Rolling Rains Report:

Resources on Universal Design for Homes

Here's a list of guides on building or altering homes to suit the needs of the elderly or disabled

AARP Guide to Understanding Universal Design
Very complete Web site includes room-by-room advice and narrated slideshows of homes employing universal-design principles
http://www.aarp.org/families/home_design

National Association of Home Builders' Directory of Certified Aging-in-Place Specialists
Searchable directory of remodelers and contractors who have been trained to understand the home modifications often needed by the older adult population
http://www.nahb.org/directory.aspx?sectionID=686&directoryID=188

The Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University
The leading resource for research and information on universal design provides stock floor plans for houses and detailed plans for home modifications
http://www.design.ncsu.edu:8120/cud

Practical Guide to Universal Home Design
Commonsense, illustrated introduction to universal design with checklist of what to consider when buying, building, or remodeling a home
http://www.tcaging.org/downloads/homedesign.pdf

Universal Design Checklist, Kansas State University
Short checklist of universal-design basics for residences, compiled from multiple sources
http://www.ksu.edu/humec/atid/UDF/ud_checklist.htm

Lifease LivAbility Questionnaire and Report
Personalized report ($19.95) offers suggestions as well as links to products tailored to your specific living situation and physical abilities
http://www.lifease.com/lifease-livability.html

Homes for Easy Living: Universal Design Innovations
Complete with resources and examples, this is the Web site of an award-winning consultant specializing in single- and multifamily universally designed housing
http://www.homesforeasyliving.com

Network of Care, Alameda County, Calif.
Searchable database of more than 21,000 assistive tools for the elderly or disabled
http://alameda.networkofcare.org/aging/assistive/index.cfm

Lowe's Home Improvement How-To Library: Universal Design
Room-by-room recommendations for remodeling projects that can help you around the house
http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=howTo&p=HTindex/universalDesign_index.html&rn=RightNavFiles/no.html

News of the "Other" WTO

TravelWireNews reports that the World Tourism Organization has changed its official acronym from "WTO" to "UNWTO." The change reflects the close relationship the organization has with the United Nations and distinguishes it from the other WTO -- the World Trade Organization.

A Flurry of Articles on UD in Homes : Boomers Warp the Economy - Again!

Here are a few articles reflecting the continued spread of Universal Design in the US market for private homes:

Boomers Push Interest in Universal Design Homes
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20051124a1.asp
and:
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/money/249810_real26.html

Universal Design Bath & Shower Systems Showcased In BASF �Better Planet� House
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/11/prweb311573.htm

Planning your Home with Universal Design
http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/real-estate/20051124b1.asp?prodtype=mtg

Wayfaring & Community Walks: Introduction to Google Mapping

The Rolling Rains Report will take on a new look in 2006. The changes are not simply cosmetic. New technologies, generically labelled "Web 2.0", are making it easier for small publishers to offer greater depth of features to readers.

Features based on Google Maps provide context to many of the posts at Rolling Rains. Two mapping tools include A href="http://www.wayfaring.com/">Wayfaring and "Community Walk"

Access Board Adopts Priorities for 2006 Research and Information Gathering

At its November meeting, the Access Board approved its research agenda for 2006. Every year the Board sponsors or promotes research on various aspects of accessibility. Through its work maintaining accessibility guidelines and standards and its provision of technical assistance, the Board regularly identifies issues or questions that merit further study. A public forum the Board held on its programs and services as a part of a series of ADA anniversary events also identified research priorities.

Some of these efforts will expand existing projects undertaken by other agencies, such as the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). These include an assessment of available technologies for pedestrian signals at traffic roundabouts, which by their design and continuous traffic flow patterns pose challenges to pedestrians with vision impairments, and the development of guidance on selecting accessible pedestrian signal devices based on the type of intersection and site conditions.

In addition, funds will be budgeted to advance existing research on the relative effectiveness of various wayfinding cues, including returned curb edges, curb ramp orientation, tactile surfaces, and guide strips, for people with vision impairments in outdoor environments. The Board also plans to commission an analysis of standard human factors protocols for measuring the effects of slope and surface on manual wheelchair maneuvering.

Topics proposed by members of the public at the forum last July are also on the Board’s agenda. They include a study of communication access in transportation facilities, including airports and rail stations, and on transit vehicles to gather information for the Board’s use in updating its vehicle guidelines. Another project will build upon a major Board-funded study on indoor air quality completed this summer. Conducted by the National Institute of Building Sciences, this study explored ways to improve indoor environmental quality for people with multiple chemical or electro-magnetic sensitivities through specification of building products, materials, ventilation, and maintenance. Attendees of the Board’s forum strongly endorsed such a follow-on project.

Other projects will cover areas not previously addressed by the Board’s research program, including a review of existing research on lighting. The Board’s facility guidelines do not address lighting levels, and the results of this project will help to develop guidance material on the subject. The Board also seeks to convene an expert panel on the topic of assisted transfer of people with disabilities. Specifications in the Board’s guidelines for toilet and bathrooms are based on independent access and transfer, and questions have arisen about compliance in some types of medical care and assisted living facilities where bathrooms are designed specifically for aided transfer. In addition to these information collection efforts, the Board will explore a pilot program to provide translations of select Board materials in American Sign Language through web-based videos.

The project priorities will be initiated in 2006 to the extent that funding permits. Where possible, the Board seeks to undertake research in partnership with other organizations or to build upon existing projects in order to maximize available opportunities with limited funds. For further information on these projects or other aspects of the Board’s research program, contact Lois Thibault, the Board’s research coordinator, at research@access-board.gov (e-mail), (202) 272-0023 (voice), or (202) 272-0082 (TTY). Information on completed Board research is posted on the Board’s website at http://www.access-board.gov/research.htm.

Evangelist for Good Design: Tom Klinkowstein

For the past year and half, Tom Klinkowstein has conducted workshops, called Horizon Projects, with design students in four countries using a methodology adapted from John Anderson, a NASA scientist. The workshops lasted from 1/2 a day in New York, to two days in Istanbul, Turkey, three days In Shanghai, China and five days in Mumbai, India.

Vikas Khanna Promotes Accessibility & Hospitality Worldwide

On December 2, 2005 Vikas Khanna received the "Access to Freedom Award" from SATH - the Society for Accessible Transportation & Hospitality.

This is only a small part of what this celebrated executive chef from India has achieved. His accomplishments merit a full length article.

On this holy feast of the birth of Christ I salute a man whose compassion and dedication reflect the highest ideals of any religion and all people of goodwill.

Special Issue of DisabilityWorld about International Development

A new issue of the online periodical of news and views,
DisabilityWorld, has just been produced by the World Institute
on Disability in collaboration with other groups active in
developing and resource poor countries. Posted on December 19,
the theme of the special issue is "Disability and Development"
that takes a closer look at policies and projects giving
mainstream assistance to disabled people within broader social
and economic programs.http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/000306.html

From the press release:

Often called "Inclusive Development," this approach recognizes
that the estimated 10% of children, youths and adults with
disabilities have been essentially left out of education for
all, poverty reduction programs and other national and
international efforts to reach disadvantaged populations.
Additionally, new studies by the UK9s Department for
International Development and Ireland9s National Disability
Authority strengthen the linkages between disability and
poverty.

The mainstreaming approach includes many facets, ranging from
USAID9s new policy requiring accessible construction in
Afghanistan and Iraq projects, to the establishment of a
Global Partnership on Disability and Development, to growing
support for inclusive education in Asia and Central Europe, to
disabled Nigerians demonstrating for reinstatement of
immunization programs, to efforts to change public attitudes
towards disability in various cultures through advocacy and
mass media.

This special issue features 32 articles and an array of
newsbriefs, resources and announcements of conferences and jobs
related to development, including:

* International reports on disability and development from the
International Labor Organization, the World Health
Organization and UNICEF;
* Formation of an international committee on wheelchair
standards;
* International selected bibliographies on poverty, disability
and development aid; and on needs of people with disabilities
in disasters;
* Africa - frontline reports from Ethiopia, Ghana, Nigeria,
South Africa and Zimbabwe;
* Arab countries - news from Bahrain, Tunisia and a Muslim
world project;
* Southeast & Central Asia - projects in Azerbaijan, India,
Pakistan and Myanmar;
* Europe - events and studies in Ireland, Germany, Hungary,
Russia and Turkey; and
* North America - reports on new U.S. State Department Advisory
Committee on Disability and Congressional briefing on
emergency management and people with disabilities.

For details on Disability World, contact the Executive
Director, Kathy Martinez: Kathy@wid.org, or directly by phone
(510) 251-4326.

Not a Happy New Year for Some: Qantas Set to Backslide in 2006

Disabled passengers will not get on certain Qantas flights beginning Feb. 2007

SYDNEY, Australia (eTurboNews) -- Australian airline Qantas is under scrutiny because of a plan to restrict some passengers with disabilities on three types of aircraft.

In its defense, Qantas said cargo doors on its Boeing 737, 717 and Aerospace 146 planes are too small to fit some electric wheelchairs safely.

The airline has claimed that its staff have been injured trying to work around the problem according to a published report.

They will stop accepting passengers in electric wheelchairs on those aircraft from February.

But the secretary of Tasmanians with Disabilities secretaty Robyn Wilkinson told reporters the airline must stop discriminating and work harder on practical solutions. "There has to be a way of accommodating the needs of people with disabilities," he was quoted as saying.

"The ultimate should be something like one or two seats can be removed from the aircraft on a temporary basis and that people can actually board in their wheelchair, and have the wheelchair clamped down in position."

Tourism and Social Inclusion Brazilian Style

Some names keep reappearing recently in the field of Inclusive Tourism.
Fl�via Roberta Costa is one such rising star. In October she led the SESC symposium on inlucsive travel in S�o Paulo, Brazil. In Mazatlan, Mexico she also addressed the national conference on tourism for all.

Semin�rio Turismo e Inclus�o Social

Sobre o evento :

A democratizacao do acesso ao turismo � tema principal deste evento e um dos principios norteadores do Programa de Turismo Social do SESC Sao Paulo. Ser�o apresentadas e discutidas, praticas de turismo para todos, formas de media��o inclusiva de grupos de vulnerabilidade especifica, pessoas com dificuldades de car�ter social, cultural, econ�mica, f�sica e psicoligica e outras limita��es que os impedem de participar do turismo como forma de lazer.

A integraaoo das comunidades com os viajantes que as visitam atrav�\es da troca de experiencias e o respeito �s diversidades culturais, planejamento participativo e sustent�vel para o turismo, s�o outras abordagens presentes no semin�rio.

OBJETIVOS

• Incentivar a reflex�o sobre a import�ncia da pr�tica do turismo sustent�vel, respons�vel e acess�vel a todos.
• Relacionar experi�ncias concretas em turismo inclusivo, oferecendo alternativas sobre pr�ticas n�o convencionais e que promovam a democratiza��o de acesso, incluindo a sustentabilidade cultural, ambiental e econ�mica dos locais visitados.
• Estimular a consci�ncia de que o turismo � uma pr�tica integrativa e auxiliar no processo de constru��o da cidadania.
• Propor a reflex�o sobre turismo social, baseado em solidariedade, valoriza��o das diversidades e democracia.

Informacoes: http://www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/Conferencias/subindex.cfm?Referencia=3254&ParamEnd=2

http://www.sescsp.org.br/sesc/Conferencias/subindex.cfm?Referencia=3254&ParamEnd=8

Universal Design for Aging Boomers; Toyota's Big Play

Japan, with its precipitous shift to a large aging population, has been strategic in implementing Universal Design. For those who read Spanish here is an article reviewing the approach Toyota is taking to serving this new customer base.

Ed Roberts Postdoctoral Fellowship in Disability Studies

From UC Berkeley:

We are pleased to announce open applications for our postdoctoral program funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133P020009). The goal of this program is to train postdoctoral and professional scholars, in any discipline, to be leaders in disability studies and rehabilitation research and mentorship. Based at the University of California, Berkeley, a San Francisco Bay Area Consortium of universities, research institutes, and disability agencies will recruit people with advanced professional degrees who want to broaden their theoretical outlook and their disability research methodological skills.

Ed Roberts Postdoctoral Fellowship in Disability Studies
University of California, Berkeley
Institute of Urban and Regional Development
316 Wurster Hall #1870
University of California
Berkeley CA 94720-1870
Fax: 510-643-9576
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS -- Due: February 15. 2006
Professors Susan Schweik and Fred Collignon (Co-Directors)
Fellowship Period: September 2006- May 2007

We are pleased to announce open applications for our postdoctoral program funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (H133P020009). The goal of this program is to train postdoctoral and professional scholars, in any discipline, to be leaders in disability studies and rehabilitation research and mentorship. Based at the University of California, Berkeley, a San Francisco Bay Area Consortium of universities, research institutes, and disability agencies will recruit people with advanced professional degrees who want to broaden their theoretical outlook and their disability research methodological skills.

We will fund three full-time, nine-month, residential Ed Roberts Postdoctoral Fellowships a year. The Stipend is $30,000, paid monthly. Fellows must have health insurance or purchase it from the university.

PROGRAM COMPONENTS
(1) Postdoctoral Seminar: In addition to a bi-monthly San Francisco Bay-area-wide Colloquium, Fellows will attend a structured, weekly seminar in which each Fellow will present at least twice. This required weekly seminar is the heart of the fellowship.
(2) Classroom Training: Fellows will also attend at least one class, either in the fall or spring semester, chosen from among the offerings of the Consortium partners. Each Fellow will also have the opportunity to take part in teaching at Berkeley by delivering guest lectures and participating in other special events in the DiSC curriculum.
(3) Individual Fellowship Plans: Fellows will develop and follow an Individual Fellowship Plan composed of any of the following and other activities.

Independent Research: All Fellows will conduct their own research project, appropriate to their discipline, with an emphasis on using new methodological skills and disability studies theory. We will assist Fellows in identifying funding to pursue disability studies and rehabilitation research and publication opportunities after the conclusion of the Fellowship.
Research Mentorship: Fellows may work closely with a faculty Mentor, and each Fellow may also participate as a Mentor for an undergraduate or graduate disability studies student Mentee.
Research Internship: Fellows may choose to complete a structured or unstructured internship with one of a group of agencies forming the Ed Roberts Campus or other local organizations focused on disability or related issues. Fellows may work directly with staff on ongoing agency projects or on their own research.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
Eligibility: All requirements for a Ph.D., MD, JD, or equivalent degree complete by the time of application. There are no restrictions on discipline, age, or citizenship. We have a strong preference for people who are within 5 years of their degree.
Review Schedule: Please notify us by email as soon as possible that you intend to apply and then submit a full application in hard copy and by email on or before February 15, 2006.

Application Structure
(1) Cover Letter: Prepare a letter with your full contact information including where we can reach you for a possible interview.
(2) Curriculum Vitae: Current please.
(3) References: Include names and full contact information for 2 references including their email and where and how we can reach them by telephone in February-March 2006.
(4) A Written Fellowship Plan: Not more than 10 pages double-spaced. The Plan should address the components of the Fellows planned activities for 9 months.

Seminar and Classes: As appropriate, briefly please include what you would contribute and what you hope to gain from our weekly Postdoctoral Seminar. We suggest you browse the Berkeley class schedules and think about what types of classes you would like to attend. Think about the knowledge and skills you would like to develop and explore any possible fit with existing UCB faculty. We also encourage applicants to initiate contact with appropriate faculty or community organizations during the application process. Contact our Academic Coordinator for more information or assistance (Devva@earthlink.net).
Independent Research: This section is the majority of the Plan. Describe in detail your independent research project including your problem, thesis, or theoretical statement, research methods, analytical methods, and other details appropriate to your discipline. Will this work involve local disability groups or require any particular research setting?
Dissemination: Describe your publication or other product plan including articles, books, presentations, production projects, or other dissemination products appropriate to your disciple and research goals.

(5) Writing Sample: An article length sample of your best work. Choose something that demonstrates your theoretical, methodological, and/or analytical approach.

Please be as specific as possible and emphasize your Independent Research. We encourage you to look at the Ed Roberts and Disability Studies at CAL, the University of California, Berkeley, and other Bay Area schools and disability related organizations websites. We are happy to correspond with you by email (devva@earthlink.net) about these issues prior to your application submission.

Please submit all materials in hard copy by mail and in electronic format on a disk by mail or by email attachment to Devva Kasnitz at devva@earthlink.net and drdevva@aol.com
Ed Roberts Postdoctoral Fellowship
IURD, 316 Wurster Hall #1870
University of California, Berkeley
Berkeley CA 94720-1870

Cell Phone: 510-206-5767

If messages to devva@earthlink.net bounce back to you, please use as an alternate address.

Devva Kasnitz, PhD
New Focus Partnerships
Association of Program for Rural Independent Living
Disability Studies at Cal (DiSC)
Institute of Urban and Regional Development
Ed Roberts Postdoctoral Fellowship in Disability Studies
Academic Coordinator
University of California, Berkeley

Office Mailing Address:
316 Wurster Hall #1870
University of California
Berkeley CA 94720-1870

Fax: 510-643-9576
EMAIL: . and

Home Mailing Address:
2345 7th St
Berkeley, CA 94710
Voice: 510-549-1865

Universal Design Resource List @ About.com

Coral Nafie, who writes tjhe Interior Decorating section at About.com has a good collection of resources on Universal Design It has a consumer orientation so does not include a link to another good site Adaptive Environments and their excellent resource pages.

universal design

Will It Accommodate Travelers with Disabilities?

P&O has ordered a 3,100 passenger capacity ship to be built by shipbuilders
Fincantieri at a cost of about $600 million. The new ship, named Ventura,
will feature eight restaurants, six shops, five swimming pools and three
show lounges and a spa and family zone with four activity areas for
children. The ship will have 1,550 cabins and 900 of those will have a
private balcony.

Source:

Daily ARTA 9/21/05

universal design

Europe by Wheelchair: An American Tourist's Perspective

This piece comes courtesy of Dave Reynold's informative Inclusion Daily Express:

European Trip In Wheelchair Was Surprisingly Accessible"
September 14, 2005

SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA--The following four paragraphs are excerpts from a story by San Diego Union-Tribune "Abilities" columnist Marilyn Salisbury:

What did I do on my summer vacation?

I spent two weeks traveling in Eastern Europe and fell in love with my wheelchair in the process.

I had polio as a child and have used either braces or crutches ever since. For the first time, I used my manual wheelchair almost exclusively for mobility on this trip.

I found the public accommodations for those with disabilities to be better than I expected. There were curb cuts, and the public restrooms were better equipped than those here.

Entire article:
"European trip in wheelchair was surprisingly accessible" (San Diego Union-Tribune)
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050830/news_1c30ability.html
Related:

Posted by rollingrains at 08:14 PM

With Age Comes Wisdom...

With age comes wisdom - and a bewildering variety of changes to one's visual accuity. So, here is a gadget for sighted travelers. It's a travel alarm clock with a built-in magnifier.

If you liked that gadget the manufacturer, Zelco, has a few more travel items here.

Billionaires, Bathrooms & Universal Design

Forbes magazine ran an article that, inadvertently perhaps, equates Universal Design with luxury. The piece, "Billionaire Bathrooms" explains:

Now wealthy home owners are transforming their bathrooms into spas--and for practical, as well as indulgent, reasons.

"A lot more people are beginning to say, 'I'm not moving away from my kids or from the central city,'" he says. "Instead, they are exploring ways to remain in their homes after retirement, while being looked after. Baby boomers are opting more for in-home care as opposed to managed care. I think expanding the bathroom into a home spa is not just for indulgence but also for therapy."

"Freedom Machines" Program in Spanish & English on DVD

The Community Technology Foundation of California (Full Disclosure: where I am a ZeroDivide Fellow) is a funder of the new DVD release of the exemplary Assistive Technology/Universal Design program from PBS, "Freedom Machines." Read on to find out how to purchase a copy at discount.

(San Francisco, December 9, 2005) The producers of the groundbreaking PBS program announced a special release today of the FREEDOM MACHINES DVD Education Package, a powerful new resource for university and secondary school educators, school districts, staff and professional development, and government and community agencies.

FREEDOM MACHINES premiered as a PBS Fall Special on the award-winning POV series. The film has been praised as "an essential primer on disability in the age of technology" for its exploration of the ways people are recasting their lives with the help of new technologies. Through the stories of adults and children ages 8-93, the film reveals the human and social benefits of providing access to life-enhancing tools to people with disabilities.


-SPECIAL OFFER: 35% introductory discount if ordered by December 31, 2005

The FREEDOM MACHINES DVD Education Package provides an easy to navigate, interactive experience. Among a handful of DVDs worldwide with full accessibility features--including Talking Menus and Video Description for viewers with visual impairments--this innovative product is one of the first in a bilingual format available to users of all physical abilities. It includes:

-Director/producer Jamie Stobie's cut of the PBS program, FREEDOM MACHINES, re-designed for instructional use with chapter cues and segment running times.

-Four new segments with practical information on the types of assistive technology available today, legal rights and advocacy for people with disabilities, how to obtain necessary technology, and Universal Design.

-Downloadable, interactive resources and web support for educators and facilitators.

Executive Producer Janet Cole whose credits include the Oscar�-nominated "Regret to Inform" and "Promises" said, "Fifteen years after the ADA, FREEDOM MACHINES reflects on our nation's commitment to our largest minority group, people with disabilities. Today, physical or mental impairments need not be impediments if people have access to necessary technologies, services, and accommodations. Human ingenuity and technology have evolved exponentially. Now the real challenge is mobilizing the social will to dismantle outmoded stereotypes and nurture the talents of 20% of our citizens."

�FREEDOM MACHINES is required viewing for teachers, service providers, policy makers, and anyone who works with disabled children, adults, or seniors."
--Andy Imparato, President & CEO, American Association of People with Disabilities

"REMARKABLE. FREEDOM MACHINES manages a near-perfect balance of compassion, humor, political insight, and deep admiration for the people it profiles--individuals whose lives have been significantly improved by new technologies that bring hope where none existed before. 3.5 STARS."
--Video Librarian

�FREEDOM MACHINES is the gigantic wake-up call needed by future teachers. I can think of no better way to challenge our attitudes and thinking than by viewing this film."
--Mary Male, Professor, San Jose State University

TO ORDER the FREEDOM MACHINES Education Package visit www.freedommachines.com. Enter the promo code VYSA8S for a 35% discount if ordered before December 31st. For more information, please call: 415-821-3791

FREEDOM MACHINES was funded by the National Science Foundation, the Independent Television Service (ITVS) with funds from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), the Community Technology Foundation of California (CTFC), The California Endowment, and the Sundance Institute Documentary Fund. Support for the production of the DVD Education Package was provided by SBC, the Community Technology Foundation of California, the Price-Galinson Trust, and Parents Helping Parents with funds from the California Consumer Protection Foundation. Translations were provided by the SBC Spanish Translation Group.

Travel Trends and the Boletin Polibea Turismo in Spain

The following article appeared in the most recent issue of the Boletin Polibea Turismo in English as as "A Travel Trend on the Horizon" and, in Spanish, as "Una Tendencia en el Horizonte."

The goal of Universal Design is to create all products and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.

I am quadriplegic and I have a dream.

It is a dream as noble as the impetus behind the Pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela; as insistent as the beckoning of Mecca to the haji; as deep as the desire to journey to Jerusalem; as all-encompassing as the attraction of Kumba Mela in India. It is the dream of travel.

Travel, even the dream of travel, speaks to the imagination. This past year demonstrated once again that imagination drives the engines of commerce even as it fuels the spirits of pilgrims, artists, and designers. Travel for people with disabilities, a long-deferred dream, now receives global attention at a level that promises to make it economically sustainable. One rediscovered philosophy of design is making this transformation possible.

Sheikh Mohammed has announced a goal of attracting three million travelers with disabilities to ultra-modern Dubailand even while Japan has quietly transformed Takayama City into a barrier-free destination of choice that retains the charm of this city steeped in tradition. Tasmania saw the launch of an island-encompassing circuit of fully accessible lodgings known as the Devil's Playground. Sun City International Community takes the trend even further. They offer residents of their residences for seniors in China the opportunity to travel to their senior properties outside the country on a time-share basis.

In the past year, as business gave voice to the dream that travel would be barrier-free and set in motion a renaissance of design, I have been carried along on a pilgrimage to destinations not of my own choosing – but still deeply satisfying and beneficial.

Conferences on travel and disability sprung up simultaneously over the past twelve months on every continent but Antarctica . In fact, the popularity of the topic created several dilemmas in my personal travel itinerary that might seem familiar to the frequent traveler.

By choosing to work with students from Rhode Island School of Design to evaluate their human-centered design for a wheelchair-accessible eco-resort in the Caribbean I was unable to accept an invitation to speak at Brazil 's first national conference on barrier free tourism and hospitality outside Porto Alegre . While launching the Asia Pacific Accessible Travel League at the First International Conference on Accessible Travel in Taipei , Taiwan I was able to attend neither the European Union's conference on universally usable travel information sponsored by the One-Stop Shop for Accessible Tourism in Europe (OSSATE) in London nor the Culture for All conference in Berlin . As Mexico held a national conference on tourism without barriers in Mazatlan , I was on the schedule at the Third International Conference on Peace Through Tourism in Pattaya , Thailand as a panelist on travel and Universal Design.

It is that final concept – Universal Design – that runs like a grand protagonist through this global drama of the emergence of barrier-free travel as a business objective. Businesses have rediscovered a secret of Universal Design's utility as a roadmap to lifelong social participation by children, people with disabilities, and seniors. It creates as well as satisfies a new customer base. It allows for business models that are at once economically sustainable and socially beneficial.

Continue reading "A Travel Trend on the Horizon"

La meta del Diseño Universal consiste en crear todos los productos y recursos tan usables como sea posible por tantas personas como sea posible, independientemente de su edad, capacidad o situación.

Soy tetrapléjico y tengo un sueño.

Es un sueño tan noble como la fuerza que empuja a realizar el Camino de Santiago, tan insistente como la llamada de La Meca para el Hayyi, tan profundo como el deseo de viajar a Jerusalén, tan vital como la atracción de Kumba Mela en India. Es el sueño de viajar.

Viajar, incluso el sueño de viajar, le habla a la imaginación. El año pasado ha puesto de manifiesto, una vez más, que la imaginación mueve los engranajes del comercio en la misma medida que alimenta el espíritu de peregrinos, artistas y diseñadores. El viaje, un sueño largamente pospuesto para las personas con discapacidad, recibe ahora atención global a un nivel que promete convertirlo en económicamente sostenible. Una redescubierta filosofía del diseño está haciendo posible esta transformación.

El Jeque Mohammed ha anunciado que la meta de su país, Dubai, es atraer a tres millones de viajeros con alguna discapacidad, mientras Japón ha convertido la ciudad de Takayama en un destino sin barreras que conserva el atractivo de una ciudad impregnada por la tradición. Tasmania contempló el lanzamiento de un circuito de alojamientos completamente accesibles a lo largo de toda la isla, conocido como “Devil's Playground” (“Patio de recreo del diablo”). Muchas han sido las novedades y actuaciones en este sentido, incluso en sistemas como el “time-sharing”.

A lo largo del año pasado, mientras la industria se hacía eco del sueño de viajar sin barreras y ponía en marcha un renacimiento del diseño, he seguido una especie de peregrinación a destinos que, aunque no fueran de mi propia elección, han probado ser profundamente satisfactorios y beneficiosos.

Congresos sobre viaje y discapacidad han brotado simultáneamente durante los últimos doce meses en todos los continentes excepto en la Antártida. De hecho, la popularidad del tema propició varios dilemas en el itinerario de mi periplo, que pueden resultar familiares al viajero habitual.

Al elegir trabajar con los alumnos de la Rhode Island School of Design (Escuela de Diseño de Rhode Island) con objeto de evaluar su diseño para un eco-centro turístico accesible para usuarios de silla de ruedas en el Caribe, no pude aceptar la invitación para tomar parte como ponente en el primer Congreso sobre Turismo Accesible en Brasil, en Porto Alegre. Asistir al lanzamiento de Liga Asia-Pacífico para el Viaje Accesible en el "Primer Congreso sobre Viajes Accesibles" en Taipei, Taiwán, me impidió acudir tanto al Congreso de la Unión Europea sobre Información de Viajes universalmente usable, patrocinada por OSSATE (One-Stop Shop for Accessible Tourism in Europe) en Londres, como al congreso "Cultura para Todos" de Berlín. Mientras México albergaba un congreso nacional sobre Turismo sin Barreras en Mazatlán, yo estaba programado como miembro del jurado de Viajes y Diseño Universal en el "Tercer Congreso Internacional Paz a través del Turismo", en Pattaya, Tahilandia.

Es este último concepto –Diseño Universal- el que fluye como mayor protagonista a lo largo de esta puesta en escena global del turismo sin barreras como objetivo comercial. Los empresarios han redescubierto una utilidad oculta del Diseño Universal como guía de la participación social a lo largo de la vida por parte de niños, personas con discapacidad y personas de la tercera edad. Crea, en igual medida que satisface, un nuevo segmento de clientes, potenciando modelos de negocio que son, a la vez, económicamente sostenibles y socialmente beneficiosos.

El Diseño Universal es un compendio de siete principios producidos desde un sueño compartido en una época anterior. Durante los movimientos pro-derechos ciudadanos de los ‘50, ‘60 y '70, el concepto de Diseño Universal evolucionó hasta expresar los legítimos objetivos políticos de las personas con discapacidad en los ámbitos del diseño, fabricación de productos y construcción.

Continue con "Una Tendencia en el Horizonte."

Universal Design in New Jersey

Universal Design and sustainability find a happy marriage in the "Better Home, Better Planet, Paterson Showhouse." The intention is to use innovations in solar hot water, ergonomic appliances and wheelchair-safe shower systemst to place this model project at the forefront of Smart Building Practices for seniors and people with disabilities.

(PRWEB) December 13, 2005 -- A vision of the future is rapidly taking shape in a residence being built in Paterson, New Jersey. Known as the Better Home, Better Planet, Paterson Showhouse, the three-story, 2,900 sq. ft. dwelling will serve as a design “clinic” for homeowners, architects and government officials dedicated to providing leading-edge accessibility and comfort to seniors and the disabled. Sponsored by BASF, the chemical products company, the home brings together over 50 organizations and the world’s most creative planners to serve as a prototype for universal design in the heart of the city’s aggressive 3,000-unit urban-renewal project.

Universal design, the art of planning homes to be inclusive of everyone, regardless of age, ability or physical status, is the wave of the future for architects, physical therapists and others. The “green” requirements of the Patterson Showhouse contribute to a healthy environment by using economical heating and cooling, solar hot water and automatic air ventilation.

Gary DeSantis, Senior Architect for BASF and project champion said, “The BASF Paterson Showhouse is an energy efficient, environmentally friendly home that demonstrates how comfortable the basic principles of universal design can be.”

New technologies are used throughout to improve energy performance. “Smart Building Controls” are the next generation of building automation. These allow lighting, heating and cooling systems to communicate with each other to make intelligent decisions. Expanded accessibility is provided by ergonomic kitchen accommodations and extra-wide hallways. Designer color schemes turn the functional into beautiful.

Incorporating universal design into the kitchen, laundry and bath
The Paterson Showhouse kitchen shines with new creations from Whirlpool. The Whirlpool Gold(R) side-by-side refrigerator features a convenient pullout shelf that allows people to steadily rest containers, including pots, while they are being filled. Whirlpool’s Duet(R) Washer & Dryer pair are pedestal-mounted to alleviate bending and stretching. In keeping with “green” requirements of the Paterson house, it allows homeowners to save 69 percent of water and 61 percent of energy, compared to average top-loading washers.

“One of the areas where safety particularly applies is in a home’s bath and shower facilities,” says Jeff Mooney, Director of Marketing for Best Bath Systems, whose fiberglass shower systems were used in the project. Alternate wheelchair entry for the shower is facilitated by a neoprene “water dam,” a popular Best Bath feature that eliminates the need for a cumbersome curb to keep water from flowing onto the bathroom floor. The water dam gasket collapses as a person or wheelchair passes over it, and then reshapes to prevent a water flow problem.

Safety rails or “grab bars” are installed to provide added stability and meet the physical requirements of the disabled or elderly user. Best Bath’s shower enclosures are constructed with extra-heavy plywood backing to facilitate the installation of durable grab bars.

“This project is a vision I’ve had for quite a while,” DeSantis says. “The best part is that all the technologies of universal design used in the Paterson model home are available to homeowners right now.”