Global Universal Design Educators Online News
Volume 5 Number 6, August-September 2004

The Global Universal Design Educator's Online News is produced and published through contracts with the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University and Adaptive Environments, Boston, MA, in cooperation with the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.

EDITOR'S NOTE

In this issue, 7 countries, European-wide efforts and the World Bank reflect a wide array of actions leading to a more inclusive society. Tourism and its economic benefits is a topic for three developing economies – Africa and Brazil are holding conferences and Malaysia reports on studies related to the economic benefits. Studies, policy development, research, and competitions are other strategies – see the Polis project in Europe that is generating tools leading to cost benefit analysis for universal design, a Council of Europe questionnaire seeking universal design information from its 45 member states, the African policy-related conference, the Workplace research (Japan), a housing features survey (US), and design competitions providing incentives at multiple scales: individual design (Europe, DfA), housing (US, NAHB), city-wide (US, NOD). For more opportunities, see UDEO (US) and its extensive competitions page. Access to the vote is a powerful tool – see DOJ's excellent checklist for voting places (US); education by gaming is another tool – (US, ADA game); involving students in universal design has long-term benefits – (US – Students); professional organizations informing their membership adds clout – see AHEAD, the American Institute of Business Design, and the American Society of Interior design (US). Technical assistance materials such as the Aquatic Venues report (US), the guidance on the new ADAAG/ABAAG (US) and the ITTATC online newsletter for information design (US) are invaluable for design decision making. Communication tools are essential for inspiration and knowledge – Form & Funktion (Nordic Countries) and Children, Youth and Environments Journal (US). Conferences are another generative tool, to share and promote innovation for inclusion: Designing for the 21st Century III (Brazil), Open Space: People Space (Scotland), the Assistive Technology and Media (US) and the World Bank Disability Conference (World).

NOTE: the August-September Calendar was sent earlier. We will continue this practice in the future, to minimize the length of the issue.

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

AFRICA

o ACCESS 2004 – A Conference on Partnership in Disability

In 2004 South Africa will celebrate a decade of democracy – Access 2004 is planned to coincide with these celebrations and take place November 30 – December 2004 in Cape Town, South Africa. Access 2004 will ensure that disability related planning, development and implementation remain relevant as per the Integrated National Disability Strategy and Integrated Provincial Disability Strategy. One of the biggest challenges is still to ensure that disability becomes and remains part of mainstream development, planning and implementation. For more, see: http://www.access2004.co.za/

o Accessibility For All: International Conference on Accessible Tourism

Kenya Disabled Development Society will host this International Conference on Accessible Tourism in Nairobi (Kenya), October 7-9, 2004. All interested parties from other parts of the world are invited to attend. Topics for the conference will be: - Accessible Tourism (Tourism for all) - Accessible environment - Accessible Accommodation - Universal Design - Accessibility as a human right - Travel agent on specially adapted trips. There will also be exhibition space for manufacturers on items related to accessibility and universal design products. This will be a golden opportunity to capture markets for their products in this part of the world. Pre- and post-conference activities will take participants to our beautiful national parks / national reserves and beautiful historical sites of the 12th century, at the coastal region of the country. Seize this opportunity to see this beautiful part of the world. For more information, contact: Peter Bodo Ong'aro, bodo@avu.org

BRAZIL

o Inclusive Tourism Conference

The 'Inclusive Tourism Conference' (The Congresso Ibero-Americano de Accessible no Turismo) will take place at the Continental Hotel in Canelas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil from November 17 to 19, 2004. Some of the topics covered at the conference are: Tourism for Travelers with Disabilities: A New Market Niche In Tourism, Accessibility in Tourism Policy and the Rights of Consumers, Theme Parks, Tourism Sites, and Public Events: How Do We Make Them Accessible?, A Model City for Transportation and Mobility, Accessible Travel Circuits: Routes & Destinations, Maritime Access: A Model to Follow, Ground Transportation: It is Time for a Change, Air Travel: Are We Ready?, My Hotel is Preparing to Attract People with Disabilities, and My Restaurant is Making a Profit Serving Customers Who Have Disabilities. The conference details (only in Portuguese) are available at: http://www.turismosembarreiras.com.br/

The Rolling Rains Report reported on the conference in a recent issue. The Rolling Rains Report highlights Universal Design thinking and the travel and hospitality industry. Its Web Log (blog) format is suited to its content of daily posts on news items, conferences, research questions of interest, and works-in-progress. Readership includes those already engaged in Universal Design as well as travel agents, tour operators, travel & leisure writers, and tourism industry professionals. http://www.RollingRains.com

o Designing for the 21st Century III: Pre-Conference Days

Here is more detail on the international conference in universal design that will be held in Rio de Janeiro, December 7-12, 2004. This highlights the two Pre-Conference days on Tuesday, 7 December and Wednesday, 8 December and their two types of highly interactive programs - Intensive Sessions and Charettes. All are led by international experts.

Intensive Sessions are either full-day or half-day sessions that provide state- of-the-art concentrated learning on specific topics. Intensive sessions require pre-registration and payment of a Pre-Conference Intensive fee. The multi-part Charrettes begin during the Pre-Conference period; many of them will be held in the Rio community. The opening session is followed by two working sessions during the Core Conference along with a final presentation. Charrette sessions require pre-registration and payment of a Charrette fee. The titles of the Intensives and Charettes follow.

Full-Day Pre-Conference Intensive Sessions: A Day of Media and Technology Access; Exhibit and Information Systems for Tourist Destinations - Universal Design and the Inclusive Interpretive Program; Extreme Design (a workshop on design and perception); Inclusive Innovation: Focus on Health Care Delivery; The Intersection of Universal Design & the Ecologically Healthy City; Understanding Universal Design Through a Facility and Site Survey; Universal Design and the International Travel & Hospitality Industry; Universal Design in Public Transit; Web Accessibility for Designers. For more information on the full-day sessions, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#pre_fd

Half Day Sessions: Beyond Bricks and Mortar: Universal Design for Learning and the Transformation of Education; Design-for-All in Faith Communities; Making Places for People: the Role of Citizen Participation; The Mandate for Green/Sustainable Design: Good for People-Good for the Planet Earth; The Norwegian Experiment; Urban Places, Human Spaces. For more information on the half-day sessions, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#pre_hd

Charrettes/Case Studies: Assessment of Living Space for Elders in Brazil; Help! How Big is That? - Toys to Introduce Mathematical Concepts for Visually Impaired Children; Learning Environments for Children with Cognitive Disabilities: Mainstreaming for Inclusion; Principles of Universal Design Revisited; Sugar Loaf: A Celebration of History, Ecology and Accessibility; Universal Design and the Marine Environment - From Along the Shore to Offshore; Universal Design in Museums. For more information on the Charrettes/Case Studies, see: http://www.designfor21st.org/#char

Full conference details are at: http://www.designfor21st.org/.

EUROPE

o Council of Europe Questionnaire on Accessibility

In the framework of its activities in the field of the rehabilitation and integration of people with disability, the Council of Europe has established a new Committee of experts on Universal Design, which held its first meeting in Strasbourg on 17-19 May 2004 and to which all Council of Europe member states were invited. To achieve its goals, the Committee of experts needs accurate information on the current situation of Universal Design/Accessibility for people with disabilities in all 45 member states of the Council of Europe. To obtain this information, the Committee has developed a questionnaire that was sent to all member states.

The source for this information was: http://www.ifhohyp.org/php/page.php?page=news&news_id=20 The questionnaire itself can be seen at: http://www.ifhohyp.org/documents/council_of_europe _questionnaire_on_accessibility.doc The website for the Council of Europe, Integration of People with Disabilities focus: http://www.coe.int/T/E/Social_Cohesion/soc-sp/Integration/

o DfA and AT Awards

The European Commission is eager to recognize the efforts made by designers, engineers, design students and companies in the area of Design for All and Assistive Technology. If you are striving to improve the quality of life for everyone, value new innovations and visualize what the future holds, they want to hear from you. To qualify for the Design for All and Assistive Technology awards, we are seeking entries from designers, engineers, design students and companies. Each entry will be judged according to Accessibility, Aesthetics, Appropriateness, Availability, Awareness, Affordability and Advancement. The categories are: Daily living, Mobility and transportation, Communication and information, Lifelong learning, Employment and professional life, and Culture, leisure and sport. Closing date for entries is September 15, 2004.

For more information, see: www.dfa-at-awards.org

o POLIS Project

The POLIS project stands for Decision support tools and policy initiatives in support of a universal design of buildings. POLIS started on January 1, 2004 and is funded by the Commission of the European Communities. The main goals are: To provide for a detailed analysis of the economics, i.e., costs and benefits associated to accessibility and to use this information to develop a decision support system for a universal building design (DSS.UBD), to address the relevance of the proposed solutions within the existing EU/member country policy instruments and to suggest practical means of integration within existing or, very likely, newly required policy instruments, towards the ultimate goal of an 'accessibility for all' EU standard, and to disseminate the results towards diverse audiences (EU and member state authorities, designers, engineers, product developers, etc.) and to identify business opportunities in terms of new-era assistive technologies and services.

Full details available at: http://www.polis-ubd.net/publish/home.shtml

JAPAN

o Universal Design in the Workplace

This information appeared on the RICS web site (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) and is based on continuing research by the Universal Design Committee of the Japan Facility Management Promotion Association. It represents the researchers' approach to developing universal design guidelines for workplace design, and includes the identification of critical success factors (CSFs) that play a key role in facilities planning and assessment.

For more information, see: http://www.rics.org/ricscms/bin/show?class=Feature&template =/includes/showfeature.html&id=1111

MALAYSIA

o Are We Ready for Elderly Tourists?

Tourism is an important foreign exchange earner for Malaysia and the elderly tourist sector is a growing one. The report highlights the increasing number of elderly tourists, the need for barrier-free and accessible tourist spots to cater for this segment of tourists, the existing state of such facilities in major Malaysian cities and finally the resources available to make Penang a barrier-free tourist destination.

The report discusses the Market Potential and states 'Through the promotion of non-handicapping environments, we are actually promoting 'Tourism for All' with the concept of a universal design for all built environments, which incorporate barrier-free features.' It then goes on to present what Penang would gain from this initiative and how it currently fares on accessibility. Local authorities estimate compliance to the UBBL (Uniform Building Bylaws), funding, training, dissemination, etc… as anywhere from 5-70%.

User views were also solicited on awareness of 'By-laws 34A of the Uniform Building Bylaws (UBBL) regarding the provision of disabled friendly facilities in all public and private buildings within a stipulated time e.g. ramps & railings, disabled toilets, Braille blocks and pavements, and signage.' And this ranged from about 50-100%. When asked to rate, on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = none at all, 5 = very adequate), as to whether key public places have adequate disabled friendly facilities, the overall rating was a 2, meaning facilities were considered 'Inadequate.'

The report concludes by talking about neighboring countries and their efforts to make their cities accessible to attract foreign tourism. It notes though, that in Malaysia, Putrajaya is a good example of a city with barrier-free access. Unfortunately, the other states of Malaysia have yet to have similar facilities. It is considered a good time for Penang to capitalize on this niche tourism market and provide an example that the rest of Malaysia can follow. The Penang government has made much progress in providing disabled access locally. The government cannot do it all and the article calls for the private sector to make sure that their premises comply with the UBBL to ensure that Penang is viewed as a barrier-free tourist destination.

The full report is available at: http://www.seri.com.my/EconBrief/EconBrief2004-06.PDF (please note that it is only available in PDF format and may not be accessible to all)

NORDIC/SCANDINAVIAN

o Form & Funktion

The latest edition of Form & Funktion, the Nordic Design for All Magazine, (Number 1, Volume 3, June 2004) is now available online. The theme of this issue is 'Access to Culture' and is about buildings of cultural value – old and new ones and those that haven't yet been built. The examples have been taken from Sweden, Denmark and Norway. It includes discussion of Sweden's 2005 Year of Design, which includes a theme of 'Design for All.' Other articles discuss how The Ateneum art museum in Helsinki has taken the lead in developing accessible services, the building of the new Opera House in Oslo, the Danish Culture Minister's accessibility efforts and Läckö Castle as a pilot project of Sweden's National Property Board's accessibility policy. The issue also includes regular columns, Nordic Highlights and European Highlights, as well as other interesting articles.

To see the full issue of this edition of Form & Funktion, see: http://www.nsh.se/Form&Funktion/Form&Funktion_1-2004.pdf For past issues of Form & Funktion, see: http://www.nsh.se/in_english/Form&Funktion_in_English.htm. (please note that Form & Funktion is only available in PDF format and may not be accessible to all) For more on Sweden's 2005 Year of Design, see: http://www.merdesign.se/

SCOTLAND

o Open Space: People Space

This international conference on Inclusive Outdoor Environments takes place October 27-29, 2004 in Edinburgh, Scotland. The conference will review recent research and debate current issues surrounding good design for open space and social inclusion - spaces and places for the 21st century. The program will include contributions from an international array of experts covering the major themes of the conference: children and young people; disability and social inclusion; health and restorative environments and tourism and leisure.

For complete conference details, see: http://www.openspace.eca.ac.uk/conference/confbackground.htm

UNITED STATES

o 2005 Best of Seniors Housing Design and Marketing Awards

The Best of Seniors Housing awards program celebrates the best and most successful seniors projects and recognizes visionary projects still 'on the boards.' The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Seniors Housing Council pioneered its awards program in 1992 to showcase the finest projects from active adult communities and senior apartments to CCRCs and assisted living communities. In addition to honoring outstanding designs across the country, the Seniors Housing Council has added a new marketing component to acknowledge achievements in marketing all forms of seniors housing. The entry deadline is October 22, 2004.

The full details of the Awards are at: http://www.nahb.org/award_details.aspx?sectionID=471&awardID=131

o ADA Game

The ADA Game simulates how advocacy can promote positive changes in communities. Players take on the role of advocates for disability rights in one of eight virtual communities in the Southeastern United States and work together to improve compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in their communities in the areas of: Program Access, Public Accommodations, Transportation, Employment, and Communication. During the registration process, you are randomly assigned to one of the following cities: Birmingham (AL), Orlando (FL), Atlanta (GA), Louisville (KY), Biloxi (MS), Charlotte (NC), Charleston (SC), or Nashville (TN). You can switch cities at any time, but are encouraged to remain with one city throughout the game to work together towards building a more accessible community.

The lead sponsor of the 'ADA Game' is the Southeast Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center (DBTAC), one of 10 centers funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) at the U.S. Department of Education. The Southeast DBTAC is hosted at the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access at the College of Architecture at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia.

The ADA Game web site is at: http://www.adagame.org/

o AHEAD Brochures on Universal Design

AHEAD (the Association for Higher Education and Disability) has produced two new universal design brochures: 'Universal Design in Higher Education' and 'Universal Design: A Guide for Students.'

The first explains universal design principles and presents the concepts and applications of universal design with faculty, administrators and other campus staff in mind via these useful sections: Universal Design Overview, Universal Design Principles Explained, Frequently Asked Questions and References.

The second brochure explains how universal design principles are applied to learning and encourages students to think about their educational experience in a new way. While geared to students, this publication is actually useful to anyone who wants to implement universal design into the curriculum. Topics include: An Outline of Universal Design Principles, A Summary of Service Provision and Student Identity, Ideas for Promoting Universal Design on Campus, Frequently Asked Questions, and References

Information about these brochures and other new AHEAD publications is available at: http://www.ahead.org/support/publications/newcatalog.php

o AIBD Resolutions on Environmentally Sustainable Design and Universal Design in Housing

The American Institute of Building Design (AIBD) board of directors accepted two resolutions to support Universal Design and Sustainable Design at the AIBD¹s 54th annual convention held in Washington, D.C., July 28-31, 2004.

The first resolution states that AIBD 'shall encourage and support our membership in the voluntary practice of environmentally sustainable design and our corporate members that provide environmentally sustainable products and services' and commit to the following long term objectives for environmentally sustainable design: 'Support building design that results in resource-efficient construction, Continue to encourage the research and use of new technologies, materials and practices, Support market demand for cost effective, environmentally sustainable design, and Provide educational opportunities to our membership about the practice of environmentally sustainable design.'

The second resolution states that AIBD 'shall encourage and support our membership in the voluntary practice of universal design in housing and our corporate members that provide products and services to the physically challenged and commit to the following long term objectives for universal design in housing: 'Support creative design solutions to improve the built environment of the physically challenged, Support market demand for cost effective, universal design solutions that will allow our elderly or disabled population to 'age in place,' Provide educational opportunities to our membership about the methods and practice of universal design in housing, and Continue to promote the American Institute of Building Design as the leading professional organization in the design of residences for all people, including the physically challenged.'

For more information and the full text of the resolutions, please contact: Bobbi Falasco, Director of Operations, bobbi@aibd.org, www.aibd.org

o Assistive Technology and Accessible Media Conference

This conference will be held November 9-12, 2004 at Colorado University (CU)- Boulder. The conference is sponsored by CU-Boulder in collaboration with EASI, AHEAD & others. Session highlights include: Creating eBooks using Adobe PDF, Microsoft LIT and Daisy Format, Aligning the Pieces: A UDL Approach to Online Learning for All, Achieving Web Accessibility with Section 508, Digital Collections of Historical Documents and Accessibility, Assistive Technology: The Key to Learner Centered Teaching, and Evaluating Text to Speech Software for College Students with Learning Disabilities.

For more information, go to: www.colorado.edu/Atconference

o Checklist for Polling Place Accessibility

The Department of Justice has released the well-illustrated 'ADA Checklist for Polling Places' to help local officials improve voting accessibility nationwide. The 33-page checklist covers a wide range of accessibility issues, including parking, passenger drop-off areas, walkways, building entrances and hallways, and use of the voting area. It helps election officials recognize and identify accessibility problems at the schools, religious institutions, and public buildings that serve as polling places throughout the United States and offers practical, simple, and efficient solutions for eliminating barriers, including temporary measures for Election Day.

This publication is available at www.ada.gov/votingck.htm

o Children, Youth and Environment

In this issue, CYE publishes the six winning papers in the 2003 Graduate Student Paper Award for Excellence in Research competition. They represent the best qualities of research that advances knowledge about the significance of the environment to children and youth. These articles are about: the impacts of poverty deconcentration on children and youth, youth participation in urban agriculture and community development, an historical analysis of young people's use of public space, student participation in the redevelopment of school grounds, young people's perceptions of restorative environments, and conceptualizing social capital among young people.

For this edition, see: http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/a4.pl Past issues, as they are archived, are available at: http://www.colorado.edu/journals/cye/CYE_BackIssues/

o ITTATC

The latest edition of The Information Technology Technical Assistance & Training Center (ITTATC), ACCESS E and IT NEWS, 'Promoting Accessible IT & Telecommunications,' is available. Besides articles about Upcoming Events, FCC Telecommunications/Regulations, For Your Action/Information, Articles/Publications and Past Events, it contains a useful Resources section.

There is also an on-line resource publication 'Accessibility in the User- Centered Design Process Development.' This is a resource to assist usability professionals in incorporating accessible design practices into the user- centered design process. This resource is designed primarily for usability professionals who know User-Centered Design (UCD) processes and techniques, including the principles of usability testing, and have a basic understanding of accessibility. This resource does not include design solutions or guidance on specific accessibility design issues.

The current edition is available at: http://www.ittatc.org/news/july_04.cfm The archives of past editions are at: http://www.ittatc.org/news/ Accessibility in the User-Centered Design Process Development available at: http://www.ittatc.org/technical/access-ucd/about.cfm

o Making A Splash: Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Aquatic Venues

The National Center on Accessibility (NCA) has released a new monograph on the inclusion of people with disabilities in aquatic facilities. This online monograph discusses some of the major considerations for the successful inclusion of people with disabilities at aquatic facilities including visitor expectations, accessibility guidelines for swimming pools, considerations for aquatic staff, policies and procedures, family restrooms, pool lifts, aquatic chairs and water slides. Be sure to check out the video clips.

Other NCA monographs include: Trail Surfaces: What Do I Need to Know Now?, Effective Communication in Parks and Recreation, What are Alternative Formats? How Do They Apply to Programs and Services?, Accessible Picnic Tables: Requirements and Recommendations, Campground Accessibility: Issues and Recommendations, Principles for Adapting Activities in Recreation Programs and Settings, What is an Accessible Trail?, Providing Access to Beaches, and more.

This monograph and other NCS monographs are available at: www.ncaonline.org

o New ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines

The U.S. Access Board announces the release of new design guidelines that cover access for people with disabilities under the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The guidelines update access requirements for a wide range of facilities in the public and private sectors covered by the law. As part of this update, the Board also revised its guidelines for Federal buildings under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) of 1968. The ABA requires access to facilities designed, built, altered, or leased with Federal funds. Under the new guidelines, a more consistent level of access is specified under both the ADA and the ABA.

Following is an excerpt of guidance offered by Kathy Gips of the New England ADA & Accessible IT Center:

'Confused? You are not alone.

As many of you know, on July 23 the U.S. Access Board issued updated accessibility guidelines for new or altered facilities covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Architectural Barriers Act. The ADA applies to state and local governments and to the private sector. The ABA applies to federal agencies.

These new ADA guidelines will become enforceable standards when the U.S. Department of Justice adopts them as part of their ADA regulations. The ABA will become enforceable standards when the four federal standard setting agencies adopt them. The best-case scenario for the Department of Justice adoption is twelve months; twenty four months (or longer) is more likely.

Meanwhile continue to use the ADA Standards that are in the 8x10 inch grey and white book 'Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability by Public Accommodations and Commercial Facilities Revised as of July 1, 1994' - yes it's ten years old but it is the current legal standard. You can order them from us (no charge) or get them from the U.S. Department of Justice's website www.ada.gov. They're smack in the middle of the page.

Several architects have called and said they plan to use the ADAAG '04 instead of the current ADA Standards. Our concern is that in some places the requirements provide less or different access requirements. Here are a few examples:

1. ADAAG '04 - Small parking lots of 1-4 cars will need one accessible space, but that space won't require a sign or any other designation.

Current ADA Standards requires an accessible space with appropriate above grade signage in all parking lots

2. ADAAG '04 allows the distance from the centerline of the toilet in an accessible restroom to be 16-18 inches from the wall.

Current ADA Standards requires the centerline to be at 18 inches.

3. ADAAG '04 allows the door to swing into the clear floor space required at fixtures in accessible restrooms as long as there's one 30x48 inch clear floor space beyond the door.

Current ADA Standards do not allow the door to swing into the clear floor spaces required at fixtures.

When the Department of Justice issues their new regulations they will give us plenty of time from when we get building permits to when the new design standards will go into effect. It may be a bit of a messy transition period.

Yes it's confusing. Plus throw in to the mix that several states have adopted IBC 2000/ANSI 117.1 and Massachusetts has its own accessibility code. Meanwhile perhaps the best use of the ADAAG '04 is where the current ADA Standards don't address an issue or are confusing. The ADAAG '04 can be used for clarification.' Contact Kathy Gips, kgips@adaptiveenvironments.org if you have any questions.

For full content of the guidelines, see: http://www.access-board.gov/ada-aba.htm

o NOD Survey, Accessible America 2004 Competition

The National Organization on Disability (N.O.D.) recently announced that its national survey of Americans with disabilities, conducted every four years by the Harris organization, was released in late June. The N.O.D./Harris Survey was last conducted in 2000. It concluded that Americans with disabilities are at a critical disadvantage compared to other Americans in ten key areas of life. Continuing a trend, the survey found slow and modest progress in the indicators, which Harris has tracked since 1986.

Additionally, N.O.D. urges America's mayors and chief elected officials to enter their communities in the fourth annual $25,000 'Accessible America' award competition, open to all U.S. cities and towns. The winner of N.O.D.'s Accessible America 2004 competition will be a city or town where citizens with disabilities have opportunities for full and equal participation in the life of their community, including access to education, jobs, voting, transportation, housing, religious worship, and a full range of social, recreational, cultural, and sports activities. Another area that N.O.D. is giving special focus in the post-September 11 era is emergency preparedness for people with disabilities. The competition highlights thorough community-wide progress and inspires replication. The competition deadline is October 31, 2004.

For full survey results, see: http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1537 For full details on Accessible American 2004 Competition, see: http://www.nod.org/content.cfm?id=1551

o Students and Universal Design

Recently, three student efforts involving universal design were reported. In the North Kansas City School District, carpentry and interior design students built a three bedroom, 1,580 square foot universally designed house as their project for the past school year. 'universal design' elements include a no-step entry, raised electrical outlets, wide doorways with lever-action hardware, rocker-type switches, roll-in master shower, blocking installed for grab bars, height adjustable showerheads, multiple cabinet heights in the kitchen, base cabinets with rollout shelves, raised dishwasher, and disposal and range hood switches on the front of the cabinets. The house is framed for future elevator installation and stair lift to the unfinished basement.

At Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, sixteen interior design students and their instructor were approached by the director of RISE (Resource. Information. Support. Empowerment) and asked to design a kitchen using 'universal design.' After an interview with RISE, each student in the class designed their own universally designed kitchen. RISE is a federally funded program that provides skills training and support to assist individuals with disabilities in living an independent life. This is not the first time the instructor has done a design like this. 'I am always looking for community projects.' The instructor said. One of her classes did a project for Habitat for Humanities, and the student chapter of American Society for Interior Designers, is currently working on a plan with the Women's and Children's Shelter.

Recently, the 2004 winners of the North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition were announced. The North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition is a program to engage students in the state's public universities and community colleges to learn and apply the lessons of sustainable development in the design and construction of buildings. Student teams designed a home for an actual site in North Carolina incorporating a sustainable approach to design that includes energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, waste reduction, use of locally available materials, and attention to the particular assets of the site. Furthermore, the North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition required provisions for a safe area under extreme weather conditions, recognition of the health implications of building materials, and universal access for the building and site. In this way, hundreds of students each year receive universal design materials and training, and get practice in integrating universal design into housing design. The Design Competition reinforces the connection between universal design and sustainable design: universal features save money and resources by reducing the need to renovate homes as residents' needs change. Universal homes look good and work well for all users.

An article on the North Kansas City School District project: http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=1452&dept_id= 155077&newsid=8307474&PAG=46 1&rfi=9 An article on the Lamar University class is at: http://www.lamar.edu/news/story.asp?ID=728 The full details of the North Carolina Sustainable Building Design Competition are at: http://www.sustainabledesigncompetition.org/site/sdc/public/home.cfm

o Summer Issue of ICON

The Summer Issue of ICON, from the American Society of Interior Design (ASID), has a large article on Universal Design, 'Universal Design: Transparent, Inclusive, Attractive . . . and an Essential Consideration for Today's Residential Designers.' The article builds on the precept that 'Advocates predict that in the next decade universal design will transform the American home, significantly altering real estate, design and construction standards. Their benchmark is the capacity of a home to accommodate the physical, sensory and psychological abilities and limitations of all its occupants—and their visitors—over the course of their lifetimes.'

For the full contents, see: http://www.asid.org/ASID2/resource/icon.asp (please note that the Universal Design article is only available in PDF format and may not be accessible to all) AISD Universal Design Resource Center: http://www.asid.org/asid2/resource/ud_info.asp

o Survey on Universal Design Features in New, Single-Family Housing

A new survey on universal design features in new, single family housing is scheduled to be open until October 1, 2004. The findings will be available to all who participate and are interested in the results. The purpose of this survey is to determine what design features and products are considered essential for new houses (particularly in the private housing market) to be universally designed. This survey is about universal design, thus, includes, but is not limited to, features of Visit-Ability and accessibility. Questions are asked about design features and products and respondents select whether each particular feature is essential to universal design (Level 1), enhances universal design (Level 2), or should not be included as a feature of universal design (Level 3).

The results of this survey may be used to inform housing professionals (educators, policy makers, designers, builders and developers) as they develop strategies to promote universal design in housing. Your participation in this survey is strongly encouraged, especially if you have a working knowledge of universal design and housing. Your participation is critical as we move toward making universal design the standard for the design and construction of new, single family housing, rather than the exception.

The survey may be taken on line or with a paper copy. It will take you approximately 30 minutes to complete. You can access the survey on-line (see below) or request a hard copy by contacting Dr. Sandra C. Hartje, Associate Professor of Interior Design and Housing, Seattle Pacific University at shartje@spu.edu or 206-281-2204.

The survey is available at: http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB2NPPH7K3

o UDEO – Calendar and Calls/Competitions

The Universal Design Education Online's Upcoming Calls and Competitions page lists several design competitions and opportunities that have social justice components. These competition listings and links promote critical investigation into the ways that designers address social equity and cultural differences. Professors and students might find interesting opportunities for both studio and independent work. The listings are updated monthly, and there is an archive of past competitions for your reference.

Also, the Universal Design Education Online's Calendar of Current Events announces many conferences and events that address issues of diversity and inclusion in design. These listings give professors and students an excellent overview of what is happening worldwide in specific areas such as information design, interior design, community development, urban design, environmental design, engineering, industrial design, architecture, landscape architecture, aging, tourism, and globalization. As with the competition page, the listings are updated monthly, and there is an archive of past events for your reference.

The Upcoming Calls and Competition page is available at: http://www.udeducation.org/resources/competitions/showcurrentcompetitions.asp The Calendar of Current Events page is available at: http://www.udeducation.org/resources/calendar/showcurrentevents.asp If you have a listing for these pages, please send it to Elaine Ostroff at Elaine@ostroff.org

WORLD

o World Bank Disability Conference

In celebration of the United Nation's International Day of Disabled Persons 2004, the World Bank is holding a conference, 'Disability and Inclusive Development: Sharing, Learning, and Building Alliances,' November 30-December 1, 2004. This conference will bring together hundreds of disability and development experts from around the world who will participate in panel discussions, hear keynote addresses from distinguished speakers within the disability and economic development communities, browse the many disability-related display booths, and share knowledge on state-of-the-art technology and best practice in disability work. This event constitutes the follow-up to the December 2002 international disability conference.

For full conference details, see: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS /EXTSOCIALPROTECTION/EXTDISABILITY/0,,contentMDK :20241693~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:282699,00.html

CALENDAR

Though the main calendar portion was sent out earlier, there is one errata.

ERRATA … White House Conference is: October 23-26, 2005 and not October 23-26, 2004 as previously stated.

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 bi-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 go to http://trace.wisc.edu:8080/mailman/listinfo/universaldesign-ed where you can subscribe online. You will also learn more about the purpose of the list.

Adding your information, questions to the Online News: Send e-mail to elaine@ostroff.org with Calendar listings and articles. Articles should be limited to 300 words. If the issue is too full to include, and the timeliness of the article allows it, we may hold the item until the following issue.

To subscribe to the Online News, send an e-mail message to the same address. There is no charge.

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.

375 River Road Westport, MA 02790 Tel 508 636 6537 Fax 508 636 2674 elaine@ostroff.org www.universaldesign.net

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