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 4 Number 4, September 2002

Contents

• Editor's Note

• News from the Global Network

  • CANADA

    • Distance Learning Course in Universal Design  

  • Japan

    • International Conference for Universal Design, Yokohama

  • United Kingdom

    • INCLUDE 2003 - Call for Papers

  • United States

    • Web Design That Works for Everyone, October 18-19, 2002

    • Disability Mentoring Day: New York and Massachusetts Opportunities

    • Career Day in Architecture and Design, October 26, Boston

EDITOR'S NOTE:

It has been too many moons since the last newsletter.  Now I am back, and offering you in place of the usual Monthly Online newsletter, an alternative for the September issue. The following link is to the September 13, 2002 newsletter of ArchVoices, a resource issue devoted to universal design. I helped compile these resources for the newsletter that was emailed to more than 9000 readers and now resides on their website. It is especially useful as an online source as all of the references are available online - just a click away.  It includes Calendar of Fall 2002 events and other announcements.

The ArchVoices issue on universal design was one of the outcomes of a strategic planning meeting organized with United States leaders in architectural education. The meeting goal was to integrate universal design into the curriculum as well as provide access for people with disabilities in schools of architecture, within the context of diversity and social responsiveness. One recommendation was to get resources to people who would be very receptive, specifically to students and new professionals and to reach them through the ArchVoices newsletter. The final report and recommendations from the meeting will be made available later this fall.

See http://www.archvoices.org/index.cfm?pg=news&s=article&NID=52

(if the long link doesn't work, go to www.archvoices.org and click on September 13 Universal Design issue, in right hand column).

For future issues, I will make some changes so that the newsletter appears more regularly and is easier, more enjoyable for me to compile and write. First, I encourage readers to send more information from readers about work that they are doing. Consider this both an invitation and a reminder that your universal design work is of interest to other readers. Second, I plan to hire an assistant who can help me get the issues out in a timelier manner. I'm looking for a person who wants to play a role in this international information exchange, and for whom I could be a mentor. Please write to me, elaine@ostroff.org, for an announcement of this position.

Following are a very few items that need your immediate attention.

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NEWS FROM THE GLOBAL NETWORK

CANADA

Distance Learning Course in Universal Design

In partnership with the Design Exchange, Sheridan College had planned to offer an internet-based UD course specifically targeted at student designers from all disciplines, commencing September 2002. The course would use Universal Design as an area of common interest and connect design students through emerging distance learning and design collaboration tools.

Laurie Ringaert and Bob Topping are the instructors. Although the course does not appear to be offered at this time, it may be offered in the future. Please contact <bob.topping@sheridanc.on.ca> to express your interest. General information about the course can be found at http://www.sheridanc.on.ca/udc/content/udstudies.htm

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JAPAN

International Conference for Universal Design, Yokohama

His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito will give the opening lecture at the Welcome Ceremony for the conference that runs from November 30 to December 4 in Yokohama. An international array of leaders in the universal design of products, environments and information will present their work. See schedule of events, keynote speakers, and register online at:  <http://www.ud2002.org/en/index.html>

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UNITED KINGDOM

INCLUDE 2003 - Call for Papers

The 2nd inclusive design conference, INCLUDE 2003 will take place at the Royal College of Art, London, UK, 25-28 March 2003.

Building on the success of Include 2001, the organizers aim to make the biannual Include conferences an essential fixture on the calendar of designers, researchers, business managers and everyone with an interest in making inclusive design a reality.

At Include 2003, the world's leading figures in inclusive design will discuss work on topics ranging from fashion to workplace design, from transport to domestic interiors.

CALL FOR PAPERS

We are looking for papers that reflect the very latest thinking and

practice in the field of inclusive design.  A selection of the 2001 papers will be published in a book to be launched at the 2003 conference. This will be accompanied by a CD containing all the papers accepted for INCLUDE 2003.

Submission details are at: http://www.hhrc.rca.ac.uk/events/include2003/index.html

Deadline for submission of abstracts: 30 September 2002

Final Papers: 17 January 2003

NOTE: For those of you who are seeing this notice for the first time, please contact John Bound immediately at <j.bound@rca.ac.uk> to discuss an extension.

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UNITED STATES

Web Design That Works for Everyone, October 18-19, 2002

Web Design that Works for Everyone will bring together influential leaders from the United States and abroad in graphic design, web accessibility, and industry who share a vision of an inclusive digital world where good design matters. The conference will deliver useful information about Universal Design practice and policy, and will present ideas that can serve as a catalyst for innovative collaborations to make accessible web design seamless. Organized by the Adaptive Environments Center and Rhode Island School of Design, it will be held in Providence, RI.

The conference is sponsored by: Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center [ITTATC], Macromedia, National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research [NIDDR], and the Verizon Foundation.

For the conference schedule, program, speakers and registration visit the conference website at: http://www.AdaptiveEnvironments.org/webconference.

Disability Mentoring Day: New York and Massachusetts Opportunities

Liz Mortenson of the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) provided the following invitation for design professionals in the New York City area:

FIT is participating, along with other NYC area colleges and universities in the National Disability Mentoring Day on October 16, 2002.  The NYC local coordinator is Julie Kaplan from Equality Staffing.  If you know of designers who wouldn't mind giving of their time for one day, the 16th of October, to meet at the Kick-off Breakfast at Pier 17, South Street Seaport, NYC, and then to meet with a mentee (Julie Kaplan can provide all of the details (phone:  212-217-608-3300), have breakfast together...keynote speaker...and then spend the day with a student with a disability following them around for the day...this would be great.  We have mentee applications, which we're providing to students from the various majors FIT offers and those must be submitted to Julie by Sept. 27th.  She will then match mentors and mentees. More information, contact Liz ASAP at: Mortense@fitsuny.edu

In Massachusetts, the Access to Design Professions project is organizing informational interviews with design firms and people with disabilities interested in the design professions. If you know of someone in Massachusetts who may want to participate, have them contact Elaine Ostroff ASAP, at <elaine@ostroff.org>. If this information reaches you too late for the October 16, 2002 event, there are other opportunities for mentoring and networking.

Career Day in Architecture and Design, October 26, Boston 

The Boston Society of Architects announces its annual Career Day in Architecture and Design. This is a free event for high school students and others interested in a career in architecture and design.  Career Day provides an opportunity to speak with representatives of over 30 schools of architecture and design across the US and attend up to three free workshops on topics such as choosing a school, portfolio requirements, financing an education, computer-aided design (CAD), milestones in training, a day in the life of an architect, careers in design, and what's it really like being in design school.  This year's event has been planned with disabled students in mind.

Career Day takes place at Wentworth Institute of Technology, 550 Huntington Avenue in Boston on Saturday, October 26 from 9:00 am - 1:00 pm.  Registration and information are available at http://www.architects.org/education/index.cfm?doc_id=103 or call the BSA at 617-951-1433x228. This year's event has been planned with disabled students in mind; contact Penny Mitchell, pmitchell@architects.org. Spread the word.

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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 are cited. NOTE: Previous issues of the Online News are available online at the NEW Global Universal Design Education Network website at: <http://www.universaldesign.net>.

Global Universal Design Educator's Network e-mail list

The Trace Research and Development Center is the host of the educator’s email list. 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. 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 

• 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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Adding your information, questions to the Online News: 

Elaine Ostroff, Founding Director, Adaptive Environments Center, Editor.