Produced and distributed monthly by Elaine Ostroff In cooperation with the Adaptive Environments Center, the Center for Universal Design and the Trace R&D Center; with support from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research

Volume 2, Number 9, December 2000

Contents

EDITOR’S NOTE

This issue includes a mix of news from several countries as well as some local community projects in the United States. We learn about a new center developed in Argentina with a focus on older people, the history of the development of standards for low-floor busses in Australia through a personal account, an elementary school project in disability rights in the US, and two international student competitions – one on the design of urban housing and the other an essay competition on social issues in architecture. The milestone regulations on information technology from the Access Board are introduced and WGBH’s National Center on Accessible Media offers a related product, software guidelines.

Updates are included on two educational opportunities – the winter online course offered by the Center for Universal Design and the Include conference organized by the Helen Hamlyn Research Center.

Information from the Monthly 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 Adaptive Environments web site at:

<http://www.adaptenv.org/global/default.asp?f=5>.  

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NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL NETWORK

ARGENTINA

Third Age Project

Center EA/3E–Architecture Study for the Third Age – in Buenos Aires, sends information about their new work. The following is from their message to the Online News:

The Center EA/3E specializes in the current problem of the living places of older adults, with the development of academic, research and housings projects, to offer adults an answer to their needs.

Academically we have structured a post grade course called “Postgrade of the Third Age Habitat to Universal Design”. This course is heading to the study of gerontology architecture though form the optic of the universal design, inwhich we approach the grown-ups habitat topic and the role that the architect should accomplish to develop new typologies that will give answers to the needs that are generated.

In the research field our Center has developed a project of planning of the physical resources “Master Plan for the Third Age Habitat” in which we have enunciated the need of the third age inhabitants and outlined answers from a gerontology architecture and planning. The purpose of this work is a concrete plan that develops an infrastructure net of physical resources that incorporates answers to new demands through architectural interventions that solve certain requirements.

Based on the Universal Design criterion, that respects the human diversity and promotes the integration and the inclusion of all people in their whole life activities, we have designed a “Tutelary Housings ”project that consists of a group of specially designed housings for third age inhabitants. These houses have common places and services designated to maintain an independent way of life.

What has impelled us to develop this project, is the reality that until now in our country there has not been a project with these characteristics and there is a permanent growing market that doesn’t yet find answers.

Soon you’ll be able to visit our web site, where you’ll have access to all the information about our center. The project team is headed by Norma Sharovsky, Arch., Susana Koham, Arch., Eduardo Frank, Arch. For information contact: <info@centroea3e.com>  

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AUSTRALIA

Busses for All – Developing Standards

Maurice Corcoran wrote this history of the Disability Discrimination Act Standards Project relating to low floor busses. It is a small excerpt from the Institute on Independent Living website at: <http://www.independentliving.org/<, in the front page section on World News.

On October 12, 2000, the Australian Federal Cabinet approved the Draft DDA Transport Standard. The decision requires all intra-city buses to be of low-floor type using boarding aids for wheelchair users in the form of ramps. This article traces the history of the milestone decision as an example and encouragement for the movement for Buses For All in other countries.

ABSTRACT

This paper outlines some of the key events and issues in Australia that have lead to the development of National Standards under the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 (DDA). The Standards will guide the implementation of an accessible public transport system in Australia.

People with physical disabilities have been denied access to public transport in Australia and have had as a replacement segregated, purpose-built ‘taxi services’. These taxi services have been limited in numbers and generally been under resourced, therefore have been unable to provide an equivalent means of transport to that which the general public enjoy. This is now changing and is the result of disability activists lodging successful claims to the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC), claiming discrimination under the DDA.

As a direct result of ‘Landmark Decisions’ and Conciliated Agreements that have been negotiated within these Hearings, State and Federal transport Departments are developing integrated transport systems. A set of National Standards and Guidelines have been developed under the direction of the Australian Transport Council (ATC) to assist in the implementation of accessible transport. In June 1996 these Standards were approved by the ATC as a ‘technically feasible’ way of making public transport accessible and were then subjected to a Regulatory Impact. The development of this regulatory legislation has been frustratingly slow and not without issue. This information paper will outline the significant events from the perspective of a person with a disability who has been directly involved in the process. It also highlights the need for all stakeholders to work through this collaboratively rather than aggressively or defensively.

CONCLUSION

Implementation of integrated - accessible transport systems is occurring around the country in most States and Territories. There is now a growing acknowledgment that people with disabilities have a right to travel on public transport with the general public. The Standards, although not legislated, are being used by all stakeholders as the ‘yard-stick’ to test DDA compliance.

What’s more, the favored technology to enable this to occur with buses, namely low floor buses, are proving to be a success in improving the efficiency of the transport services they operate in. These developments have the potential to entice far more passengers back to the public transport systems and bring with it economies of scale.

People with disabilities and the aged are an ever growing proportion of the population as indicated by the 1998 ABS survey which as one example found that 55% of those over the age of 70 experience some form of handicap. Catering for the access needs of these groups doesn’t hinder the access of others, it’s quite the contrary. Good access features benefits the whole community and they tend to respond through increased patronage. It remains vital that all stakeholders maintain involvement at a National, State and local level as I feel we do have opportunities to collaborate our efforts and achieve a win win situation.

Importantly, some of the most vulnerable and isolated members of the community will now be able to travel around their communities at a reasonable cost. Individuals with disabilities, the aged with mobility difficulties and parents with pushes will now be able to fully participate in their communities.

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UNITED KINGDOM

Include Conference Update

INCLUDE 2001 - an international conference on inclusive design and Communications Venue: 
the Royal College of Art, London, UK
Dates: 18-20 April 2001

WHO ARE THE ORGANIZERS?
INCLUDE 2001 is organized by the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre (HHRC) at the Royal College of Art (RCA) in collaboration with the Contemporary Trends Institute (CTI). The HHRC incorporates Design Age/DAN.

Please contact us in the first instance if you would like to endorse or support the conference in any way.

INFORM YOUR COLLEAGUES:
If you have any colleagues who would be interested in INCLUDE 2001, please forward this e-mail to them. Alternatively, let us have their e-mail and/or fax details and we will arrange for event information to be sent immediately. The conference e-mail addess is mailto://include2001@rca.ac.uk  

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UNITED STATES

Access Board Issues Standards for Electronic and Information Technology

Under standards published by the Board on December 21, 2000, the Federal government will be in the forefront in ensuring access to electronic and information technology. These standards, the first of their kind in the Federal sector, cover various means of disseminating information, including computers, software, and electronic office equipment. They provide criteria that spell out what makes these products accessible to people with disabilities, including those with vision, hearing, and mobility impairments. The Board developed these standards under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act as amended by Congress in 1998. The law applies to all Federal agencies when they develop, procure, maintain, or use such technology. Federal agencies must ensure that this technology is accessible to employees and members of the public with disabilities to the extent it does not pose an “undue burden.” The law directed the Board to develop access standards that are to become part of the Federal government’s procurement regulations. The scope of section 508 and the Board’s standards are limited to the Federal sector.

The new standards provide technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performance-based requirements, which focus on the functional capabilities of covered technologies. Specific criteria cover software applications and operating systems; web-based information or applications; telecommunications functions; video or multi-media products; self contained, closed products such as information kiosks and transaction machines, and computers. Also covered is compatibility with adaptive equipment people with disabilities commonly use for information and communication access.

The standards are based on recommendations from an advisory committee the Board established for this purpose. The Electronic and Information Technology Access Advisory Committee was composed of 27 members representing industry, various disability organizations, and other groups with an interest in the issues to be addressed. The Board published the standards in proposed form on March 31, 2000 and made them available for public comment for 60 days. Over 100 individuals and organizations submitted comments on the standards. Comments were submitted by Federal agencies, representatives of the information technology industry, disability groups, and persons with disabilities. The Board finalized the standards according to its review and analysis of these comments.

The final standards, which will become part of the Federal procurement regulations, will help Federal agencies determine whether or not a technology product or system is accessible. Section 508 uses the Federal procurement process to ensure that technology acquired by the Federal government is accessible. The law also sets up an administrative complaint process which becomes effective 6 months from publication of the Board’s standards.

The Access Board and the General Services Administration (GSA) are directed to provide technical assistance to individuals and Federal agencies concerning the requirements of Section 508. The Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative(FITAI) is an interagency effort, coordinated by GSA, to offer technical assistance and to provide an informal means of cooperation and sharing of information on implementation of Section 508.Under a contract awarded to a private firm in September, the Board is developing training modules and technical assistance materials on the new standards and section 508. Materials to be developed include fact sheets, brochures, answers to frequently asked questions, multimedia presentations, narrated slide shows, practical “how-to” tips on making web sites accessible to people with disabilities, and comprehensive annotated lists of reference materials. Training modules will be available for use by speakers at workshops and conferences. The modules will be designed to meet the needs of various audiences, such as Federal managers, end-users with disabilities, the procurement community, and producers of technology.

In addition, the Department of Education has provided a 5-year, $7.5 million grant to the Georgia Institute of Technology’s Center for Rehabilitation Technology. This grant will provide training and technical assistance on universal design to technology manufacturers, product designers, and purchasers of information technology.

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ACSA/Otis Elevator: International Student Design Competition

URBAN HOUSING PLUS - Integrated Urban Development Solutions 
2000-2001 competition sponsored by the Otis Elevator Company and directed by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture, 1735 New York Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20006 USA. Following is an excerpt from the program announcement. The full details are available on the ASCA web site at: http://www.acsa.org.

BACKGROUND
Throughout the course of modern urban development, one hallmark of a thriving urban core has been the existence of stable residential areas in proximity to the downtown commercial, civic, and cultural centers. Flourishing cities have retained a rich residential mix of generations and incomes, in part because of policies and amenities that have kept the city attractive to them, as well as the existence of diverse and readily available housing integrated with the urban infrastructure.

The mutual dependence among residents, businesses, and their civic and cultural institutions is a central fact that binds them into cohesive communities. Without this close connection, disposable income migrates away from the central core, depriving the city center of necessary resources and resulting in an ultimately unsustainable quality of life. At the same time, housing created independently of supporting infrastructure often lacks essential services, leading to untenable communities disconnected from the previously existing socio-economic network. As a consequence, in many cities, real communities disappear, leaving a city devoid of social cohesion in their place. On the other hand, vibrant urban centers have housing opportunities for people of all incomes and land use plans that facilitate employment, education, culture, recreation, public transportation, and retail.

COMPETITION PROGRAM
With this in mind the competition calls for a housing design that takes into account the competing interests of any urban setting: integrated land use, optimum density, compatibility with existing infrastructure, environmental impact, affordability, contextual appropriateness, preservation, and above all, social need. The underlying theme of the competition calls for a solution that actively engages the social and economic context of its urban setting; in short, a design that redefines the aspirations of your city.

The competition will challenge students from all regions of the world to propose urban development schemes integrating mid-rise housing (five stories and taller) within an existing urban infrastructure, emphasizing mixed-use potential and the socio-economic and physical needs of the resident population in the students’ region. Design solutions that look at master planning as well as the development of specific plan elements are encouraged (though not required); this may take the form of two-tiered programs over the course of one or two semesters, or a more integrated exploitation of multi-disciplinary teamwork.

In developing the design, students must specifically address the following issues:

• responsiveness to the socio-economic and physical needs of a high-density resident population;
  
  

• integration, augmentation, and/or reinforcement of the existing urban infrastructure to provide a sense of community, including provision for mixed-use structures, direct connection with public transport, parking for private automobiles, and incorporation of open space for local recreation;
  
  

•  attention to site-specific issues, such as climate, urban context (including the proposal of an urban typology appropriate to the particular evolutionary stage of the selected city), and cultural responsiveness in the selection of materials and construction techniques;
  
  

• creation of comfortable, modern dwelling space with a human scale, compositional unity, and contextual connection to the surrounding environment;
  
  

• sustainability, both in appropriate building practices and selection of building materials;
  
  

• application of universal design principles, considering people of all ages and physical abilities;
  
  

• the design policies and building regulations set by the local housing authorities.

Recognizing that students from a variety of cultures will be participating in this competition and developing solutions for a specific site in their own cities, the competition program is purposefully open-ended in order to cross cultural boundaries.

COLLABORATIVE PROCESS
The competition program is primarily designed for multi-disciplinary team solutions. Students and faculty sponsors are encouraged to draw upon the expertise and insight of related disciplines as they formulate integrated and comprehensive responses to the issues outlined above. The collaboration of students or faculty in fields such as urban planning, landscape architecture, sociology/urban studies, preservation, environmental science, geography, history, engineering, and economics should actively be promoted in the development of the final design solution.

ELIGIBILITY
The competition is open to teams of upper-level students (third year or above, including graduate students) of architecture and allied disciplines worldwide. All student entrants are required to work under the direction of a faculty sponsor. Submissions should be the work of interdisciplinary teams, although entries from individual students displaying a multi-disciplinary approach will be accepted.

SCHEDULE

1 February 2001 - Deadline for receipt of registrations by ACSA - (there is no fee for registration).

13 April 2001 - Deadline for receipt of entries inWashington, DC. There is no entry fee to participate in the competition.

REGISTRATION

All information and materials needed to successfully participate in the competition are available from the web site. The websites also lists contact people in Otis offices throughout the world.  

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Berkeley Schools Pioneering Disability Rights History Curriculum

Over the course of the next few months, over a hundred students in BUSD will be participating in a landmark disability civil rights history project. The pilot model curriculum is being taught to two fifth grade and two sixth grade classes at Jefferson School and Martin Luther King Middle School. It is being funded by the State of California Department of Rehabilitation and is being conducted by the Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund in Berkeley.

As is widely recognized, Berkeley occupies a special place in the history of the nation’s disability rights movement, a movement whose organizers were key to the passage and implementation of both Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act (the first Federal law guaranteeing civil rights protections to people with disabilities), and the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). As one of the centers of the modern independent living movement, Berkeley is a fitting location to launch a primary and middle school curriculum on disability rights history.

This project represents the first time that any school district in the country has ever incorporated disability rights history into its curriculum. The two one-hour class sessions for each of the classes include a discussion of local and national disability rights history, its relationship to other civil rights movements, the development of the independent living movement, and the emergence of disability civil rights laws. The program is using the age-appropriate text “The Disability Rights Movement” by Deborah Kent, as well as an 18 minute documentary about the 1977 “504 Sit-in” at San Francisco’s Federal Building. Each of the children participating in the program will receive their own copy of the book, and copies will be distributed to each of the BUSD school libraries.

Presenters in each of the classes include people who themselves participated in, and in fact pioneered, the growth and development of this important civil rights movement. The presentation includes a discussion of historical attitudes and stereotypes, what it was like participating in the disability rights movement, and the impact of the disability civil rights advances that have occurred over the past thirty years.

As part of this project, the students will have an assignment to interview someone with a disability; either someone they know among their friends or family circle, or someone on a list we will be giving them. The people on the list can all be contacted by telephone and have agreed to be participants in this project. This assignment will enable the students get a firsthand personal perspective on issues raised in class and will help to incorporate the richness, diversity and wealth of experience of Berkeley’s disability community into the heart of the project.

In the second class, the students watch the “504” video and discuss their interviews. Later this year and into 2001, the project will be networking with disability organizations statewide and nationally to let others know about this project, to encourage similar projects in other parts of the country, and to begin a discussion about how this kind of curriculum can be financed and integrated into regular grade school programs.

We are especially grateful to the teachers and administration of King Middle School and Jefferson for their enthusiastic support, and for enabling us to launch this innovative program in their schools. If you have any questions about this project, please contact Pilot Project Coordinator Kenneth Stein at DREDF (kstein@dredf.org, 510 644-2555).

[Kenneth Stein is the Manger of the ADA Technical Assistance Unit at DREDF.A Jefferson / King parent, Ken was an early staff member of Berkeley’s Center for Independent Living, and was a co-founder and past president of the Berkeley Historical Society.]  

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Berkeley Prize - International Student Essay Contest

http://www.berkeleyprizecompetition.org

The website has all this information as well as good background. The following is a brief excerpt to give you the intent of this process. It’s about ideas and words- not form. Other disciplines may be involved, but the primary author must be an architecture undergraduate student. Ray Lifchez, Department of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley and a name known to many of you, is the Committee Chair.

The Berkeley Prize undergraduate essay competition was established in the Department of Architecture at the University of California, Berkeley to promote architecture as a social art through writing and criticism, two traditionally underrepresented aspects of the architecture curriculum. Architectural history, theory and practice are rich with concepts and realizations of building that signify architecture as a social art. In addressing the questions posed by the Berkeley Prize 2001 essay competition, you will consider this legacy and its relevance to you as future architects.

This year’s competition is dedicated to the memory of Aldo Van Eyck, architect and teacher, whose writings as well as buildings are persuasive evidence that architecture, theoretical and realized, can be conceived as social art.

STAGE 1: TO ENTER THE COMPETITION

• Meet the eligibility requirements

• Write a brief Essay on this question:

Considering what has been and contemplating what must be, what principles and objectives should guide architects committed to the concept that architecture is a social art?

SUBMIT YOUR ENTRY
Online Submission system active December 20, 2000

COMPETITION PROCEDURE

CALENDAR:

STAGE ONE: Opens December 20, 2000; closes midnight, California time, January 31, 2001

STAGE TWO: Opens February 21, 2001; closes midnight, California time, March 15, 2001

Winners Announced: May 1, 2001.

ELIGIBILITY
The 2001 competition is open to undergraduate students enrolled in schools of architecture in Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Students may compete individually or in teams.

There are two stages to the Berkeley Prize Competition. In Stage One entrants will submit a brief first draft (250 words) of an essay and a list of ten relevant sources to the above question.

From these, 25 semifinalists will be selected and asked by email to return to the web site for Stage Two, where they will have the opportunity to provide a response in greater depth that will build upon the original question.

The Berkeley Prize Committee will read these and 5-7 finalists will be selected, at which stage the Prize Jury will be convened to select the winner(s).

LIMITED ENTRY
The web site will accept only the first 300 entries and only one entry per individual or team.  

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Center for Universal Design: Details of Online Course

In response to requests as to what the online course offered this winter at North Carolina State is all about, Molly Story, the instructor provides this detail. You can reach her at <molly_story@ncsu.edu>.

Called ID 492-S, “Special Topics in Universal Design,” the course focuses on the Principles of Universal Design. It is a design course intended for an audience that is broad in discipline/specialty as well as experience. The assignments are sufficiently open-ended that students can investigate whatever is personally meaningful to them. I provide my feedback online to each student on each assignment; the interaction with other students online offers different perspectives that are quite valuable.

I post a new Web page each Monday that contains a review of the assignment from the week before, a lecture, and a new assignment for the coming week (due by Sunday). Students may do their work at any point in the week that is convenient for them.

• WEEK ONE
  Overview of the Course; Introduction to the Medium

• WEEK 2
  Introduction to the Topic and Appropriate Terminology

• WEEK 3
  The History of Universal Design and Accessibility

• WEEK 4
  The Range of Human Abilities

• WEEK 5
  The Diversity that Surrounds You

• WEEK 6
  The Principles of Universal Design

• WEEK 7
  Principle #1: Equitable Use

• WEEK 8

• Principle #2: Flexibility in Use

• WEEK 9

• Principle #3: Simple and Intuitive Use

• WEEK 10

SPRING BREAK

• WEEK 11

• Principle #4: Perceptible Information

• WEEK 12

• Principle #5: Tolerance for Error

• WEEK 13
  Principle #6: Low Physical Effort

• WEEK 14
  Principle #7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

• WEEK 15
  Tying it All Together (week 1 of 2)

• WEEK 16

• Tying it All Together (week 2 of 2)

• WEEK 17
  Course Wrap-Up

To the best of my ability, the course is completely accessible but specific accommodations for individuals with disabilities may be needed and are available on request.

Please contact me if you need more information. Thank you!

Molly Follette Story

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WGBH National Center for Accessible Media - Software Available

CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media announces the publication of “Making Educational Software Accessible: Design Guidelines Including Solutions for Math and Science.”

Educational software publishers interested in making electronic textbooks and other instructional materials useful to as many students as possible will be aided by a new publication from the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM). “Making Educational Software Accessible: Design Guidelines Including Math and Science Solutions” is the result of a three-year, National Science Foundation-funded effort by NCAM which offers a wealth of information for educational designers and developers.

“This document is a truly invaluable resource which the Texas Education Agency will recommend to publishers as they plan development of new multimedia textbooks. This publication fills an immense gap in the body of technical information needed by publishers to produce accessible electronic textbooks for all students.”

Charles E. Mayo
Assistant Director
Textbook Administration
Texas Education Agency

The guidelines are also expected to aid efforts by publishers of Web-based media seeking to comply with existing and pending accessibility regulations on Federal and state levels.

In this document, readers will find:

• a review of current policies requiring the use of accessible educational software;

• a basic understanding of the needs of users with different disabilities;

• a summary of various approaches to serve users with different disabilities;

• specific solutions for designing more accessible software;

• guidelines with specific checkpoints and detailed techniques for implementation.

Technical information covers common development environments and includes references to more detailed accessibility guidelines. In addition, specific guidelines on educational materials are included.

“Adherence to these guidelines by curriculum developers and publishers will make multimedia instructional materials in science and mathematics better for all students, while ensuring that those with disabilities will enjoy a greatly improved learning environment.”

Lawrence A. Scadden, Ph.D.
Senior Program Director
Program for Persons with Disabilities
National Science Foundation

“Making Educational Software Accessible: Design Guidelines Including Math and Science Solutions” is available free of charge in print and on the World Wide Web. Request print copies (bulk orders accepted) through Mary Watkins at 617 300-3700; Mary_Watkins@wgbh.org or read the guidelines online at: ncam.wgbh.org/cdrom.

CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) NCAM and its fellow access departments at WGBH, The Caption Center and Descriptive Video Service®, make up the Media Access Group at WGBH. WGBH pioneered captioning and video description on television, the Web and in movie theaters. NCAM is a founding member of the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). As a research and development department, NCAM works with standards bodies, industry, consumer organizations and educators to develop and implement non-proprietary technical standards for multimedia, advanced television, and convergent media that ease implementation, foster growth and lay common groundwork for equal access to new technologies. For more information, visit access.wgbh.org.  

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Global Universal Design Educator’s Network 
NEW e-mail list

The Trace Center has agreed to host the email list. They host over a dozen lists and have a good, working system. Note that the email list and the Online News are two distinct features. The list is interactive, unlike the Online News that you receive monthly. If you want to be part of an interactive e-mail exchange with other people who are interested in teaching and learning about universal design education, you must subscribe as explained below. If you were subscribed to the original list you will need to re-subscribe. Once you subscribe you will receive directions for how to use the list.

To subscribe send an email message to listproc@trace.wisc.edu, and include the following in the body of the message: 

subscribe UNIVERSAL DESIGN-ED 
your first name 
your last name.

The purpose of the list is explained more fully at this link:

<http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/guest/info/UNIVERSALDESIGN-ED>  

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CALENDAR

March 19-24, 2001: CSUN’s 16^th Annual International Conference, “Technology and Persons with Disabilities” at the Hilton Los Angeles Airport and Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotels,. A Preregistration brochure with complete information about the conference will be available in early January 2001. Check our website regularly for conference information updates at:

http://www.csun.edu/cod/conf2001/genconfinfo/

April 18-20, 2001: Include: Innovation through inclusive design and communication, at the Royal College of Art, London. Organized by the Helen Hamlyn Research Center in collaboration with the Contemporary Trends Institute. <http://www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/events/include/index.html>.

May 3-5, 2001: The Child’s Right to Play: A Global Approach, in Hempstead, NY.  Hofstra Cultural Center, Hofstra University in cooperation with the American Association of the Child’s Right to Play (IPA/USA). See http://www.hofstra.edu/play and http://ipausa.org or email to: < HOFCULTR@Hofstra.edu>

June 1-5, 2001: INCLUSION BY DESIGN - Planning the Barrier-Free World in Montréal, Canada (Palais des Congrès de Montréal). The Canadian Council on Rehabilitation and Work is hosting an international world congress.  See: <http://www.ccrw.org> or contact <ktoupin@ccrw.org>.  

June 21-24, 2001: Democracy, Diversity & Disability in Winnipeg, Canada. Information at: http://www.uic.edu/orgs/sds/.

July 1-6,2001: International Association of Gerontology: 17^th Congress in Vancouver. <http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/iag/abstguid.html>

September 12-14, 2001; International Conference on Technology and Aging in Toronto, Canada. Sponsored by the Government of Toronto, RESNA and other organizations. See:http://www.icta.on.ca or <bbuchanan@look.ca>

October 19-20, 2001: Integrating Differences: Theories and Applications of Universal Design in New York City, Fashion Institute of Technology.  For guidelines for submissions, see: http://www.fitnyc.suny.edu/USD.html>, contact Dr. Desiree Koslin, at koslinde@fitsuny.edu, or fax 212.217.7910.