The US elections signaled the mainstreaming of a frustration with confrontation and gridlock in addressing the common good of societies. Whether Republican, democrat, or independent the mantra was "Change!" Here the message has consistently been that the change that is needed at this stage in history flows from the seven principles of Universal Design and can be summed up as social inclusion -- not merely accessibility; not mandated minimums adhered to reluctantly when they could not be subverted directly or indirectly.
This article on workshop by AARP on Universal Design and Visitability Fairfax County Virginia is typical of the recent surge in high-quality mainstream press articles on UD. This piece "Blueprint for Boomers" contains not only the demographic trend arguments but something seen less frequently - an analysis of the strategy and tactics being used to promote UD. We hold out hope that mainstream press will soon pursue reporting on Inclusive Tourism (See the current issue of Success & Ability, Chennai, India for "What is Inclusve Tourism?") and Inclusive Destination Development as diligently as other countries have begun to. Perhaps that will occur as President Obama rolls out massive infrastructure development projects that are grounded in Universal Design:
Like the move to green homes, the trend toward universal design is gaining acceptance through a mix of mandates and market incentives. The National Association of Home Builders has created a Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist program for trained builders and designers. Some jurisdictions, including the village of Bolingbrook, Ill., and Pima County, Ariz., have mandated universal design elements in all new housing.Virginia's Department of Housing and Community Development offers a $500 tax credit for incorporating certain features, and Howard County is pushing to develop model homes on a publicly owned property that would combine elements of green homes, universal design and affordable housing.
Fairfax Supervisor Sharon Bulova (D-Braddock) said she was interested in allowing developers to exchange universal design for more density. "We're more interested in encouraging incentives rather than using a policing approach," Bulova said.
Betsy Luecking, disability policy specialist with Montgomery County's Health and Human Services Department, said that advocates initially hoped to enact a mandatory program requiring developers to incorporate universal design in a percentage of single-family homes in developments with more than 35 dwellings. But the plan ran into resistance from builders, and the county adopted a less confrontational approach.
"We are hoping to convince builders to offer it as an option just like skylights and finished basements," Luecking said.
(Credits to this author for coming closer than many to the actual date that Universal Design began by locating it in the 1980's. It will be very affirming when the press finally gets it right and places it in the 1970's. It was already a regular topic of conversation when we founded the first Disabled Students Commission at the University of Washington in 1974 and Ron Mace never even came to our campus from across the country in North Carolina!)
Posted by rollingrains at November 22, 2008 05:24 PM