Global Universal Design Educators 
Monthly Online News

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 3 Number 3, March 2001

Contents

• Editor’s Note
• News from the Global Network
  • CANADA
    • Home Modification Workshop to Follow Disability Studies Conference
  • EUROPE
    • eEurope, SmartCard, and User Requirements
  • UNITED KINGDOM
    • Centre for Accessible Environments to Research Homebuilders’ Attitudes   
    • INCLUDE Conference Programme On-Line
  • UNITED STATES
    • Anthropometric Workshop at RERC on Universal Design
    • International Access Engineering Awards Program Announced
    • National Home Modifications Coalition Meeting
• Global Universal Design Educator’s Network e-mail list
• Calendar
• Adding your information, questions to the Online News

EDITOR’S NOTE

This issue features information technology with news from Europe on Smart cards and user requirements and the first International Access Engineering Awards.  There are opportunities for people interested in home modifications; a Canadian workshop and a US national coalition meeting. You’ll also find housing news from the UK Centre for Accessible Housing in their research announcement. The UK INCLUDE conference provides the final update on their April conference and the RERC on Universal Design at Buffalo announces a Workshop on the Anthropometrics of Disability.

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>.

NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL NETWORK

CANADA

The Universal Design Institute Sponsors Home Modifications Workshop

Home Modifications Workshop: Skills, Approaches and Teamwork will be held June 24-25, 2001 at the Norwood Hotel Winnipeg, Manitoba, as an intensive post- course after the Society for Disabilities Studies Conference. This two-day course responds to the growing need for information on environmental intervention in homes of persons with disabilities and seniors. Participants will learn how to shift toward a more universal design approach to home construction. This course will train participants in the basics of low-cost home modifications, and products for universal design. The training will provide valuable skills development in the areas of planning, products, house construction, costing, and funding sources. Participants will be shown how to use clients’ functional level as a foundation from which to extend and broaden skills in home environmental change. The course is valuable to therapists, case managers, designers, building contractors and others to work with families and make homes usable and safe.

This program is presented by the Center for Universal Design (North Carolina), the Universal Design Institute (Manitoba). Guest speakers include Dick Duncan and Mike Carter (Center for Universal Design), Laurie Ringaert and David Rapson (Universal Design Institute), Olga Krassioukova (Canadian Center on Disability Studies), and Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.

Audience: designers, occupational therapists, counsellors, case managers, access

consultants, building contractors and others

TUITION: $400.00 Canadian; $450.00 Canadian after April 30/2001

For more information on this workshop contact either the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (204-287-8411 or ccds@ escape.ca) or the Universal Design Institute (204-474-8588 or universal_design@umanitoba.ca)

EUROPE

eEurope, Smartcards and User Requirements

The European Commission launched the eEurope initiative on 8^th December 1999 with the adoption of the Communication ‘eEurope – An Information Society for all’. The eEurope initiative is a key element in the strategy of the new Commission to modernize the European economy, and the development of effective Smart Card technology is one of the key priorities for eEurope. Jim Sandhu, Inclusive Design Research Associates, UK, reports on a recent meeting in London to address user requirements of Smart Cards. The following is an edited excerpt of his report.

The meeting included about 160 participants from 11 European countries, the European Commission, and six UK government departments. The main focus of the meeting was on enfranchising citizens in the Information Society through Smart Cards to enable consistent, easy and trusted access to information and communications technology-based services and applications. Smart cards for secure electronic access are a relatively simple method to access health services, electronic payment, mobile Internet, public transport, pay TV, and many more applications.

Aim of the conference

The aim of the conference was to gather expert input concerning common user requirements of smart card enabled Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems and services across a range of volume applications including transport, healthcare, education, social services, e-government, digital identity, e-commerce, etc.

This input would be summarized, categorized and passed on as primary input to the groups working to establish an operational infrastructure that would contribute to the use of Smart cards for the benefit of all citizens across Europe.

Smart Card service

Much of the provision of Smart Card service would be via the Internet, with e-commerce and m-commerce as key elements in the equation amongst others.  Relating this to transport, smart cards could be used as electronic tickets and concessionary fare passes. The same smart card could also be used to make payment for a journey, while the Internet could be accessed from a home digital television set to make an inquiry or to book a journey, perhaps with the ticket being written to the smart card at the same time. In addition to the smart card acting as a transport ticket, concessionary pass, payment mechanism and identification of the card holder to an online service, this multi-application token could also house other applications and services at the card holder’s discretion, such as medical insurance and digital signature.

In the above outline, what users of all categories required was a simple and consistent means of access to services using the smart card, as well as many convenient access points where the card could be used and services accessed.

Some Key User Considerations

It was felt that the term ‘end user’ needed a clearer definition.  Presently it was jumbled up with service providers and a whole range of non-standard users.  One of the major problems was lack of understanding of the disabled and elderly sector by service providers.

Understanding user requirements was key to making any progress. This had to take into consideration that users were largely unaware of the potential of technology.  This resulted in a two tier division – between the information rich and the information poor.

At the core of user requirements were topics such as: choice, control, flexibility, privacy, confidence, ease of use, maximum access, transparency, and harmonization.

In the context of disabled people, researchers tend to be prescriptive rather than presenting a genuine user perspective.

Mechanisms for user feedback were inadequate and need to be strengthened.

For more information on Smart card issues, contact Jim Sandhu at: <jim@snru-unn.demon.co.uk>.

To learn more about eEurope, see: http://europa.eu.int/comm/information_society/eeurope/index_en.htm

UNITED KINGDOM

Centre for Accessible Environments to Research Homebuilders’ Attitudes

The Centre for Accessible Environments (CAE)in London, will begin research in July 2001 to investigate and document the attitudes and practices of house builders in relation to the housing needs of disabled people. The research will assess the importance of regulatory mechanisms and evaluate the significance of disabled people’s participation in house building policies and practices. This major new research project will be in cooperation with the Royal Holloway University of London. It is a two-and-a -half-year project funded by the Economic & Social Research Council. CAE will develop web pages to disseminate the findings. For more information, contact Sarah Langton-Lockton, Executive Director, at: <sarah.langton-lockton@cae.org.uk>. Visit the Centre website for updates at: http://www.cae.org.uk.

INCLUDE Conference Programme On-Line

The full programme of Business and Research Stream presentations and workshops at INCLUDE 2001, April 18-20, is now available on-line at http://www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/include2001

Featuring some 45 research papers, 10 workshops and 15 key-note presentations over the 3 days of INCLUDE 2001, the programme highlights latest research and business practice in inclusive design from around the world - how older and disabled peoples’ needs and aspirations are increasingly reflected in buildings, vehicles, information design and consumer goods & services.

Delegates will also explore current obstacles and future trends and opportunities in the ‘Timeline 1951-2021’ Workshop and Debate led by renowned US designer Patricia Moore.

BOOK NOW TO ENSURE YOUR PLACE!

Less than 30 tickets now remain for INCLUDE 2001 so, if you haven’t done so already, please book soon to ensure your place in either the Business or Research Stream. Reservations can be made on-line at: http://www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/include2001

BUSINESS STREAM: Book your company’s place on-line.

Business tickets are fully transferable and give 3 day access to all INCLUDE 2001 research events plus special admittance to a key series of Breakfast Briefings, featuring latest thinking and case-studies from Fiat, B&Q, the Future Foundation, US Business Week and others. (Standard tickets cost 500 pounds and special discounts are available to HHRC Advisors, Helen Hamlyn Research Associate sponsors and RCA Affiliates)

RESEARCH STREAM: Research Stream ‘Contributor’ tickets are now SOLD OUT but some Standard Research Stream places remain at 350 pounds each. Again, places can be booked on-line at the conference website. For more information, contact John Bound at: j.bound@rca.ac.uk

UNITED STATES

Anthropometric Workshop at RERC on Universal Design

Ed Steinfeld, Director of the RERC on Universal Design at Buffalo extends this invitation to researchers and others to participate in a Workshop on the Anthropometrics of Disability to be held at SUNY/Buffalo May 31-June 2, 2001.  The Workshop is designed to be a place for dialogue and discussion so there are a limited number of spaces available. So far, we have commitments from about 25 experts in the fields of anthropometrics, ergonomics and rehabilitation who will present short papers. There will be a publication documenting the papers and the discussion. If you are interested in coming to the Workshop either as a paper presenter or otherwise, please review the description and contact us as described. We can invite about 10-15 more people.

ANTHROPOMETRICS OF DISABILITY: AN INTERNATIONAL WORKSHOP

Buffalo, New York   May 31 – June 2, 2001

ORGANIZERS:

• Rehabilitation Engineering Center on Universal Design at Buffalo
  School of Architecture and Planning
  State University of New York at Buffalo
• Rehabilitation Engineering Center on Ergonomic Solutions for Employment
  Department of Industrial Engineering
  University of Michigan

SPONSORS:

• U.S. Access Board
  Washington, DC
• National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research
  U.S. Department of Education
  Washington, DC

PURPOSE AND SCOPE:
The Workshop is aimed at generating new ideas and approaches about the application of data collection, analysis and CAD modeling methods to the anthropometric study of those with disabilities and effective use of anthropometric data to in the design of environments.  An important long-range objective is to improve the knowledge bases used in accessibility codes so that they can more accurately reflect the functional abilities and needs of people with disabilities.  To this end, we are assembling a group of individuals to identify and discuss the methodologies that can be used to develop improved knowledge bases.

CONTENT AREAS:
A series of papers and panel discussions will focus on these key issues:

1. Current state of the knowledge
2. Effective sampling strategies
3. Structural measurement methods – variables and new approaches
4. Functional Anthropometry – variables and new approaches
5. Data handling and analysis
6. From data to human modeling in CAD
7. Impact on design and independent living

PUBLICATIONS:
After the Workshop, two publications are planned. The first will be a monograph including the invited papers and summaries of discussions. The second will be a special issue of a scientific journal with expanded versions of the papers. We hope to organize a series of such workshops in the future, perhaps on a biannual basis, in conjunction with professional conferences.

PARTICIPANTS:
About 25 experts in the fields of anthropometry, data analysis and disability research have been invited as speakers.  We are now searching for other people who might contribute to the Workshop. If you are interested in participating, Please send us a letter or email indicating what your background is and how you think you could contribute. There will be no funding available to finance your participation. We estimate that total expenses in Buffalo will be $350.  Very good airfares are available on Jet Blue from New York – Kennedy and on Southwest through Baltimore Washington International and from the west coast. Toronto is only a 2-hour drive from Buffalo and there are shuttle vans on a regular schedule from Pierson Airport and downtown Toronto.

The emphasis at the workshop will be on discussion and sharing viewpoints. Those who agree to make a formal presentation in one or more areas will be asked to provide a written manuscript for each presentation (not to exceed 5 pages).  The manuscripts will be due in mid May and will be assembled into proceedings that will be distributed at the beginning of the workshop. Each participant who writes a paper will make a 10 – 15 minute verbal summary. Participants who do not contribute papers will be asked to take the role of Respondents to papers.

For more information, A.J.Imiolo at: ajimiolo@ap.buffalo.edu
716 829 3485, x336

International Access Engineering Awards Program Announced

Steve Jacobs, developer, organizer, and past Chairman of the first two US-based “Excellence in Access” awards programs is the Chair of the first International Access Engineering Awards Program.  He introduces the awards program sponsored by the International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists (ICAES) and the Information Technology Technical Assistance And Training Center (ITTATC) (the following is an excerpt of the full announcement).

‘As you may be aware ICAES was formed by the past Board of Directors of the Association of Access Engineering Specialists to more effectively facilitate collaboration between industry, consumers, research organizations and the government, on a global basis, with respect to access engineering.

Our information infrastructures - local, national, and global – are connecting people to other people, businesses and government; and more generally to sources of information, art, entertainment, and much more. Persons in one country are being provided the opportunity to serve customers from other countries.

Technological developments are changing our everyday lives and changing them very rapidly. The Internet, and many other Electronic and Information Technologies (E&IT) are no longer just tools to connect people, businesses and information together. They are driving the creation of new economies and communities that are altering the way people live, learn, work and play.

As our world’s 21^st Century information infrastructures evolve we need to take care not to isolate consumers if it is technically feasible, economically possible and reasonable to do so from a business standpoint.

Isolated consumers refer to individuals:

• Living within low-bandwidth information infrastructures (2 billion worldwide);
• 65 years of age and older (420 million worldwide);
• Who have never been afforded the opportunity to learn to read (1.5 billion worldwide);
• Who only speak, write and/or understand the language native to a particular piece of E&IT as a second or foreign language (4 billion worldwide);
• Who interpret the cultural meaning of certain colors variously (every culture is slightly different) or are, to some degree, colorblind (500 million worldwide); and,
• With disabilities (550 million worldwide).

Everyone is different from everyone else, as are his or her individual wants, needs, preferences and abilities to access information infrastructures. In fact, this was the catalyst that sparked the evolution of today’s one-to-one marketing philosophy.  Markets of billions have evolved into billions of markets of one.  In order for our businesses to succeed in a culturally, technically and economically diverse world we need to meet the demands of this incredibly diverse global marketplace.   It is to this end that we dedicate this awards program.

Steve Jacobs, Chairman
2001 International Access Engineering Awards Program
sjacobs2@columbus.rr.com

THE PURPOSE OF THE AWARDS:
The purpose of ICAES’ 2001 International Access Engineering Awards Program is to recognize significant innovative technical contributions to the access engineering profession.

ELIGIBILITY:
Any product feature, process or service; by any company, individual or organization; in any industry, worldwide, which makes a significant contribution to the advancement of access engineering.

WHAT THE WINNERS RECEIVE:
The winners will have their products and services featured in the course materials being developed by ITTATC. Publicity will also be issued to the media.

JUDGING THE SUBMISSIONS:
The judges will include a panel of acclaimed designers, researchers and consumer advocates who are recognized experts in universal design.

NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS:
All nominators and nominees will be notified of the results of this award program by no later than June 10, 2001.

JUDGING CRITERIA:
All entries will be judged on innovation, creativity, scope of benefit to consumers and the universality of the product and/or service based on the adherence to universal design principles (if applicable).

DEFINITION OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN (UD):
UD is the design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible on a global basis, in a wide variety of situations, to the greatest extent possible...without the need for special adaptation or specialized design.

The Principles of Universal Design © Center for Universal Design, are available on their website at:
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/univ_design/princ_overview.htm

ENTRANT ELIGIBILITY:
The competition is open to everyone. Entrants may submit more than one entry; however, each entry must be entered and packaged separately. A family of products used together may be submitted as a single entry. Deadline: Entries must be postmarked no later than May 15, 2001.

AWARD CATEGORIES:
(please select one of the following award categories)

• Access Integration Award
  This award covers new or newly integrated access features like voice activation on cell phones or voice output TV remote controls or newly added features to computer games.
  
• Innovative Access Award
  This award covers new, never before seen, products.  It could include products that have incorporated significant access features, like a video telephone that also provides real-time sign language capability, a talking ATM, or kiosk that is accessible to persons with disabilities. Assistive technology (AT) which shows strong promise of being migrated into mainstream marketplaces, like Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and the telephone, may also be nominated in this category.
• Policy and Process Award
  
  This award goes to companies that have made significant efforts to address accessibility for customers or employees with disabilities.  This could mean integrating universal design into a product, the integration of universal design topics into college course curriculum or training customer care representatives on how to communicate respectfully with people with disabilities.
  
• Collaboration and Coordination Award
  This award recognizes national, international or industry efforts to prevent, resolve, or address compatibility and nteroperability.  For example, an effort to address TTY standards, develop a common IR access interface, or to develop a HAC neck-loop that will work on all phones.
  
• Outreach and Communication Award
  This award is for marketing, advertising, or other outreach efforts and could be received by companies or organizations for efforts to encourage use of technology by people with disabilities, develop new products or communicate the concept of accessible design and disability in a positive or innovative way.

ELIGIBILITY:
Membership in ICAES is not an eligibility requirement for being a nominator or nominee.

NOMINATION PROCESS:
All award nominations must include a fully completed Nomination Form, Citation and a Rationale for Nomination.

• Citation:
  A brief statement, not to exceed 100 words, giving the major accomplishments for which the award is being made. This will be used if the nominee is selected as an award recipient.
  
• Rationale for Nomination:
  A statement, not to exceed 700 words, on why the candidate is being nominated for the award.
  
  Nominations should not include voluminous materials or numerous recommendations.  Clear, concise statements of achievements are of more value.  Information from public sources such is helpful, but should be supplemented by information as to specific contributions.
  
• Award Nomination Deadline:
  All award nominations must be received by ICAES no later than May 15, 2001
  
• Nominee Information:
  This section must include the following 16 pieces of information:
  1. Name of product, individual or company being nominated:
  2. Name of Award being nominated to receive:
  3. Individual’s name (individual being nominated or representative of product and/or company):
  4. Organization/Institution:
  5. Department/Office:
  6. Address:
  7. City:
  8. State:
  9. Zip:
  10. Country:
  11. Phone:
  12. Fax:
  13. TTY
  14. E-mail:
  15. Citation:  A brief statement, not to exceed 100 words, giving the major accomplishments for which the award is being made. This will be used if the nominee is selected as the awardee.
  16. Rationale for Nomination: A statement, not to exceed 700 words, on why the candidate is being nominated for the award.
      
• Nominator Information:
  This section must include the following 12 pieces of information:
  1. Name:
  2. Organization/Institution:
  3. Department/Office:
  4. Address:
  5. City:
  6. State:
  7. Zip:
  8. Country:
  9. Phone:
  10. Fax:
  11. TTY:
  12. E-mail

Other rules and deadlines:
You may submit more than one nomination. All nominations must be received by 5:00 PM, May 15, 2001.

Submission of nomination forms:
Completed nomination forms and accompanying documentation should be sent to ICAES via one of the following three methods:

1. E-mail to: sjacobs2 @columbus.rr.com
2. U.S. Postal Service: ICAES Award Nomination, Attention: Steve Jacobs, 2809
   Bohlen Drive, Hilliard, OH 43026
3. Fax to: +1 (212) 618-0205

National Home Modifications Action Coalition

The west coast 2001 meeting will be held at: 
Building for Boomers and Beyond Senior Housing Symposium 2001, 
Phoenix, Arizona
April 25-27, 2001, Sponsored by: NCOSH and NAHB Research Center

Agenda for the Meeting of the National Home Modifications Action Coalition 
April 26, 2001 7-9 PM

• Coalition Background
  • History
  • Membership
  • Steering Committee Members
    
• Coalition Activities Update
  • Update on National Center for Supportive Housing and Home Modifications
  • New developments in the field
    
• The Future of:
  • Practitioner Certification & Remodelers Designation/Certification
  • Who, where, and what
    Leon Harper, AARP
    
• The Coalition
  • Non-profit status?
  • Practitioner Organization
    Louis Tenenbaum, Access Remodeling

For conference information:
www.nahbrc.org/seniors/symposiumA.htm

For Coalition meeting information:
Richard Duncan, Email:  rc_duncan@ncsu.edu

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 UNIVERSALDESIGN-ED yourfirstname yourlastname.

The purpose of the list is explained more fully at this link: <http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/guest/info/UNIVERSALDESIGN-ED>

CALENDAR

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>.

April 26-27, 2001: Building for Boomers and Beyond, Seniors Housing Symposium 2001. Hyatt Regency at Civic Plaza, Phoenix, AZ. Sponsored by the NAHB National Center for Seniors’ Housing Research, the NAHB Research Center, and the National Council on Seniors Housing. See: < http://www.nahbrc.org/seniors/symposium.htm>.

April 26, 2001: National Home Modifications Action Coalition meeting at: Building for Boomers and Beyond. For more information, contact Dick Duncan at: <rc_Duncan@ncsu.edu>.

April 29-May 1, 2001: Outdoors for All: Creating Solutions for Inclusive Recreation. Roundtable and Exposition, in Silver Creek, Colorado. Organized Easter Seals Colorado. Contact Carol Hunter at hunterc@estreet.com or visit the website at: <http://www.eastersealsco.org/Roundtable/roundtable_info.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 <congress@ccrw.org>.

June 21-24, 2001: Democracy, Diversity & Disability in Winnipeg, Canada. This is Society for Disability Studies annual meeting. The Information is at: <http://www.uic.edu/orgs/sds/>.

June 24-25, 2001: Home Modifications Workshop: Skills, Approaches and Teamwork will be held at the Norwood Hotel Winnipeg, Manitoba. For more information on this workshop contact either the Canadian Centre on Disability Studies (204-287-8411 or ccds@ escape.ca) or the Universal Design Institute (204-474-8588 or universal_design@umanitoba.ca)

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

August 5-12, 2001: 1^st International Conference on “Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction” will be held in New Orleans, LA, at the Fairmount Hotel.

For more information, see the conference website at:
<http://uahci.ics.forth.gr/> or contact Constantine Stephanidis, conference chair at: <cs@ics.forth.gr>.

August 23-24, 2001: Accessible Practices Workshop: Exhibitions                  Carnegie Science Center, Pittsburgh. Contact: Jessica Stricker, 412/237-1806, e-mail <strickerj@csc.clpgh.org>; web site:                   <http://www.astc.org/resource/camp/workshop/aproject2.htm>.

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>

September 14, 2001: Accessible Practices Workshop: Facilities/Visitor Services St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis. Contact: Elana Yellen, 314/289-4426; e-mail <eyellen@slsc.org>; web site:                   <http://www.astc.org/resource/camp/workshop/aproject2.htm>.

October 19-20, 2001: Integrating Differences: Theories and Applications of Universal Design in New York City, Fashion Institute of Technology. The full program will be posted on the website in April at: <http://www.fitnyc.suny.edu/USD.html>, or can be mailed. Contact Dr. Desiree Koslin, at koslinde@fitsuny.edu, or fax 212.217.7910.

Adding your information, questions to the Online News: