Global Universal Design Educator’s Online News Volume 8 Number 2, October 2007 Support for this issue is provided by the Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Universal Design and the Built Environment, which is a project of the IDEA Center (www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea), School of Architecture and Planning, State University of New York at Buffalo. The RERC is funded by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Recent activities of our sponsor, the IDEA Center, are described in their E-Newsletter at www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/e-Newsletter/index.htm Please note: Any Internet links mentioned in this newsletter were verified as functioning as of the publication date. Web sites and e-mail addresses, however, change frequently, so changes may have occurred after that date. Produced and distributed for the Global Universal Design Educator’s Network, Elaine Ostroff, Editor and Publisher Diane Richard, Researcher and Editorial Assistant Contents ** Editor's Note ** News from the Global Network AFRICA o The Forgotten Tribe GERMANY o Universal Design Award INDIA o Access All o Engineering College for Visually Challenged People o Universal Design Reports from Japan, Greece and For Children LAOS o Lao Disabled People’s Association PAPUA NEW GUINEA o ‘The Network’ UNITED KINGDOM o Inclusive Design Toolkit o RIBA Inclusive Design Award UNITED STATES o 99K House Competition o Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas o ASID and Universal Design o Build Boston o Checkstand Guidelines o Designing for the Elderly o Disability Leader Frank Bowe Mourned o NEA – UD Leadership Project o Special Report -- Accessible Public Rights-of-Way Planning and Design for Alterations o Take Usability Seriously or See Products Shunned o Universal Design E-World o Universal Design and Visitability; from Accessibility to Zoning o WGBH Receives Grant to Develop Captions for Mobile Media WORLD o Accessible Transportation o 3rd World Usability Day ** Global Universal Design Educator's Network e-mail list ** Calendar ** Adding your information, questions to the Online News ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| EDITOR'S NOTE We report on several projects that are part of a growing International Virtual Community that is discussing Universal Design, disability advocacy, barrier-free environments and related topics – see news from The Forgotten Tribe (Africa), Access All (India), Lao Disabled People’s Association, and ‘The Network’ (Papua New Guinea). We continue to find that those who practice and promote universal design are being rewarded as with the recently bestowed RIBA Inclusive Design Award (UK) and the upcoming Universal Design Award (Germany) and 99K House Competition (US). More UD and related resources are now available, including the Inclusive Design Kit (UK), Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas (US), Checkstand Guidelines (US), Special Report -- Accessible Public Rights-of-Way Planning and Design for Alterations (US) and Accessible Transportation (World). You’ll also find opportunities for continuing education and knowledge sharing through venues, opportunities and publications as the planned Engineering College for the Visually Challenged (India), Universal Design Reports from Japan, Greece and For Children (India), Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas (US), Build Boston (US), Universal Design and Visitability: From Accessibility to Zoning Conference (US), 3rd World Usability Day (World). Learn about grant money that continues to fund UD and related initiatives such as WGBHs award to develop captions for mobile media (US) and the upcoming NEA - UD Leadership Project (US) request for proposals. We continue to identify and revisit organizations which are promoting to and educating their membership on UD, such as the ASID and Universal Design (US) and Universal Design E-World (US). Two pieces share some recent discourses on UD and its roles, one on Designing for the Elderly (US) and the other discusses the risks if UD is not incorporated, Take Usability Seriously or See Products Shunned (US). And, lastly, we report on the death of an extraordinary disability advocate and researcher, Frank Bowe. As always, please do check out the Calendar for upcoming events. 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 The Forgotten Tribe Though this report does not directly discuss Universal Design, it’s part of a growing International Virtual Community that is discussing Universal Design, disability advocacy, barrier-free environments and related topics. This report draws on the findings of a survey conducted in 2006 by Progressio Zimbabwe in collaboration with the National Association of Societies for the Care of the Handicapped (NASCOH). The survey sought to collect information about the experience of people with disabilities in Zimbabwe and their views on what needs to be done to improve the situation. Drawing on the survey findings, this report: • Raises awareness on issues currently being faced by people with disabilities in Zimbabwe. • Enables the Zimbabwean government, international NGOs and local service organisations to reframe their programmes and actions targeted toward people with disabilities so that they become contextual and inclusive of the needs of the different segments of society that are living with disabilities. • Helps those in development work see the greater link of disabilities and development and also how disability today is linked to other issues such as HIV and AIDS, poverty, gender, civil society participation, and even governance. Full report (PDF) at: http://www.ciir.org/Shared_ASP_Files/UploadedFiles/6417F74A-7FFC-440B-AD61-7D0956835777_Theforgottentribe_finallowres.pdf +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ GERMANY Universal Design Award The Hannover-based universal design association and iF (International Forum Design GmbH) are sponsoring a first-ever ‘universal design award 08’ competition. Both of these design organizations are involved with the subject of universal design in the fields of architecture, interior design, product design and service design. The global demographic shift and its impact on the quality of life for everyone is increasingly understood as a social challenge worldwide. The sponsors note, ‘Despite extensive knowledge and research on this topic, currently, there are no international standards for universal design, nor is there a common, intercultural understanding of it.’ The award categories for Universal Design and Assisted Living are: Domestic, Leisure + mobility + lifestyle, Work, Public spaces, Communication and Service. To learn more about the award and see the multi-lingual brochure (PDF), see: http://www.ud-germany.de/cms/ud/en/ +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ INDIA Access for All Like the Forgotten Tribe article, this ‘Access for All’ training manual from the Rehabilitation Council of India does not directly discuss Universal Design. We welcome the spotlight that the growing International Virtual Community is providing for Universal Design, disability advocacy, barrier-free environments and related topics. The introduction states ‘The term Access is not an act or state, but a liberty to enter, to approach, to communicate with and to participate or make use of physical, environmental and structural systems, processes, etc., regardless of type and degree of disability, gender or age … will serve as a useful guide and will assist in creating barrier free features in all buildings facilitating the people with disabilities to be independent in their daily life. I am sure the manual will prove to be extremely useful in creating the right environment which will ensure ‘Access for All’ and bring a new light into the lives of persons with disabilities as an inclusive and right based society.’ To review the ‘Access for All’ Training Manual to promote 'Barrier Free Environment,' see: http://rehabcouncil.nic.in/programmes/access_all.htm ========================================================================== Engineering College for Visually Challenged People In the first experiment of its kind in the country, a charitable organization here plans to set up an engineering college for people who are blind, using special software to enable them to pursue their studies. The Devnar Foundation for the Blind has applied to BITS (Birla Institute of Technology & Science), Pilani for affiliation for the proposed college, said its chairman A Saibaba Goud. ‘We are confident of getting affiliation from them and if we don't, we will approach another institution like the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University…’ The idea of setting up the college came up when they found that many visually challenged students of Devnar [Foundation for the Blind] School aspire to ‘make it big in life’. ‘Blind students are in no way inferior to others. Many of them are very sharp and hard working … But now they aspire to become software professionals and to be at par with other youngsters in a software hub like Hyderabad.’ The students of Devnar School are taught how to operate computers and are able to browse the internet. ‘This education is imparted using the latest computers and a special software called Jaws which converts a personal computer into a talking computer for the visually challenged children who learn mostly by sound.’ The ability to operate a computer would make the students confident of pursuing an engineering course, he said. The Devnar Foundation plans to restrict the intake of students for the engineering college to 40-50 a year and to select them on merit. Information technology will be the main specialization offered in the proposed institution. For full article, see: http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/004200708060341.htm   ========================================================================== Universal Design Reports from Japan, Greece and For Children Design for All India has been publishing online newsletters since February 2006. Each edition provides an in-depth overview of a ‘Design for All’ related topic. The initial edition stated ‘Our mission of Newsletter is to work as catalyst for Design at individual as well as organizational level of government and non government for spreading and exploring the new concept of Design For All / Universal Design / Barrier-Free / Inclusive Design.’ The four most recent editions of the Design for All India newsletter all have news of great interest to the GUDEON audience. News from Japan via the Design for All, India July newsletter, http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_july_2007.pdf News from Greece via the Design for All, India August newsletter, http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_aug_2007.pdf Environments for Children of all abilities via the Design for All, India September newsletter, http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_sep_2007.pdf News from Spain -- the Design for All Foundation via the Design for All, India October newsletter, http://www.designforall.in/newsletter_oct_2007.pdf For the full newsletter archive and other news from Design for All, India, see: http://www.designforall.in +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ LAOS Lao Disabled People’s Association (LDPA) Loa Disability web-site demonstrates another organization using a web site to reach and communicate with those they serve and the wider disability community. The web-site has lots of news from around the country, gives the specifics of some current projects and informs of the location of LDPA branches and the weekly radio program. LDPA web-site: http://www.ldpalaos.org/English.htm To learn more about the LDPAs current projects, visit http://www.ldpalaos.org/Links/Projects.htm +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ PAPUA NEW GUINEA ‘The Network’ And yet another example of a local organization using the internet to increase its visibility and use the internet to spread the word. ‘The Network’ is the the national disability magazine of Papua New Guinea. Current (September 2007) and past issues of this publication are available online. The Network focuses each edition on a theme from the ‘Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) for action towards an inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based society for disabled people’. The BMF was prepared by UNESCAP during the Decade for Disabled Persons from 2003 to 2012 as a specific Disability supplement to the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals.  For the full newsletter archives, see: www.dwu.ac.pg/network.htm To learn more about the Biwako Millennium Framework (BMF) , see: http://www.unescap.org/esid/psis/disability/bmf/bmf.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UNITED KINGDOM Inclusive Design Toolkit The Inclusive Design Toolkit was commissioned by BT. The toolkit was developed to support designers and those involved in product development, as well as providing a general guide to inclusive design for businesses. The web site provides access to the following … * What is inclusive design? -- It is important to understand the terms design and inclusive design, the ethos behind inclusive design, and the way inclusive design contributes to product success. A number of case studies demonstrate how inclusive design can foster innovation and better design. * Why do inclusive design? – This section demonstrates that an inclusive design approach results in better products with greater user satisfaction and greater commercial success whilst reducing product development risk. * Corporate implications -- The SPROC (Strategy, Process, Resources, Organisation, and Culture) model considers issues that are key to a business’ ability to deliver inclusive design. It is used here to show how senior-level buy-in and support can affect strategic and organisational change that will ultimately cascade down to change at the tactical/project level. * Inclusive design process and knowledge & tools – The inclusive design process is represented by the ‘waterfall’ model and the knowledge and tools section gives a detailed explanation of each of the tools and techniques that have been introduced within the Inclusive design process section. * User capabilities -- The framework section describes a model of interaction between the different user capabilities, and also shows how the population data and design guidance for each capability should be interpreted. The user capabilities are grouped into three categories, which are sensory (vision and hearing), cognitive (thinking and communication) and motor (locomotion, reach & stretch and dexterity). For each capability, the effects of capability loss and the crucial functions for product interaction are described. Then design guidance and population statistics are provided. To learn more, see: http://www.inclusivedesigntoolkit.com ========================================================================== RIBA Inclusive Design Award The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has bestowed the Inclusive Design Award, sponsored by CABE to Portland College New Learning Centre, Mansfield by Patel Taylor. The other nominees (shortlisted buildings) were: V&A Museum of Childhood and Broadwater Farm Children's Centre. The awards celebrates inclusivity in building design, and demonstrates that good design results in environments that are safe, convenient and enjoyable to use by people, regardless of disability, age or gender. About the award winner it was said ‘The college is designed for people with varying degrees of disabilities, from those injured in accidents to profoundly disabled young people. It is single storey and L-shaped in plan on a diagonal axis that links College quadrangle to the woodland beyond ... Inside one gets the impression that intelligibility and accessibility are paramount. Circulation is straightforward for wheelchair users and the partially sighted. The materials are both rich and robust, the spaces full of light. This is a building that derives much of its architecture from the site, one that is fit for purpose, accessible and sustainable.’ The V&A Museum of Childhood is described by ‘Respect for the fabric of the original building and a sense of its historical importance (the structure was the first V&A building) underpin … the task of making the collection more accessible both in bringing its access arrangements up to current standards and representing the objects in a clear narrative ... A new lift connects all the levels. The new entrance portico is approached by a new ramp in the form of a shallow half-cone…’ Broadwater Farm Children's Centre is described by ‘This inspirational building provides an inclusive nursery, a drop-in centre and makes provision for children with special needs. A wide top-lit street bisects the building, with generous lofty rooms opening onto deep loggias and well-equipped play areas on the south; with the northern side giving onto lower spaces again and imaginative play spaces.’    To learn more about these projects and see images, please see: http://www.architecture.com/Awards/RIBAspecialawards/RIBAInclusiveDesignAward/RIBAInclusiveDesignAward.aspx +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ UNITED STATES 99K House Competition This new competition revolves around Social, Economic, and Environmental design. We are encouraged to see more competitions that are promoting an integral approach to design. The goals of the competition are: Broaden awareness of green building strategies applicable to affordable housing; Generate and publicize examples of sustainable, affordable houses that can be built and sold for $99,000 or less; Produce a creative, innovative design that can be replicated throughout the Gulf Coast region; and Construct an exemplary sustainable, affordable house prototype on a specific site in Houston, Texas. For full details, see: http://www.the99khouse.com/introduction.html ========================================================================== Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas After extensive research and public hearings, the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) has drafted accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas designed, constructed, or altered by Federal agencies subject to the Architectural Barriers Act of 1968. The guidelines cover trails, outdoor recreation access routes, beach access routes, and picnic and camping facilities. It is past the deadline to offer comments, but you’ll want to review the detailed guidelines for providing access in the natural environment. The Access Board poses challenging questions for reviewers of these proposed guidelines. For full details, see: http://www.access-board.gov/outdoor/nprm/ To learn more about Accessible Recreation, Parks and Tourism, visit: http://www.ncaonline.org/ ========================================================================== ASID and Universal Design American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has several resources on its web-site either specific to or related to Universal Design. Universal Design, A Commitment to Accommodate All (PDF) -- http://www.asid.org/NR/rdonlyres/1B39621D-5FE4-4BCA-80A6-FABB2CE62E27/0/UniversalDesign.pdf Universal Design – Transparent, Inclusive, Attractive, and an Essential Consideration for Today’s Interior Designers (PDF) -- http://www.asid.org/NR/rdonlyres/8053A7D3-457C-4E74-9D32-893D8E55939F/0/universal_design.pdf Aging in Style Knowledge Center – includes Aging in Place, Universal Design and Accessibility -- http://www.asid.org/knowledge/Aging+in+Style.htm ========================================================================== Build Boston As is tradition, this years Build Boston program will include a one day symposium on Universal Design, sponsored by Adaptive Environments. The symposium covers such topics as: * Neuroscience and Design -- Learn about the latest findings of the AIA Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and explore the ways architecture can positively (and negatively) affect our consciousness and experiences. * Social and environmental sustainability -- Together, green design and universal design form a natural partnership that moves us toward a 21st-century design vision that is responsive to the facts of our time but also summons us to creative solutions. * Inclusive pedestrian design -- The combination of trends in pedestrian advocacy movements and newly refined federal guidance on inclusive pedestrian design set the stage for a change in practice. * News from the universal design movement worldwide -- The new UN Human Rights Treaty advocates the use of universal design, as does recent ISO guidance. All over the world, countries are recognizing the importance of universal design. Healthcare design that cares -- There is no environment in which human-centered design matters more or fails more often than healthcare settings. At our most vulnerable, design needs to minimize our limitations, enhance our sense of self, support confidence and a sense of control and shore up hope. * Innovative products for inclusive environments -- Leading companies in the U.S. and abroad have embraced the philosophy of Universal Design in the development of new product lines for kitchens, bathroom, offices, lighting, and furniture to name just a few. * Workplaces that work for everyone -- Many of us are working to 70 and beyond already in a trend expected to grow exponentially. Technology can minimize transitory or permanent sensory, strength or mobility limitations. And while we’ll all struggling with an endlessly expanding onslaught of information and the expectation that we can manage it, neuroscience offers new tools for assessing what environmental conditions support brain performance. * Museum design that welcomes everyone -- Science, children’s, and specialty museums are all studying their demographics …. They know that a growing percentage of those visitors are people with some functional limitation – young people with learning disabilities or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and older people with less sensory acuity and a need for more amenities. Accessibility is but one of the important components in designing spaces that welcome everyone. * Customer-centric public transit design -- Universal Design imagines a systemic ease of use. Transit systems are particularly fertile ground for systemic design because the logic of the information and the progression through the process of arrival, boarding and exiting is critical to the effective and satisfactory, even pleasurable, use of public transit. * Higher education environments that enhance everyone’s performance -- US college and university students are more diverse in ability today than ever before. Most designers are focused on compliance with ADAAG and miss opportunities to use design to create more equitable environments in which the needs of all students can be supported and where everyone’s experience and performance – students, faculty, staff and visitors – can be enhanced. For full details on the Universal Design Symposium, see: http://www.buildboston.com/eh_univdessymp.asp Learn more about Adaptive Environments at: www.adaptiveenvironments.org/ ========================================================================== Checkstand Guidelines We are increasingly finding self checkout stands in grocery stores, hardware stores, Wal-mart stores, etc, as well as self check-in kiosks at airports. Besides the challenges of making these user friendly for customers, there are also challenges to ensuring that individuals of many abilities can be employed in a work place with this technology. The purpose of these guidelines is to provide information that can be used to design, develop, test, refine and evaluate new universally designed grocery retail checkstands in order to maximize independence and participation of people with disabilities in the workplace. To download the guidelines in PDF, visit: http://workrerc.org/Projects/checkstand_guidelines.pdf ========================================================================== Designing for the Elderly There is an Interesting article at Modern Plastics Worldwide titled ‘Designing for the elderly: Targeting the wallet of the voice of experience’ that focuses on the changing population demographics and design. Davin Stowell, CEO of product design firm Smart Design (New York)’… says designers should not limit themselves to products specifically marketed to the aged or elderly, except for extreme products … think in terms of ‘universal,’ or better yet, ‘inclusive’ design. Using lighter materials, combining materials with greater contrasts to make products easier to see or for backlighting, and using of soft-touch or other easily handled grips: all are examples of design aspects that appeal to seniors but also offer benefits to most other users, too. ‘If you design it for everyone, then it’s not stigmatized’ as a strictly senior product, he notes. The economics of such inclusive designs also appeal to original equipment manufactures, as not limiting a product enables a processor to manufacture in higher volumes.’ The article goes on to talk about door handles, medical packaging and choice of materials. For the full article, see: http://modplas.com/inc/mparticle.php?section=feature&thefilename=feature09012007_01 ========================================================================== Disability Leader Frank Bowe Mourned Frank Bowe,Ph.D, L.L.D., longtime professor and renowned champion of people with disabilities, died on August 21, 2007. He was a professor of counseling, research, special education and rehabilitation (CRSR) in Hofstra University's School of Education and Allied Human Services. He was 60 years old. Dr. Bowe was a nationally recognized champion for the rights of people with disabilities and a highly regarded and prolific researcher in this area. On the Hofstra campus he was celebrated for his excellent teaching skills and for being a professor who brought warmth, humor and unwavering dedication to the classroom. He received a Ph.D. in 1976 from New York University; an M.A. in 1971 from Gallaudet University; and a B.A. in 1969 from Western Maryland College. Before joining the faculty at Hofstra, Dr. Bowe served as a regional commissioner of the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration. From 1984 to 1986 he was the chairman of the U.S. Congress Commission on Education of the Deaf. Dr. Bowe is perhaps best known for his leadership as executive director of the American Coalition of Citizens with Disabilities from 1976 to 1981. He was the organization's first executive officer, and provided crucial direction during the nationwide sit-in regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act in 1977, the world's first civil-rights provision for persons with disabilities, which eventually led to the American Disabilities Act, passed in 1990. In 1980 Dr. Bowe, who was deaf, became the first person with a disability to represent any nation in the planning of the United Nations International Year of Disabled Persons. For more than two decades Dr. Bowe had been a consultant to the U.S. Congress on a variety of issues. In 1992 he received the Distinguished Service Award from the President for his lifetime achievement. In 1994 he was inducted into the National Hall of Fame for People with Disabilities. He is also credited as one of the architects of provisions in the 1996 Telecommunications Act that have greatly enhanced the quality of life for Americans with disabilities. Dr. Bowe's teaching at Hofstra focused on inclusion, technology in education and meeting K-12 special needs students. Outside the classroom, he tirelessly researched how all of society not just schools can better accommodate people with disabilities. Dr. Bowe wrote Universal Design in Education: Teaching Non-traditional Students in which he adapted the Principles of Universal Design to apply to education. An excerpt of his book can be found at http://www.udeducation.org/teach/teaching_techniques/bowe.asp. Source: www.aapd.com ========================================================================== NEA – UD Leadership Program The National Endowment for the Arts is committed to promoting increased understanding and practice of universal design within the design fields and by the American public. Universal design seeks to make the environment usable by the broadest spectrum of individuals throughout their lifespan. This project funding opportunity builds on the NEA’s past work in this area, including a 2003 meeting where participants recommended the development of strategies to broaden the appeal of universal design, to extend awareness and acceptance of this concept into the mainstream of society, and to create communities that are both well designed and inclusive. The goal is to create greater public awareness of and demand for universal design environments by educating designers, consumers, educators, developers, city planners, and others on this important issue. The Arts Endowment is interested in projects that use innovative strategies to meet the broad social need for universal design while helping to bring this important concept into the mainstream of American design and American society. Proposal Receipt Deadline: December 20, 2007 For more in information and the application procedures, see : http://www.nea.gov/grants/apply/Design.html The 2003 meeting report, ‘Envisioning Universal Design: Creating an Inclusive Society, ‘can be found at: http://www.arts.gov/resources/Accessibility/ud/contents.html ========================================================================== Special Report -- Accessible Public Rights-of-Way Planning and Design for Alterations This advisory compiles the recommendations of a subcommittee of Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee (PROWAAC) that worked to develop and highlight model rights-of-way design alternatives, design processes for making alterations, design solutions to specific problems, and case studies demonstrating examples of accessible design practices from across the country. The full report is available at: http://www.access-board.gov/prowac/alterations/guide.htm ========================================================================== Take Usability Seriously or See Products Shunned At the Product Design and Development Web-site there is the above-titled article. It starts out by saying ‘In a recent paper ‘Universal Design in the Product Development Process,’ Paul Fearis, Sagentia president, and Kay Sinclair, a senior consultant with Sagentia, expound on the growing awareness of universal design and usability without exclusivity … [they] declare that ‘If product designers don’t take the issue of usability seriously, they will see their products shunned by an ever greater proportion of the market (especially the growing but aging ‘baby-boomer’ group) – whereas products which meet a wider range of needs will be welcomed with open arms.’’ For the full article and to read more, see: http://www.pddnet.com/scripts/ShowPR~RID~21289.asp ========================================================================== Universal Design E-World This new web-site was developed and is supported by the Center on Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA Center), University at Buffalo, State University of New York. Universal Design E-World provides web based tools to support the ‘community of practice’ in universal design. Conventional web pages can be constructed to provide permanent reference documents and links to other resources on the World Wide Web. Message boards provide opportunities to communicate in threaded discussion. A wiki engine allows the construction of interactive web pages and collaboration in development of documents. On line surveys can be organized using an online survey research and polling tool. Blogging is available to document the activities of groups or projects. The activities supported by UD E-World can be public or restricted to specific groups like the participants of a research project, a temporary work group or a special interest group in a professional organization. To visit the web-site, go to: http://www.udeworld.com/ ========================================================================== Universal Design and Visitability: from Accessibility to Zoning This book is based on a conference sponsored by the John Glenn School of Public Affairs (Columbus, OH) which was held in 2006 and was titled Universal Design and Visitability Conference. The book’s scope encompasses the concepts of universal design and visitability by presenting: a paradigm for the future, rationale for studying it, design examples, a discussion of design for individuals with vision loss, planning barrier free transportation facilities, successful county-wide and national policy initiatives, the importance of education, and considerations of certain cultural barriers to adoption of policies. To download the entire e-book (PDF), see: https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/handle/1811/24833 (a large print version is also available) ========================================================================== WGBH Receives Grant to Develop Captions for Mobile Media WGBH has received a grant from the Department of Education's National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (http://www.ed.gov), to support its groundbreaking efforts to make handheld media accessible for people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Titled ‘Captioning Solutions for Handheld Media and Mobile Devices’ (award number H133G070122), the grant provides WGBH's Carl and Ruth Shapiro Family National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) with $600,000 over three years to research and develop technical solutions for delivering captioned content to iPods, cell phones, PDAs and other mobile devices. Specifically, WGBH will research ways of embedding captioning solutions within handheld devices and develop prototypes that will serve as proof-of-concept models for the mobile technology industry and public policymakers. WGBH also will explore and develop strategies for captioning media that is streamed directly to mobile devices via wireless networks, multi-channel DTV distribution or downloaded to desktop computers and then transferred to mobile devices. Full news release: http://ncam.wgbh.org/news/mobilemedia.html +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ WORLD Accessible Transportation This continues to be a critical topic in much of the world and these are two relatively new resources on the subject. Bus Rapid Transit Accessibility Guidelines -- These guidelines were developed by Tom Rickert (AEI, see below) for the World Bank with funding provided by the Norwegian and Finnish governments through the TFESSD – Disability Window. http://siteresources.worldbank.org/DISABILITY/Resources/280658-1172672474385/BusRapidEngRickert.pdf Coordinated Approaches to Expanding Access to Public Transportation. Explores a study mission that examined coordinated approaches to expanding access to public transportation in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Sweden, and France. http://www.trb.org/news/blurb_detail.asp?id=7354 An excellent resource on information regarding Accessible Transport is Access Exchange International (AEI) -- a non-governmental organization promoting accessible public transport for persons with disabilities and seniors in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and Eastern Europe. To learn more, visit: http://www.globalride-sf.org/ ========================================================================== 3rd World Usability Day November 8th will be World Usability Day. As in past years, there will be events all over the globe. World Usability Day was founded to ensure that the services and products important to life are easier to access and simpler to use. This year's theme: Healthcare. Let's explore how our health is impacted by design. Some of the planned events are: o Bangalore, India -- Usability and Its Impact on Public Services and Healthcare in India o Eskilstuna, Sweden -- Unusable Products o Johannesburg, South Africa -- Usable Healthcare in the Developing World o Sydney, Australia -- Sydney World Usability Day o Toronto, Canada -- UsabilityCamp: user experience in health care o US -- World Usability Day New England 2007, Universal Usability for Teaching and Learning, Dartmouth College, http://www.dartmouth.edu/~wud/ o Valparaiso, Chile -- Software Usability: From Theory to Practice For full details, see: http://www.worldusabilityday.org/ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| CALENDAR AND CALLS FOR PAPERS November 6-9, 2007: 10th Annual Higher Ground -- Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference for Education, for Businesses, for Web and Media Designers, Boulder, CO. To learn more, see: http://www.colorado.edu/ATconference/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- November 8, 2007: World Usability Day – Making Life Easy. This year's theme: Healthcare. Together let's explore how our health is impacted by design. To learn more, see: http://www.worldusabilityday.org/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- November 13-15, 2007: Build Boston, Boston, MA. To learn more, see: http://www.buildboston.com/default3.asp ----------------------------------------------------------------------- November 22-24, 2007: 2nd International Conference on Accessible Tourism, Bangkok, Thailand. To learn more, see: http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/001563.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- December 15, 2007: Deadline, The International Council for Building Research and Innovation (CIB) Working Commission 084 ‘Building Comfortable Environments for All’ invites submission of high quality research papers for the International Meeting, May 15-16, 2008, Atlanta, GA. Topics include: Costs of accessibility, Harmonisation of legislation and standards, Sports, Recreation and Accessible Environments, Education and Training, Universal Design at the urban scale, Technological tools supporting the accessible environment and Challenges in developing countries. Information from: http://www.rollingrains.com/archives/001827.html#more ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Feb 21-23, 2008: ICADI 2008 – Advancing Technology and Services to Promote Quality of Life, St. Petersburg, FL. Full details at: http://www.icadi.phhp.ufl.edu/ ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Mar 27-30, 2008: Aging in America Conference, Washington, DC. This is a joint NCOA-ASA Conference. Full details at: http://www.agingconference.org/asav2/conf/jc/jc08/ (note: audio tapes are available for the 2006 and 2007 conference sessions, https://www.nrstaping.com/asa/) ----------------------------------------------------------------------- April 13-16 2008: Designing Inclusive Futures: ‘Creating a better balance of work, living and leisure, for disability and ageing’ -- CWUAAT 2008, The 4th Cambridge Workshop on Universal Access (UA) and Assistive Technology (AT). The workshop theme ‘Designing Inclusive Futures’ reflects the need to explore the issues and practicalities of design that is intended to extend our active future lives in a coherent way. This encompasses design for inclusion: in the workplace; for businesses; for the individual and of products in these contexts. Full details at: http://rehab-www.eng.cam.ac.uk/cwuaat/cwuaat08.htm ----------------------------------------------------------------------- April 14-15, 2008: 2008 Pac Rim, Honolulu, HA. Full details at: www.pacrim.hawaii.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------------- August 25-28, 2008: 9th Global Conference on Ageing and Exposition Ageing & Design 2008, Quebec, Canada. Sponsored by the International Federation on Aging. Full details at: http://www.expoageing.com/2/home.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- September 4-6, 2008: 21st RI (Rehabilitation International) World Congress -- Disability Rights and Social Participation: Ensuring a Society for All. The purpose of the RI World Congress is also to act as a catalyst for concretely implementing human rights for people with disabilities by creating a society that is accessible for all. . Full details at: http://www.riquebec2008.org/ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Information from the 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 Global Universal Design Education Network website at: http://www.universaldesign.net |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Adding your information, questions to the Online News:  Send e-mail to elaine@ostroff.org by the 20th of the month before the scheduled quarterly issue. 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. Queries about potential submissions are welcome. To subscribe to the Online News, send an e-mail message to the same address. Please include your name and email address within the body of the message. There is no charge.  |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| Elaine Ostroff, Editor Director, Global Universal Design Educator’s Network; Founding Director, Adaptive Environments Center  Diane Richard, Editorial Assistant Mosaic Research and Project Management, www.mosaicrpm.com