Proposal Deadline: 15 March, 2004. Please note that we are no longer accepting proposals. Please email us at 'conference[at]AdaptiveEnvironments[dot]org' if you have any questions regarding proposal submissions.
This is an extraordinary moment. We are more diverse now in ability and age than ever before. It is time for design to catch up. There is an urgent need to exchange ideas about the design of places, things, information, policies and programs that demonstrate the power of design to shape a 21st century world that works for all of us.
Whatever you call it - universal design, inclusive design, design-for-all, lifespan design - the worldwide movement for human centered design with everyone in mind is gaining momentum. The Designing for the 21st Century III Conference is fueled by that momentum and will offer a platform for the next stage of development. Even in a world with many options for virtual communication, meeting face to face opens new doors and creates a catalyst to ideas and collaboration.
This event will provide opportunities for the growing number of practitioners and promoters of universal design to engage with each other as multi-disciplinary colleagues. Designers, educators, leaders from disability, aging and sustainability organizations, business, media and government can invent fresh solutions by crossing familiar boundaries.
We urge you to submit proposals for sessions that invite the participation of your audience as well as proposals that involve collaborative presentations.
Proposals must be submitted in English. The Conference will be conducted bi-lingually in English and Portuguese. Additional interpretation and translation is planned for the conference as well as archived transcriptions of sessions.
All of the following options will be reviewed by a jury of at least two of the Program/Scientific Committee members. Each submittal will receive an acceptance, an acceptance contingent upon modification or a rejection.
Pre-Conference Intensive Sessions (half-day and full day)
These seminars permit the best opportunity for a comprehensive topical focus with a pre-registered audience. Some Pre-Conference sessions will be invited but proposals are welcome. It is expected that one or two Pre-Conference Sessions will be organized in other Brazilian cities and scheduled before the start of the Rio de Janeiro Pre-Conference sessions beginning on 8 December. Presenters who are accepted or invited for Intensive Sessions will have the conference fee waived.
Concurrent Sessions During the Core Conference
There will be two types of 40 minute workshops:
Forums: Presentation and discussion of design research or evolving issues (e.g., neuroscience and design, cost/benefit analyses, new performance measures, using the WHO ICF). Forums can be proposed by a single presenter or by a team through a coordinator.
Projects: Reports of real world experiences using universal design as a framework for designing places, things, communications, policy, or programs. Projects can be proposed by a single presenter or by a team through a coordinator.
There will be two types of 90 minute sessions:
Working Groups: Organize and facilitate an in-depth discussion of a topical area. These groups are a way for leaders to explore the state of the art and emerging issues from a developed/majority world perspective.
Plenary Panels: Organize a topical presentation that offers multiple perspectives, ideally international. Plenary sessions are intended to reach large audiences of at least 100 people. Some plenary panel sessions will be invited by the International Planning Committee.
A new three-part opportunity:
Charrettes or Case Studies: A central feature of the interactive learning opportunities will be to dedicate a portion of the entire conference to a design problem-solving process - the "charrette" - that pairs experiential learning and citizen participation around a real place. Teams will combine Brazilian and international participants who pre-register and receive preparatory materials. Charrettes will be coordinated by CVI-Rio.
Charrettes begin with a site visit within Rio de Janeiro during the Pre-Conference period to assess the specific issues, meet with users and begin the dialogue. A second session will consider options and work to reach consensus about approach and outcomes. Finally, the team completes the process with a presentation of the results and suggestions for next steps during a plenary presentation by each team on Saturday morning. Charrettes will be limited to those who pre-register and will be coordinated with Host Partner CVI-Rio. Note that some Charrettes will be invited and others will evolve from the submittal process. Presenters who are accepted or invited for Charrettes will have the Conference fee waived.
Presenters interested in proposing a charrette will submit only an abstract describing the type of setting for the charrette, the goals of the charrette and a description of the relevant experience of the session organizer. Charrette proposals that are accepted by the jury will be invited to collaborate with the Brazilian Host Partner, CVI-Rio to complete the plan for the charrette.
Keynote speakers will be invited by the International Planning Committee.
Additional Opportunities
Exhibit Hall: The Exhibits will be open all day Friday, December 10 and Saturday, December 11. Exhibits include:
Corporate Exhibitors: Companies are invited to display and demonstrate new products, materials and services to this knowledgeable and influential audience. Exhibitors should request the Exhibitor Kit which will be on line on the conference website and available to mail 15 February. Space is limited and early application strongly suggested. [Separate Fee for Exhibitors]
Program Exchanges: A portion of the Exhibit Hall will be allocated to Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), academic institutions and government agencies to mount small displays to educate and stimulate discussion about the organization or about a specific project. Space is limited and will be allocated by giving first preference to Collaborating Organizations and by date of application. The application for Program Exchange opportunities will be online on the conference website 15 February.
New Media: New videos, DVDs, CD-ROMs, and interactive software must be submitted by 1 October 2004 to be considered for selection. These will be available for viewing during the Exhibit Hall. Anyone submitting New Media for consideration must agree to provide an abstract and ordering information.
Virtual Bookstore: A virtual bookstore will be set up prior to the conference on the conference website with recommended texts plus new publications. Conference attendees and others will be able to look over the best of publications on universal design and purchase them with a credit card. At the conference, samples of publications for purchase will be displayed and a computer available for on-line ordering.
Please submit your actual publication or notice of planned publication no later than October 1, 2004 to:
Adaptive Environments
374 Congress Street, Suite 301
Boston, Massachusetts 02210
U.S.A.
Attention: Ana Gomez
(or email 'agomez[at]AdaptiveEnvironments[dot]org')
All submittals are submitted digitally and are reviewed on-line by at least two members of the Program/Scientific Committee.
With the exception of some Pre-Conference Intensive sessions, some of which will provide an introduction to those new to universal design, all proposals should be directed toward a knowledgeable, experienced audience.
Proposals should reflect the conference commitment to dialogue in the structure of the presentation. Proposals that include attention to majority world and green or sustainable design issues are strongly encouraged.
In submitting a proposal for consideration, speakers agree that their presentation may be scheduled at any time on any day at the discretion of conference planners.
In order to receive the 10% discount, all presenters must register and pay the reduced registration fees before the end of early registration.
All presenters must agree to the taping, interpretation and/or translation of their print abstract, essay and live presentation.
If you need documentation or any other type of assistance to solicit sponsors or potential sponsors for your participation in the conference, please contact Ana Gomez at 'agomez[at]AdaptiveEnvironments[dot]org' with your request.
You may submit proposals for the following types of presentations. Please review all to determine the most appropriate format for your work. Note the specific requirements for the format you select. There are only Juried Presentations.
Pre-Conference Intensive Session (half day or full day)
Forum (40 minutes)
Project (40 minutes)
Working Group (90 minutes)
Plenary Panel (90 minutes)
Charrette (1/2 day followed by two additional sessions)
Completed Designing for the 21st Century Submittal Cover Sheet by Presentation Type
Completed Personal Information Sheet for Session Organizer
Completed Personal Information Sheets for Additional Session Participants
Abstract of 100 words for publication in the Program Guide
Anonymous paper suitable for publication in Conference Proceedings and responsive to the presentation type:
Pre-Conference Intensive: (500-750 words) Describe topic and perspective, learning objectives, schedule of the half or full day session, how you will measure success. Note the participants by category of discipline/occupation but not by name. Describe how you will engage the audience.
Forum: (500-750 words) Include research problem or background, methodology, analysis or discussion, summary and conclusions. Describe how you will stimulate discussion.
Project: (500-750 words) Describe rationale and scope of project, collaborators, products, history, current status and expectations for the future. Describe how you will stimulate discussion.
Working Group: (500-750 words) Describe the topic in terms of the state of the art and emerging issues. The paper should reference emerging issues inclusive of relevance to the majority world and/or green design.
Plenary Panel: (500-750 words) Describe the topic, qualifications of the presenters and what you intend the audience to learn.
Charrette: (no more than 500 words) Describe the design problem, the proposed setting or category of setting (e.g., historic building, park, residential) for the initial investigation and the strategy on how you will work with a diverse team to reach consensus on a potential solution. *Note: In addition to the paper, charrette proposals must also include a resume/curriculum vitae (CV) from at least the charrette coordinator. Additional resumes/CVs can be added. Please combine the paper and the resume(s) into one document for uploading.
Letters of acceptance, acceptance contingent on modification or rejection will be sent by email by 23 April 2004. Information regarding preparation of papers that are accepted for the Proceedings will be included in the acceptance letter as well as instructions for including images in the final paper. A digital version of the Conference Proceedings will be on line before the event.
Before you can submit your proposal you must set up an account. Once you have set up an account you will be able to login from the navigation menu with your password to make changes or review your submission until the March 15 deadline.
Initial members of the international Program/Scientific Committee include:
Dawn Barrett, Dean of Design, Rhode Island School of Design, USA
Hubert Froyen, Professor of Architecture, Belgium
Marta Gil, Director, SACI (Solidarity, Support, Communication, Information), Sao Paulo
Larry Goldberg, Director, CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM), USA
Bradford C. Grant, Chairperson and Endowed University Professor of Architecture, Hampton University, USA
Paul Grayson, Architect, USA
Louise Jones, Arch.D., Professor of Interior Design, Eastern Michigan University, USA
Deborah Kaplan, JD, Executive Director, World Institute on Disability, USA
Dr. Satoshi Kose, Professor, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Hamamatsu, Japan
Sally L. Levine, AIA, USA
Deborah Lisi-Baker, Executive Director, Vermont Center for Independent Living (VCIL), USA
Pierre Margot-Cattin, Puzzle Consulting, Switzerland
Nicole Ofiesh, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Special Education, University of Arizona, USA
Elaine Ostroff, Founding Director, Adaptive Environments, USA (Co-Chair, International Educators' Forum)
Avi Ramot, SHEKEL - Community Services for the Disabled, Israel
Tom Rickert, Executive Director, Access Exchange International, USA
Camilla Ryhl, Ph.D., Architect maa, Postdoctoral Fellow, Institute of Urban and Regional Development, University of California Berkeley, USA
Laurie Ringaert, Executive Director of the Center for Universal Design, USA
Chika Sekine, President and Founder, Universal Design Institute for Information Technology (UDIT), Japan
John Stone, Ph.D., Director, The Center for International Rehabilitation Information and Exchange, USA
Päivi Tahkokallio, Project Manager, STAKES and The Finnish Design for All Network, Finland
Riadh R. Tappuni, Ph.D. Architecture, Senior Urban Development Officer, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Beirut, Lebanon
C. J. Walsh, Chief Technical Consultant, Sustainable Design International, Ireland
Polly Welch, Architect & Program Manager, Massachusetts Division of Capital Asset Management; Editor, Strategies for Teaching Universal Design, USA
Michael Westley, The Sensory Trust, UK
Valerie Fletcher, Executive Director, Adaptive Environments, USA (Conference Co-Chair)
Jim Sandhu, President, Inclusive Design Research Associates Limited, UK (Conference Co-Chair)
