-Spangler-Walsh website says, in part: "TSW is currently working with Concrete Change and the EasyLiving Home program to spread the word that new housing can be both welcoming to persons with disabilities and aesthetically pleasing. Both are active participants in the Visitability movement, an effort to incorporate basic access in all new homes...." To see the whole article, plus the images, see www.tunspan.com. This release from Concrete Change also thanks Tom Walsh and Caleb Racicot of TSW and Associates. Visit www.concretechange.org to see their frequently updated "What's New" section.

The recently held "Visual design for an aging population" conference in St. Louis Missouri reminds us of that our dependence on information in print, in the environment and on the internet, increases daily. What are the factors that make design more effective for the older user? How can design strategy impact policy and business? What factors must the designer consider in designing for this audience?

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

The conference website includes some background and information on the speakers who are addressing these issues. See: http://designandaging.org/

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

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Elaine Ostroff, Editor. Director of the Global Universal Design Educator's Network and Founding Director, Adaptive Environments

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

The Global Universal Design Educator's Online News is produced and published through contracts with the Center for Universal Design and the Adaptive Environments Center, in cooperation with the National Institute on Rehabilitation Research.

Global Universal Design Educators Online News

Volume 5 Number 4, April - May 2004

Contents

EDITOR'S NOTE

NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL NETWORK

AUSTRALIA

CANADA

IRELAND

"Inclusive Design Through Home Adaptations"

JAPAN

NORWAY

Program of Action for Universal Design

UNITED KINGDOM

Child in the City

Global Universal Design Educator's Network e-mail list

Adding your information, questions to the Online News: