Core Conference Program

Thursday, 9 December - Saturday, 11 December

Pre-Conference | Core Conference | Post-Conference | Features & Events

The Core Conference will have Keynote Sessions for all delegates and Concurrent Sessions. Concurrent Sessions fall into four categories.

There are two types of forty minute (40') sessions:

• Forums are 40' presentations with discussion of design research, conceptual models or evolving issues.



• Projects report on real world experiences using universal design as a framework for designing places, things, communications, policy or programs.

There are two types of ninety minute (90') sessions:

• Working Groups offer in-depth topical discussions. These groups will explore the state of the art and emerging issues. Pre-registration is required because they have a maximum number of participants.



• Plenary Panels offer multiple perspectives on a single topic. Most mix presenters from different parts of the world. Most Plenary Panels will accommodate at least 100 delegates.

Please note: Days and times for the sessions listed below are currently being determined, and additional details will be made available as soon as the schedule has been finalized.

Keynote Presenters & Keynote Plenary Speakers

Francesc Aragall, President, Design for All Foundation, Barcelona, former President, European Institute on Design and Disability, Spain

Singapalli Balaram, Principal Designer and Senior Professor at the National Institute of Design. He is presently the Head of the Interdisciplinary Design Studies, Chairperson of Knowledge Management Centre, India

Roger Coleman, Professor of Inclusive Design, Co-Director of the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art (RCA), UK

Jean-Pierre Gonnot, Chief, Inclusive Development Section, DESA, UN

Judy Heumann, World Bank, Advisor on Disability and Development, USA

Jaime Lerner, President, International Union of Architects, former Mayor of Curitiba and Governor of Paranha, Brazil

Patricia Moore, internationally known gerontologist and industrial designer, USA

Jim Sandhu, Principal, Inclusive Design Research Associates Limited, former President, European Institute for Design and Disability, UK

Susan Szenasy, Editor-in-Chief, Metropolis magazine, USA

Riadh Tappuni, Ph.D., Senior Urban Development Officer, UN Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Beirut, Lebanon.

C.J. Walsh, Chief Technical Consultant, Sustainable Design International Ltd., Member, EU 2004 Working Group on Urban Environment Research, Ireland

Lesley Kanes Weisman, Professor Emeritus, New Jersey Institute of Technology and author of more than 50 texts including Discrimination by Design: A Feminist Critique of the Man-Made Environment, USA

John Zeisel, Ph.D., Co-Founder and President of Hearthstone Alzheimer Care, author of many books and articles including Inquiry by Design: Tools for Environment-Behavior Research, USA

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Forums

Forums are 40' presentations with discussion of design research, conceptual models or evolving issues.

A 'Universal Design' Mentality and Culture in Development - Processes and Dynamics in Europe

Presenter(s):
Prof Hubert Froyen, PHL Department of Architecture, Belgium
Mr Luigi Biocca, CNR ITC National Research Council, Construction Technologies Institute, Rome, Italy
Mr Geza Fischl, Hungarian Society of Universal Design, Hungary
Dr Birgitta Mekibes, National Accessibility Centre, Office of the Disability Ombudsman, Sweden
Mr Marcus Ormerod, SURFACE Inclusive Design Research Centre, The University of Salford, UK

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Rio 1
Forum

How can Universal Design be put on the professionalfs radar world-wide? What mentality and culture is needed to foster non-apartheid design? What processes and dynamics will produce full Accessibility for All, accessibility to physical structures, to social structures, to information and to communication?

Principles of Universal Design can be adopted on a global scale, but policies and strategies for implementation will have a local character. The social and economic conditions in Europe and in the USA are comparable and this makes further comparison of the implementation of the Universal Design approach in both continents interesting.

A House for the Senses - Housing Design for People with Sensory Impairments

Presenter(s):
Dr Camilla Ryhl, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen & UC Berkeley, USA

Saturday
2:30 - 3:10
Copacabana
Forum

Dr. Ryhl's Ph.D. dissertation, A House for the Senses, is a study of how universal design in housing may embrace the growing number of people with sensory impairments. The project answers the research question, "Does a sensory impairment imply specific design requirements to the architecture of housing?" Based on empirical research methods and a close collaboration with a group of users with visual or hearing impairments the project discusses and studies how architects can accommodate sensory impairments in the basic architectural design of housing and furthermore expand the design beyond the concept of accessibility to a practice of Universal Design.

A National Access Standard for Housing - how to achieve national regulation in a federal system of government

Presenter(s):
Mr Digby Hughes, People with Disability Australia, Australia

Saturday
10:30 - 11:10
Rio 3
Forum

Australia operates under a federal system of government with six state and two territory governments having constitutional responsibility for housing. As well hundreds of local government authorities also implement local planning controls over building and housing. Despite this, it is the Australian Building Codes Board, a joint initiative of all levels of government, which oversees the creation of nationally consistent building codes, standards, regulatory requirements and regulatory systems. The paper will examine the arguments for and the strategies being used to bring about a national standard that integrates universal design.

Architectural Quality in Universal Design and Housing - a Study of the Importance of User Involvement in the Application of Universal Design and Access in Housing Design.

Presenter(s):
Dr Camilla Ryhl, Royal Academy of Fine Arts, Copenhagen & UC Berkeley, USA

Friday
9:00 - 9:40
Botafogo
Forum

This research project discuss and documents the importance of user involvement in the design process and the need for architects to apply Universal Design in housing design in order to assure high quality of usability, access and architecture in housing. It is an empirical study based on on-site case studies of existing accessible housing in the Bay Area, California, and as an architectural research project it includes registration and analysis of existing accessible homes in the Bay Area, California and qualitative interviews with users and architects experienced in the process of involving users in the design of housing.

Architecture for Social Justice - Building Bridges and Making Connections to More Faculty and Students

Presenter(s):
Ms Elaine Ostroff, Adaptive Environments, USA
Ms Leslie Weisman, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA
Mr Jason Lockhart, Southern University School of Architecture, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 4:20
Copacabana
Forum

Adaptive Environments met with US faculty leaders in architecture in 2002 to plan more effective ways of engaging other faculty in universal design education and in making more programs accessible to students with disabilities. This led to the Architecture for Social Justice Awards Program: Partnerships in Teaching, a strategy to reach socially conscious design faculty and students who might be open to incorporating a more universal design approach in their teaching. We welcome discussion about both the needs and opportunities to build bridges to faculty and students in different cultures. For more background on the awards program developed with support from the National Endowment for the Arts, see the Adaptive Environments website and click on Access to Design.

Assessing the Benefits of Universal Design in Fast Food Restaurants

Presenter(s):
Ms Beth Tauke, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA

Saturday
11:15 - 12:00
Copacabana
Forum

This project examined the claim that universally designed environments are more usable by all consumers than equivalent non-universally designed environments. To test that claim, the project developed two universal design outcome measures that examined subjective and objective indicators of environmentsf usability. These measures were then applied in case studies of fast food restaurants that varied in their design featuresf compliance with the Principles of Universal Design to test three hypotheses: 1. Universally designed environments are more usable for all consumers; 2. Universally designed environments are equally usable by all consumers; and 3. Non-universally designed environments are not equally usable by all consumers.

Assessment of Universal Home Construction by Habitat for Humanity

Presenter(s):
Ms Laurie Ringaert, The Center for Universal Design, USA

Friday
11:15 - 12:00
Botafogo
Forum

Since fall 2003, the Center for Universal Design at NC State University has been conducting evaluations of The Centerfs work with two Habitat for Humanity chapters that resulted in Universal Design features incorporated in the 18 houses built during 2000-2001. This forum will briefly describe the project, the research design, and the research results.

One aspect of the research was a Post Occupancy Evaluation (POE) that explored the effects of UD features on the residents. This study evaluated the impact of the houses with universal design features on the residents. The second study examined if building homes with universal design features had any impact on the attitudes, policies or practices of the two collaborating Habitat for Humanity affiliates in North Carolina.

Case Studies on Universal Design

Presenter(s):
Mr James Mueller, J.L. Mueller, Inc., USA

Saturday
11:15 - 12:00
Rio 3
Forum

This forum will present the results of a 5-year research project at North Carolina State University's Center for Universal Design to explore the reasons and results behind business ventures to reach out to customers of all ages and abilities.

Case studies will be presented including US and international manufacturers and retailers of consumer products and services. These case studies will illustrate the impact of competition, management commitment, internal champions, profit, legislation, and new technologies on successful integration of universal design in business.

Context and Empathy as Tools for Sustainable Design

Presenter(s):
Mr Aaron Sklar, IDEO, USA
Ms Velma Velazquez, IDEO, USA
Mr Bob Adams, IDEO, USA

Friday
2:45 - 3:25
Botafogo
Forum

Through our work in multidisciplinary design teams, we have developed a set of methods that treat the human experience as a source of inspiration and translate these findings into new design expressions. One way in which we are applying our methods is in an examination of a productfs lifecycle from a human perspective. We explore peoplefs understanding of where the products in their lives come from and where they go. We seek to discover disconnects in personal mental models and identify opportunity areas where design can support and build on peoplefs understanding of a productfs relationship to the natural world.

Critical Factors for Accessibility and Wayfinding for Adults with Intellectual Disability

Presenter(s):
Ms Patricia Salmi, University of Minnesota, USA

Saturday
9:45 - 10:30
Lagoa
Forum

Through use of a field study, assessment of environmental features that impacted wayfinding behavior for 13 persons with mild intellectual disability was compared to the wayfinding behavior of 10 persons from the general population (comparison group). The study also sought to evaluate how a personfs cognitive resources influenced their wayfinding actions. Results showed observable differences in wayfinding abilities between groups. Variables found to be important to wayfinding success include signage, landmarks, spatial layout, and previous knowledge of mall settings. Furthermore, persons with intellectual disability were able to form cognitive maps, contrary to findings from a previous study.

Evolving Dialogues of Universal Design Education

Presenter(s):
Dr Lynn Gitlow, Husson College, USA
Ms Susan Camp, University of Maine, USA

Thursday
11:00 - 11:40
Lagoa
Forum

Interdisciplinary educational offerings to obtain and practice the concepts of inclusive/universal design have been presented in the literature since the 1980fs. However, this practice as an active reality remains limited. Particularly in the rural state of Maine, we have found the curricula in our respective institutions lack content that addresses inclusionary human centered design. This presentation outlines an educational project that evolved from an initial discourse between an occupational therapy educator and a sculptor and printmaker. By engaging participants in a discussion of their own curricula, we hope to build on the resource of introductory level course projects.

How Can We Increase the Implementation of Universal Design in Housing?

Presenter(s):
Ms Joanne Quinn, University of New South Wales, Australia

Friday
11:20 - 12:00
Copacabana
Forum

Universal design benefits housing design for all users, yet it has far more potential for implementation in the housing market. Issues affecting the implementation of universal design remain: guidelines and regulations for housing access lack consistency between different regions; a lack of reference data for regulations and guidelines limits monitoring for continued relevance to users; and builder compliance with universal design best practice can be increased. This prevents professional designers and housing owners realizing the full potential of universal design in their housing. This session explores some of the options to assist in transforming universal design theory into practice.

Inclusive Housing: Proposal of Intervention in Two Buildings in Inner-City Sao Paulo

Presenter(s):
Mrs Sandra Perito, Instituto Brasil Acessivel / Marcondes Perito Engenharia e Arquitetura, Brazil

Friday
10:30 - 11:10
Botafogo
Forum

The challenges of an aging population and reurbanization of degraded central areas are also occurring in Brazil. The city of Sao Paulo has now a program of inner-city revitalization, with emphasis on dwellings. Proposals will be presented for rehabilitation of two abandoned buildings, in inner-city Sao Paulo. The premises of the universal design precepts were used for analysis of the physical and financial feasibility of such rehabilitation. The feasibility of adding universal characteristics to the several apartment typologies, adding 0.5% to the sales price stipulated by the Housing Federal Agency was demonstrated.

Incorporating Persons with Disabilities into Usability Research: A Practitionerfs Handbook

Presenter(s):
Mr Chris Hass, American Institutes for Research (AIR), USA
Ms Madeleine Rothberg, Media Access Group at WGBH, USA

Saturday
9:45 - 10:30
Copacabana
Forum

Human factors and usability research techniques such as lab-based usability tests, field studies, interviews, and focus groups are vital tools for supporting the design and development of accessible products. Conducting research activities with persons who have disabilities brings unique logistical, procedural and methodological challenges and rewards. This interactive session will provide examples of practical lessons learned when the American Institutes for Research, and the WGBH National Center for Accessible Media began to study higher-education students with the following disabilities: blind, low vision, deaf, hard of hearing, mobility impaired, and learning disabled.

Issues Negatively Influencing the Use of Public Outdoor Built Environment by Older People: A Case Study in a Typical Suburban Residential Setting in the United Kingdom

Presenter(s):
Mr Vanja Garaj, The University of Salford, UK
Mr Marcus Ormerod, The University of Salford, UK

Saturday
9:00 - 9:40
Copacabana
Forum

This paper presents the results of a case study conducted in order to identify the physical environmental features negatively influencing the use of the public outdoor built environment by the older people living in a typical suburban residential setting in the United Kingdom (UK). Moreover, the case study undertook to recognise the aspects of the social environment having a negative impact on the use of the outdoors by the older population. The study was based on focus group discussions with the older residents of Marple, a town located near the city of Manchester in the northern part of England, UK.

Ottawa International Airport

Presenter(s):
Ms Betty Dion, Betty Dion Enterprises Ltd., Canada
Ms Marnie Peters, Betty Dion Enterprises Ltd., Canada

Saturday
9:00 - 9:40
Lagoa
Forum

The new the Ottawa International Airport was officially opened on October 12, 2003. The $310-million terminal was completed on budget. Thanks to the commitment of the airport authority, design team and accessibility consultants, a universal design approach for the new terminal was a key consideration in all decisions from the beginning of the design process. The terminal has been recognized by the City of Ottawa, receiving the first Accessibility by Design Award in recognition of "the airports overall design which creates a comfortable and intuitive balance between aesthetics and functionality that does not discriminate but rather accommodates all kinds of needs."

Providing Low Cost Equipment and Home Modification in the 21st Century

Presenter(s):
Mrs Signian McGeary, Quinnipiac University, USA
Mrs Tracy Van Oss, Yale New Haven Hospital, USA

Friday
2:45 - 3:25
Lagoa
Forum

Occupational therapists are health care providers that can creatively problem solve client environmental needs in order to allow for adapatation to the living space. Utilizing the new World Health Organization (WHO) classification of impairments and participation, examples of solutions provided in a number of international settings will be described. Attention will be given to cultural competency issues while solving the contextual issues in the health care arena.

The All-Inclusive - Green Design for Human and Environmental Health - An Economic Model in Support of Sustainability

Presenter(s):
Prof Nadine Bopp, The School of the Art Institute, USA

Saturday
2:30 - 3:10
Lagoa
Forum

Sustainable design and green architecture is the eAll-Inclusivef paradigm that supports the human and environmental health of cities and their inhabitants. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as complete physical, mental and social well-being, based on organisms that are balanced with regard to their chemical, biological, nutritional and psychological environments. It has been reported that buildings are responsible for sickness caused by poor design and materials specification on a global scale. The case for green design is supported by examples where human and environmental health is realized and the costs of degradation are minimized.

The Impact of Hypermedia on Introductory Exercises about Universal Design in Academic Settings

Presenter(s):
Prof Marcelo Guimaraes, Center for Universal Design, USA

Friday
10:30 - 11:10
Lagoa
Forum

This presentation is about a dissertation research in the PhD program in Design, North Carolina State University (NCSU). It provides information about an assessment of the impact of a "hypermedia perceptual simulation" (HPS) tool on outcomes of the sensitization activity of first year design students. Providing students with both visual and verbal content through an online interactive interface in a context of task development, the HPS tool will test current sensitization activities. Research will explore studentsf knowledge retention about the concept of universal design in a series of comparative tests in which HPS is used.

The Meaning of Architecture as eTotal Experiencef Involving All the Senses Challenges the Meaning of Architecture eLimited to Visionf

Presenter(s):
Ms Seema Malik, Avinash Malhotra Architects, USA

Thursday
4:25 - 5:05
Lagoa
Forum

Traditionally vision is emphasized as a mode of experiencing architecture. However, for a design to be universal its functional elements should add to the holistic experience of the building instead of being viewed as design limitations.

Studies have shown that staying in an environment devoid of sensory stimulus leads to boredom and a lack of concentration adversely affecting performance.

To understand this concept, the presenter took a blind person to two buildings and recorded his experiences. She discovered that he engaged all his senses to decipher his surroundings. This formed the basis of her study and challenged conventional design practices in architecture.

Transforming Neighbourhoods: How to Maximise the Value of Design in the Built Environment

Presenter(s):
Mr Chris Murray, Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment, UK

Saturday
2:30 - 3:10
Rio 3
Forum

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment is England's champion for better design. They campaign, advise, provide demonstration projects and study the value of design in transforming places. This session will describe the genesis of CABE, explaining how the organisation provides a coherent and dynamic service for public and private sector clients. Examples of the economic, social and cultural value of design will be provided through case studies from differing urban settlements. Public participation, better skills and the process of injecting a sense of excellence into ordinary and everyday buildings as well as the iconic will be discussed.

Universal Design & Inclusive Education in Brasil

Presenter(s):
Mrs Veronica Camisao, Centro de Vida Independente do Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), Brazil
Ms Renata Mattos Eyer de Araujo, Centro de Vida Independente do Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), Brazil

Thursday
1:45 - 2:25
Botafogo
Forum

The Independent Living Center of Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), has been working for years with the demand for accessible solutions to school buildings, and participated of the changes that have been occurring in Brasil in this field, during the last decade.

Since 1995, with the partnership of Helena Antipoff Institute, CVI-Rio developed some projects promoting the inclusive education concept, which brought to regular education classrooms many children with disabilities.

We need a detailed governmental educational program, aiming to adopt the Universal Design principals in architecture, urban design and graphic projects, to assure quality of the initiative.

Universal Design of Electronic Documentation Technology

Presenter(s):
Dr Caesar Eghtesadi, AccessWorld Solutions, American Foundation for the Blind, USA

Thursday
4:25 - 5:05
Botafogo
Forum

Electronic information has revolutionized our life during the past few decades. It offers unique capabilities that printing information has not been able to provide. For example, electronic publishing offers the opportunity for information access to individuals who cannot access standard printed documents. However, Electronic Information also creates challenges and barriers, especially for people with disabilities.

Universal Design provides the opportunity for these individuals to access information independently, regardless of their abilities. This presentation summarizes the latest advancement in electronic documentation and accessible technologies that enable the creation of universal accessibility of documentation.

Universal Service: Supplying Fair Information and Equal Support and Services to All People

Presenter(s):
Mr Shigeki Inoue, Hakuhodo, Inc., Japan

Thursday
11:00 - 11:40
Master 1
Project

We cannot realistically expect the world to ever be entirely free of barriers. Wheelchair users are likely to encounter inaccessible changes in levels (curbs, steps, etc.) even in the most accessible city. Elders as well as individuals with vision and/or hearing impairments may encounter non-physical barriers, such as poor signage or a lack of accessible way-finding cues, which can make it difficult to get around. It is for these and other reasons that we should promote "universal service" in addition to universal design. When the time comes when most people walking along a street can communicate with and offer assistance to those in need, we will be able to have a more peaceful and fruitful society.

Using the Ecological Model to teach Universal Design

Presenter(s):
Prof Marcelo Guimaraes, Center for Universal Design, NCSU, USA

Saturday
3:20 - 4:00
Lagoa
Forum

This presentation is an account on the development of a teaching strategy adopted for the design studio on Universal Design, at the College of Design, North Carolina State University. Undergraduate students of architecture participated in the experiment. For the first time, one of the studio sections in the NCSU curriculum focused on the specifics of practicing universal design. The studio program included nine class hours weekly in a six credit course that provided an introduction on the constituent concepts of universal design according to the holistic perspective and the latter developed the application of such model in a design of a public building.

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Projects

Projects report on real world experiences using universal design as a framework for designing places, things, communications, policy or programs.

'Aging in Place' Guidelines and Retrofit/New Housing in a Universal Design Perspective

Presenter(s):
Dr Luigi Biocca, Construction Technologies Institute of Rome, National Research Council, Italy

Saturday
3:20 - 4:00
Flamengo
Project

A project between a city council and the Construction Technologies Institute of Rome, National Research Council (ITC/CNR) consisted of remodeling 5 existing apartment blocks and building 34 dwellings, based on a check-list of guidelines for suitable fittings and supports to eaging in placef from the design to the technology as a support to daily activities/interface with outdoor services/facilities. The intent was also to determine which design measures and instalments increase the social inclusion of older citizens in the community. The outcomes, recorded in design guidelines covering various aspects for improving domestic quality of life, will be refined for creating a more inclusive evaluation tool for future housing renovation plans.

A Multisensory Educational Program for the National Museum of Colombia, Bogota, Colombia - "El Museo a la Vista de Todos"

Presenter(s):
Ms Coco Raynes, Coco Raynes Associates, Inc., USA
Dr Daniel Castro, Casa Museo

Friday
10:30 - 11:10
Rio 3
Project

Coco Raynes Associates, a multidisciplinary design firm, is a pioneer in the field of Accessibility and Universal Design. Over the last fifteen years, the firm has worked towards inclusive solutions for signage and wayfinding that go beyond ADA requirements.

Coco Raynes will present the multisensory educational program developed for the National Museum of Colombia.The collections, which range from the pre-Colombian era to the Spanish conquest, are housed in an ex-penitentiary built in 1874, now a historical monument. The Ministry of Culture requested an educational program to address everyone, including wheelchair users, children, illiterate or blind visitors. The design solutions for the visual, tactile and audio exhibits present the archeological pieces, objects and paintings within their historical context.

Dr. Daniel Castro will present the government policy and strategic planning to make the museum inclusive. This includes the training of museum personnel to receive blind people, maintaining contact with blind community and blind organization, the impact of the project on the community, and post evaluation of the project.

The first phase of the Program which was completed in 98 has set new standards of accessibility for museums.

Accessibility and Universal Design in Developing Economies - Mexico as an Example

Presenter(s):
Ms Taide Buenfil, Presidencia de la Republica, Mexico

Saturday
9:00 - 9:40
Flamengo
Project

Being a developing country means assessing what other countries have done on the economic, social and legislative aspects of making universal design a reality. Society and institutions have to come together to find the easiest and the least expensive way to contribute to the goal of integrating all kinds of people into national social and economic life.

The example of Mexico introduced the requirement for accessibility in federal buildings first as part of the program for accessibility that also includes standards for every built space, housing, transportation and promotion. The scope requires that every ministry and sector be included.

Accessible Maine - A Collaborative Curriculum Promoting Community Inclusion

Presenter(s):
Dr Lynn Gitlow, Husson College, USA
Dr Kathy Flecky, Husson College, USA
Mr David Webster, VSA Arts, USA
Mr Denis Pratt, Alpha One

Thursday
11:50 - 12:30
Lagoa
Project

For the past five years at Husson College OT students collaborate with Accessible Maine staff to learn how to complete Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) access assessments of art, cultural and recreational venues. Students are trained by artists with disabilities, Alpha One and VSA arts staff regarding the importance and techniques of making arts and recreational venues accessible to all. In this presentation outcomes research collected over the past five year will be presented as a foundation to encourage dialogue with an international community to help us make our curriculum materials pertinent to interdisciplinary students in post secondary educational programs.

Accessible Public Transport in Argentina

Presenter(s):
Mr Claudio Alejandro Benardelli, Comision Nacional Asesora para la Integracion de Personas Discapacitadas, Argentina

Friday
2:00 - 2:40
Botafogo
Forum

This session will provide a history and overview of Argentinafs national legislation and policy on accessible transport. Progress has been made to make buses, subways and trains accessible especially in the last few years though there remains a great deal of work to be done. A key to further progress is to develop a strategy to create a emultiplierf effect by promoting the idea that accessibility benefits everyone and enhances the communityfs quality of life. To succeed, really professional supports are required.

Acoustical Design Recommendations for New York City Railway Stations: Improving Accessibility for Hearing and Visually Impaired Patrons

Presenter(s):
Mr Robert Nichols, Nichols Design Associates, Inc., USA

Thursday
1:45 - 2:25
Lagoa
Project

An acoustical design of the New York Railway Stations is proposed to improve the acoustical accessibility for persons with hearing and visual impairments. The acoustical design includes methods and materials for reducing reverberation times in the stations. Reducing reverberation times increases the capability for auditory communication by lowering interfering reverberant noise levels generated by people and trains, and increasing the clarity of speech from people and audio systems providing railway information. The universal design research includes videotape and slides for the different subway stations in New York, as well as design and methods.

An Exemplar for Academic Buildings in the 21st Century: A Model of Universal and Green/Sustainable Design

Presenter(s):
Dr Louise Jones, Eastern Michigan University, USA

Friday
9:45 - 10:25
Copacabana
Project

The College of Health & Human Services at Eastern Michigan University was designed to nurture a community of scholars through the creation of an exemplar of universal and green/sustainable design, using leading-edge technologies to develop a collaborative teaching/learning environment. Environmentally responsible design precepts were implemented to plan, specify, and execute interior environments that reflect concern for the usersf quality of life and the worldfs ecology. Slides of features, finishes, and furnishings will illustrate the process and outcomes. Discussion: lessons learned and the actions required to ensure that design decisions that are inclusive and environmentally responsible become de rigueur.

Analysis and Development of a Sustainable Universal Design Center at San Francisco State University

Presenter(s):
Mr Ricardo Gomes, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 4:10
Botafogo
Project

The focus and merit of this proposal will be based upon the findings from my sabbatical research with the Design and Industry Department at San Francisco State University (SFSU). The objectives of this research is to investigate and document universal design research, applications, and program development that are being conducted and implemented at various centers for universal design which are affiliated with universities in the U.S., U.K., Brazil and Argentina.

This comparative analysis and report will examine the objectives, resources and applications of these centers in respect to what distinguishes, as well as characterizes, their research and practical approaches to universal design, accessibility programs, policies and implementation.

The research take will also assess the diverse and equitable approaches to universal design that will be more responsive and specific to the inherent needs and sustainable implementation of indigenous societies, cultural values, economies of scale, resources, production, and marketability.

The results of this study will be utilized to formulate at SFSU to support the Design Center for Global Needs as a viable center for Universal Design Research, Accessibility, Education and Curriculum Development in the western region of the U.S. in relationship to neighboring regions of interest in Latin America and Pacific Rim.

Berkeleyfs Ed Roberts Campus: A Universally and Sustainable Designed Community Center

Presenter(s):
Mr William Leddy, Leddy Maytum Stacy Architects, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 4:10
Rio 1
Project

The Ed Roberts Campus (ERC) is being developed by collaborating nonprofit organizations serving people with disabilities in California and across the nation. ERC is a universally designed, transit-oriented campus located at a Bay Area Rapid Transit station in Berkeley, California. The ERC mission is to expand the opportunities available to people with disabilities to live independently and will provide non-profits with a facility where they can share resources and expertise and collaborate closely. ERC integrates advanced elements of universal design, sustainable design and transit-oriented development. The facility opens in 2008.

Ed Roberts, who died in 1995, was an early leader in the independent living movement of persons with disabilities. Roberts was the first severely disabled student to be admitted to the University of California, Berkeley. He served as Director of the California Department of Rehabilitation, traveled throughout the world promoting the concept of independent living, and became a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellow in 1984. Ed believed in the strength of collaborative efforts - he called it "working toward our preferred future."

The presentation will include project process as well as actual design solution.

Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France: An Inclusive Wayfinding and Information System

Presenter(s):
Ms Coco Raynes, Coco Raynes Associates, Inc., USA

Friday
11:20 - 12:00
Rio 3
Project

The wayfinding system offers autonomy to passengers with reduced mobility PMR (wheelchair users, visually or hearing impaired travelers, elderly and parents with childrenfs carriages) from the point of arrival on the sidewalk to the designated reception area within the terminal.

The system, which includes written and audio messages in three languages, describes the path, and explains how to navigate through difficult areas such as revolving doors.

ChildrenLs Play for those with Activity Limitations

Presenter(s):
Mrs Regina Cohen, Pro-Access Group - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mrs Cristiane Rose Duarte, Pro-Access Group - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mr Ramon Silva de Carvalho, Pro-Access Group - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Saturday
3:20 - 4:00
Rio 3
Project

Some children cannot develop the same abilities, but have the same dream of playing with other kids and feeling as if theyfre one of them. Starting from the concept of Universal Design, we are developing a research project among students of Architecture. Our proposal is to build a prototype ride to be used by every child and a pilot project of an accessible plaza in the city of Rio de Janeiro. Our methodology consists in settling parameters for each area of disability for children. The project hopes to be a pioneer in this area, stimulating the diffusion and adoption of similar projects in other areas of the city of Rio de Janeiro and other places in Brazil, showing that childrenfs play is for all when we are able to prepare to meet all needs.

Creating Interactive Learning Experiences for All

Presenter(s):
Ms Christine Reich, Museum of Science, Boston, USA
Ms Andrea Durham, Museum of Science, Boston, USA

Thursday
2:30 - 3:10
Lagoa
Project

In this session, Christine Reich, Senior Research Associate, and Robert Rayle, Technical Designer, will discuss the evolution of computer interactive design at the Museum of Science, Boston. This change in design has been directed by an increased understanding of the computer needs of the diverse museum audience, which includes persons with disabilities. Christine Reich will share results of user testing and audience research that has informed the development of each new computer interactive. Robert Rayle will discuss the technical design and how changes in technology have made it easier to create a more universal design over time.

Culture and Arts Environments for All - Making Policy Reality

Presenter(s):
Ms Philippa Daly Smith, Disability Services Commission, Australia

Thursday
3:30 - 4:10
Lagoa
Project

In Western Australian over 220 Government authorities are legislatively required to have Disability Service Plans demonstrating how they are making their services accessible. The Disability Services Commission oversees this initiative. The Department of Culture and the Arts provides an excellent example of what can be achieved to create inclusive arts and cultural experiences. Significant practical improvements have been made through the work of the agency and their disability advisory committee. Initiatives include education, policy review and audits of services to identify access barriers and solutions. Theatre, art gallery, museum and library accessibility will be shown as well as projects making exhibitions accessible to people who are blind or deaf.

Decision Support Tools and Policy Initiatives in Support of Universal Design in Buildings - The POLIS Project

Presenter(s):
Dr Nikos Sakkas, BPM SA, Greece

Saturday
3:20 - 4:00
Botafogo
Project

Polis seeks to provide for a detailed analysis of the economics (costs and benefits) associated with accessibility and to use this information to develop a decision support system, called hereafter a Decision Support System for Universal Building Design (DSS.UBD). It intends to offer a research-based evaluation of various building design scenarios, with the long-term goal of increasing the cost efficient adoption of Universal Design by society and to provide for a significant enhancement of the quality of life for all people, including those with disabilities, elders, children, etc.

Diversity in Design: The Journal of Inclusive Design Education

Presenter(s):
Ms Beth Tauke, University at Buffalo, USA

Saturday
2:35 - 3:15
Flamengo
Project

Relevant contemporary design education enables students to make critically sound and socially conscious choices in complex situations. It fosters actions that: a) take the viewpoints, needs, and desires of ethe otherf into consideration; b) encourage thoughtful navigation between states, media, and disciplines; c) relate various languages, systems, and cultures; d) bridge data and knowledge; and e) broaden and deepen the comprehensibility and accessibility of our complicated multi-environments.

To address these issues, the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access has initiated a new academic journal entitled Diversity in Design: The Journal of Inclusive Design Education. This journal is a forum for in-depth and timely analysis of scholarly issues related to diversity, and, particularly, issues related to inclusive design. It focuses on the changing roles of the designer in increasingly diverse societies. Through peer-reviewed articles that examine diversity issues in design education and interviews with leading scholars/educators, the journal encourages a global community of designers and educators to create new knowledge, partnerships, and gateways to inclusive design education. The content of the journal will challenge the meanings of design in situations where traditional notions have been broken or reconfigured. It will advance the critical examination of who is doing the designing; what is being designed; where edesignf is taking place; why certain types of design are being promoted; and how these images, products, and environments are designed, produced and consumed. It will explore the ways that various diversity groups have affected the design disciplines and, in turn, the ways that these disciplines have affected various diversity groups.

The journal is a pioneering technological initiative that employs the most up-to-date information delivery technologies to ensure seamless information retrieval in a fully accessible W3C-compliant format. An invaluable resource for the multi-disciplinary academic design community, Diversity in Design is the only publication of its kind.

This presentation is the formal introduction of this new journal to the international design community.

Empowerment Games: Participatory Design Exercises for Sustainable Public Housing Development in the Social Context of Hong Kong

Presenter(s):
Ms Yan Ki Lee, School of Design, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Thursday
1:45 - 2:25
Flamengo
Project

Participatory Design is about involving end-users in design processes. Just as the backgrounds and social situations of users vary, there are also many different practices of participatory design. This project involves a customised participatory design process, Empowerment Games, designed through collaboration between social scientists/academics, facilitators with different backgrounds such as design and social work, and resident groups. This presentation aims at demonstrating how residents have become actively involved in an urban redevelopment program to achieve re-housing to a location near their current residential building, and to formulate and express their comments and suggestions for a more appropriate future living environment.

Guidelines to Project Accessible Parks with Emphasis in Human Factors

Presenter(s):
Ms Ana Burjato, Secretaria de Meio Ambiente do Estado de Sao Paulo, Brazil

Thursday
11:50 - 12:30
Botafogo
Project

To make parks accessible to people with disabilities with emphasis in human factors, itfs necessary to consider the desires and satisfactions of the users. It is important not only to arrive, but to have something to do and to want to come back. Besides being possible to arrive to a park, it has to be attractive with elements that can be used by children, elderly and people with disabilities. The actives related to leisure in public areas, must allow access for everybody independent of their social-economic conditions, increasing the inclusion of people with disabilities.

How Does Prestigious Architecture Respond to the Principles of Universal Design?

Presenter(s):
Prof Sigmund Asmervik, Department of Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning, Norway

Thursday
2:30 - 3:10
Flamengo
Project

How does prestigious architecture respond to the principles of Universal Design? For our study we have chosen Telenor's new headquarters at the former Oslo international airport at Fornebu. The scope of the project is a comprehensive study, and will thus include the work of landscape architects, architects, interior architects and industrial designers.

The project will examine questions related to various kinds of impairment, such as reduced mobility, hearing and vision.

The sources for our study will be our own observations, studies of drawings and documents and interviews of key persons, including architects, designers, researchers, office workers and managers.

Inclusive Design in Practice: a UK Experience

Presenter(s):
Prof Roger Coleman, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, UK
Ms Julia Cassim, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, UK
Mr Rama Gheerawo, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, UK
Mr Jeremy Myerson, The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, UK

Thursday
1:45 - 3:50
Rio 2
Project - Special Group Presentation

This session will showcase a UK specific, but holistic approach to universal/inclusive design in practice. The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre (HHRC) at the Royal College of Art (RCA) exposes young postgraduate design students to the theory and practice of designing in ways that make products and services accessible and attractive to the largest possible number of users. A key objective is to nurture a cadre of committed design professionals capable of effectively carrying the universal design message to industry and putting it into practice. The HHRC is also committed to spreading this ethos among the staff and students at the RCA and to the wider, international design education and research community.

It does this by working with three design communities -- students, new graduates, and professionals -- and supporting its alumni at each stage in the progression from student to professional practice with industrial contacts and projects, and with resources and design challenges. This design agenda is also communicated to industry and the public sector in ways that can stimulate demand and lead to innovation and new product development. The process is underpinned by an extensive network of ecriticalf users, who collaborate with the Centre and the three design communities with which it works.

The session will be chaired by Roger Coleman, co-director of the HHRC, and consist of 5 short (15 minute) presentations on each community interaction, followed by 5 minute Q&A sessions. The final 30 minutes will be devoted to open discussion on the practicalities of transferring methods and projects to other, unique situations.

The five presentations will cover the following topics:

• An overview of the Centre's core activities and objectives, including its action research methodology and its work with design and industry
• How young students are introduced to key ideas and processes, such as working with users, and how this gives rise to a rich source of design exemplars.
• Building bridges with industry through one-year, user-led design collaborations.
• Engaging with the professional design community, and developing supporting resources and codes of practice.
• A designer's progress from student to consultant to a leading UK/international retailer. How that company adopted an inclusive approach to design, and discovered a route to innovation and market success.

Although this is very much a UK specific initiative, many of the lessons, methods and activities outlined have the potential to be transferred to very different situations. As a consequence the final 25-30 minutes will be devoted to an open discussion of such opportunities and the session will have considerable interest to all those working in education, with design professionals and with industry.

Lifestyle Laboratory by Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) - Empowering Customers to Learn, Evaluate, and Affect Product Design

Presenter(s):
Ms Yukari Semmyo, Tokyo Electric Power Company, Japan

Saturday
2:25 - 3:15
Botafogo
Project

TEPCO's lifestyle laboratory advises customers how best to use and choose electrical appliances suitable for their individual life styles. These recommendations are based on data collected by checking and inspecting various electric appliances, including IH cooking heaters, vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, washing machines, lamps, microwave ovens...etc. TEPCO lifestyle laboratory thinks that giving customers opportunities to learn about various products and how these products can adapt to their life styles is part of universal design.

Madness or Method? Usability as a Mechanism for Universal Design

Presenter(s):
Mr Chris Hass, American Institutes for Research (AIR), USA
Mr Larry Goldberg, Media Access Group at WGBH, USA

Madness or Method? Usability as a Mechanism for Universal Design

Saturday
10:30 - 11:10
Lagoa
Project

The WGBH National Center for Accessible Media and the American Institutes for Research will present evidence from a U.S. Department of Education sponsored study that audio navigation techniques designed to enable DVD and TV set-top box use by vision-impaired persons are successful and that these accessibility techniques may also enhance user efficiency and satisfaction among sighted audiences. Contradicting pervasive beliefs within the DVD and broadcast industries that accessibility features are "off-putting" to sighted users, this presentation will demonstrate how accessibility innovation, supported by human factors research methodologies, can lead to the development of real-world products that exemplify Universal Design.

Making Sense

Presenter(s):
Mr Michael Westley, Sensory Trust, UK

Thursday
3:30 - 4:10
Rio 1
Project

The Sensory Trust creates inclusive environments and involves people in accessible placemaking through multisensory engagement.

Public places, full of potential sensory enjoyment and sense of place may contain physical, intellectual and social barriers for people with disabilities.

We develop physical, attitudinal & informational solutions to barriers. We address quality of experience, diversity of use, stakeholder involvement and sustainability. We believe designing inclusivly benefits people in general.

Our project work involving public parks, historic landscapes, community spaces, health care environments and learning environments demonstrates universally applicable principles of inclusive practice.

Making UD Attractive to Architects and Planners

Presenter(s):
Mr Jon Christophersen, Norwegian Building Reseearch Institute, Norway

Thursday
11:00 - 11:40
Botafogo
Project

The paper will present a new publication from two central government institutions in Norway. The relevance in an international setting is how to address architects and planners in a way they will find interesting and inspiring. The publication sets out to do this in a novel manner, putting the main emphasis on the integration of accessibility and Universal Design into the architecture, using 3D sketches and diagrams in combination with photographs to illustrate the relationships between the whole, the individual parts and the architectural detailing of buildings. Political and social aims of integration and inclusion are given as an outline.

Methodology for the Making of an Accessibility Guidebook: Proposal Study for Rio de Janeiro

Presenter(s):
Dr Cristiane Rose de Siqueira Duarte, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ms Regina Cohen, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Mr Ramon Silva de Carvalho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Saturday
11:20 - 12:00
Lagoa
Project

Pondering on universal accessibility to physical environment the Group "Pro-acesso"/UFRJ has been working on the improvement of a specific methodology for the making of an Acessibility Guide-book for the City of Rio de Janeiro.

This proposal comes from our efforts on research and cataloguing since 1999 and aims to broaden the familiarity and expand the information about accessibility matters and give special attention to the various special needs people with mobility difficulties have. It also renders good service to society.

The innovation of our proposal is based on the development of a singular methodology, through a universal and deductive point of view, which cares for both the comprehension of the spaces in the city and the differences of its inhabitants.

Multi-Functionalization of Toilet in Japan

Presenter(s):
Mr Yoshihiko Kawauchi, Access Project, Japan

Saturday
9:45 - 10:30
Botafogo
Project

In Japan, recent changes in public toilet design are amazing. It started to work for wheelchair users. But now, targeted users are expanding to include blind people, baby care and people with ostomy (in Japan, we call them Ostomate). In Chubu International Airport, they hired the organization of people with disabilities as a professional access consultant. They had a lot of meetings with users, designers and manufacturers through the process of discussion; design, mock up, evaluation and at last, the final design. I introduce current Multi Functional Toilet in Japan.

Museums and Universal Design

Presenter(s):
Ms Rebecca McGinnis, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA
Mr Andrew Alvarez, UK
Ms Sandra Eastwood, South Africa

Friday
11:20 - 12:00
Flamengo
Project

Museums have come a long way in recent years towards making their buildings, collections, information, and programming accessible to and inclusive of all audiences. But how have Universal Design Principles been incorporated into planning and design? Through examples from the South African National Gallery, Wolverhampton Art Gallery (UK), The Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA), and others, this session will illustrate some of the multi-sensory, multidisciplinary approaches employed in museums that foster inclusiveness and universal access. Presentations will focus on exhibition and program planning and design; institutional policies; conservation issues; interpretation techniques; and wayfinding.

Nursing Home Resident-Room Furniture Design: Application of Universal Design Principles

Presenter(s):
Mr Paul Eshelman, Cornell University, USA

Friday
9:45 - 10:30
Botafogo
Project

This paper describes a project to design nursing home resident-room furniture. The paper's focus on the design process which starts with an interpretive study of the seven principles of Universal Design formulated at The Center for Universal Design (1997, NC State University). These principles are supplemented with evidence from studies about environmental psychology relative to the frail elderly and the role design can play in elevating sense of place and well being of older adults. Results of the process, resident room furniture to be installed in a new skilled-nursing facility, will be presented and discussed.

Participatory Planning and Management of Accessibility in the Built Environment and Urban Transport: The Barcelona Experience

Presenter(s):
Mr Xavier Alegre, Barcelona City Council, Spain

Saturday
11:20 - 12:00
Rio 2
Project

Agenda summary:

• Needs analysis
• Design of urban elements
• Audit of the current state of the city
• Definition of priorities
• Transition period
• Intervention stages
• Management of the crisis
• Resolution of conflicts
• Distribution of responsibility models (dependencies)
• And After? A City for All

Promoting an Inclusive Environment in London

Presenter(s):
Ms Julie Fleck, Greater London Authority, UK

Friday
10:30 - 11:10
Copacabana
Project

The London Plan includes policies on inclusive design and accessible housing. The challenge is now to ensure that Londonfs 33 local planning authorities adopt and implement the policies and that developers and planning applicants embrace inclusion and help create a more accessible city. Tools have been developed to ensure understanding and adoption of inclusive design, including Supplementary Planning Guidance called Accessible London which explains the policies in more detail; the use of Access Statements in planning and building applications; a video on Lifetime Homes and the standards for wheelchair accessible housing.

Prototype of Adaptable and Universal Home in Brazil

Presenter(s):
Mrs Sandra Perito, Instituto Brasil Acessivel / Marcondes Perito Engenharia e Arquitetura, Brazil

Friday
2:45 - 3:25
Flamengo
Project

Research conducted by the author showed that Brazilian elders tend to stay in the house acquired in their productive adult phase, and do not want to move. If the domestic environment is not adequate to the limitations resulting from aging, it may hinder the full use of space and compromise user's safety. A prototype designed and built based on the universal design principles will be presented, being also appropriate to the Brazilian cultural, social and economic contexts, for the analysis of the physical and financial feasibility of building universal housing in Brazil.

Surveying User Needs - Bringing Universal Design to Life

Presenter(s):
Mr James Mueller, Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center on Wireless Technologies, USA

Friday
2:45 - 3:25
Copacabana
Project

This session will present the results of a research project on user needs for wireless technologies, including a survey of over 600 persons with disabilities and 10 focus groups. Statistical results will be presented, as well as qualitative information gathered through conversations with users.

Innovative approaches to disseminating project data will also be presented, including an on-line Query Tool for searching the latest survey results and "personas" depicting the lives and perspectives of customers with disabilities. These personas will be presented as a way for global customer businesses to be aware of the characteristics of users diverse in age, ability, and culture.

Teaching Inclusive Design - Case Study: Escola Superior de Artes e Design

Presenter(s):
Mr Renato Bispo, Escola Superior de Artes e Design, Portugal

Thursday
2:30 - 3:10
Botafogo
Project

The best method for including Inclusive Design, Design for All or Universal Design within design courses is a relevant issue within Europe, taking in account the policies set by the Bologna Declaration, which will revise most higher education curricula until 2010. This talk wishes to contribute to such a debate, through the report of the teaching experience, since 2001, of inclusive design as a specific course within the general program of the graphic, multimedia, industrial, and ceramics design curricula at the Escola Superior de Artes e Design (ESAD - equivalent to a B.F.A. degree program).

Team Production and Designing for People with Visual Limitations: The Diseno para Todos Story

Presenter(s):
Ms Silvia Winer, CENTRO DE INVESTIGACION EN DISENO INDUSTRIAL De Productos Complejos / FADU / UBAA, Argentina

Saturday
9:00 - 9:40
Botafogo
Project

Diseno para Todos, the Buenos Aires-based company that includes people with and without disabilities, will present three projects:

1. Drawing for people with visual limitations (investigation)
2. Didactic games (collage cookies, pictures to touch (numbers/letters), chaos in the kitchen.
3. Home technical support cards (cook book, user-friendly recipes, home technical aids, pets

The team is made up of architects, industrial designers and healthcare professionals. The mission is the integration of people with disabilities and our work is focused on design, product production, technical support, advice and research. In each project, the team develops solutions that work for people with visual limitations and sighted people in order to promote greater integration at home that will carry over to the community.

The Action Plan on Universal Design in Statsbygg - The Directorate of Public Construction and Property in Norway

Presenter(s):
Mr Finn Aslaksen, Vista Utredning AS, Norway

Saturday
10:30 - 11:10
Botafogo
Project

In January 2004 The Directorate of Public Construction and Property in Norway approved an action plan on universal design covering both the development of new premises and repair and development of existing premises. The action plan for new premises is based on the integration of universal design principles in programming, guidelines, checklists, programs for architect competitions and education to increase competence related to universal design. All existing premises will be registered and needs for repair identified. Repair proposals are to be incorporated in the ordinary maintenance and repair programmes, but there is also a dedicated budget for repair actions.

The Application of Universal Design in Low-Cost Housing by the City of Sao Paulo, Brazil

Presenter(s):
Mr Edison Passafaro, Comissao Permanente de Acessibilidade, Brazil
Mr Eugene Williams, Adaptive Environments, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 4:10
Flamengo
Project

The municipal government of Sao Paulo requires accessibility in its low-cost housing construction programs. That accessibility is based on the principles of Universal Design and implemented by the Secretariat of Housing and Urban Development (SEHAB) under the supervision of the Permanent Commission on Accessibilty (CPA). An overview of the application of Universal Design will be accompanied by images from architectural and engineering plans as possible. A focus of the presentation is anticipated to be the self-built self-administered ("Mutirao com Autogestao") program championed by the grassroots Union of Housing Movements (UMM). A brief description of the UMM will be included.

The Development of UD Housing in Japan:
1. Toward Higher Quality Design
2. Toward Further Refinement by Sekisui House

Presenter(s):
Dr Yoshiaki Goto, Sekisui House ,Ltd., Japan
Prof Satoshi Kose, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Japan
Mr Shinji Tanaka, Sekisui House, Ltd., Japan

Friday
2:00 - 2:40
Flamengo
Project

Universal Design (UD) is a very popular term in Japan. Industries have noticed that they cannot avoid UD. Over the last few years, Japanese housing manufacturers have evolved. They have overcome the three big level changes in Japanese traditional housing, as well as set handrails in ordinary housing. The new laws push their improvement. One company has already put three strategies into practice. A design guideline for the planning and development of housing, an education system of UD specialists in companies and establishing trial centers for UD where consumers are able to evaluate the usability of the housing components and spaces. We would like to introduce a new movement for UD housing in Japan since 2000 by introducing the Japanese housing strategy.

The European Internet Accessibility Observatory

Presenter(s):
Mr Finn Aslaksen, Vista Utredning AS, Norway
Dr Mikael Snaprud, Agder University College, Norway

Friday
10:30 - 11:10
Flamengo
Project

The overall objective of the project is to contribute to better e-accessibility for all citizens and to increase the use of standards in online content. By providing frequently updated data on web accessibility metrics and deviations from standards of the European websites assessed the European Internet Accessibility Observatory (EIAO) will:

• Provide quantitative background for policy-making and targeted actions to improve web accessibility. This may be of special importance for the discussion going on about legislation (anti-discrimination laws) for equal rights related to web accessibility.
• Promote e-accessibility by raising awareness and encouraging competition through benchmarking of accessibility of a great number of websites frequently.

The Green Map of Rio de Janeiro

Presenter(s):
Prof Luiza Rebello, Centro Universitario da Cidade, Centro Universitario Carioca and Green Map System, Brazil
Prof Joao Lutz, Centro Universitario da Cidade, Brazil
Prof Isabella Muniz, Centro Universitario da Cidade, Brazil

Saturday
9:50 - 10:30
Flamengo
Project

The Green Map System (GMS) it is a system created by Modern World Design in New York City, USA. It is a system designed to create urban maps linked to natural environments and the city. These maps are extremely useful to disseminate ecological information, especially those connected to the tourism, culture and leisure activities of a city. The goal of this project that is being executed by the Nucleo de Pesquisa em Design (NPD) of the Centro Universitario da Cidade - UniverCidade, is the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The Implementation of a National Observatory in Inclusive Design in Portugal

Presenter(s):
Prof Fernando Moreira Da Silva, Faculdade de Arquitectura, Portugal

Saturday
11:20 - 12:00
Botafogo
Project

The Faculty of Architecture (FA) is partner of the Portuguese Design Centre in an Inclusive Design project, along with Lisbon Municipality and the Portuguese Association for Visually Impaired People, mainly supported by EQUAL, a European research programme. In this project, which began in September 2002, FA is responsible for the creation of the National Observatory in Inclusive Design, which will be maintained at FA in the future. After September 2004 we will be implementing the dissemination of the project issues and results by: workshops at the Universities and with the professionals involved in the built or natural environment from the point of view of its design, management or function; seminars covering all the Municipalities.

The Multifunctional Kitchen - An Experiment in Design for All

Presenter(s):
Ms Lone Storgaard, Design Concern, Denmark

Saturday
10:30 - 11:10
Flamengo
Project

In the Ph.D. thesis "THE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN - An inquiry into and an experiment with special user needs" industrial designer Lone Storgaard, shows how the concept of multi-functionality can be integrated into industrially manufactured kitchens.

The book "THE MULTI-FUNCTIONAL KITCHEN" and CD-ROM illustrate every-day problem areas in the kitchen. Design concepts of kitchen components and layouts, in drawings and animations, help to enhance the kitchenfs functionality for all life-conditions no matter how a personfs health and physique develops.

The thesis and the conceptual Multifunctional Kitchen will stimulate the discussion that design for all can be both functional and aesthetic. This project received the research prize from the Disabled Peoples Foundation, Denmark.

The New Accessibility Model for Windows

Presenter(s):
Mr Thomas Logan, Microsoft, USA

Friday
9:50 - 10:30
Copacabana
Project

Whether an individual with a disability uses a computer for programming/development, at work/home or for entertainment/gaming chances are that they use some type of assistive technology. The availability of these assistive technology products and their compatibility with state-of-the-art operating systems and applications requires vigilance on the part of major information technology companies, the enterprises that employ individuals with disabilities, disabled student services at schools/colleges around the world and the entire programming/development community that need to remember that individuals with disabilities and functional limitations will need to use the products that are required to be used independently and interacted with daily.

The Universal Design Kitchen: Which Adaptations Do Consumers Select?

Presenter(s):
Prof Patrick Patterson, Iowa State University, USA
Prof Mary Yearns, Iowa State University, USA
Mr Andrew Bice, Iowa State University, USA

Saturday
11:15 - 12:00
Flamengo
Project

The project goal is to develop a prototype system of cabinets and appliances with universal design features that meet the needs of older women. The research used focus group interviews, in-home observations, and ethnographic interviews to determine their problems, limitations, and concerns. Based on this information, kitchen prototypes (free-standing furniture with modular components) were then constructed. Subjects were videotaped while they prepared food in a "standard" arrangement, and again in an "adapted" configuration. The modular approach was well received, but the types of adaptations selected varied according to user characteristics.

Transforming On-Line Educational Content to Meet Learner Needs

Presenter(s):
Ms Madeleine Rothberg, Media Access Group at WGBH, USA

Thursday
4:25 - 5:05
Flamengo
Project

Educational materials that adapt to the needs of learners with disabilities are possible when educational technology uses shared open technical specifications to create flexible, responsive learning systems. The IMS Global Learning Consortium Accessibility Working Group has created guidelines and specifications to enable this vision to be realized. This presentation will describe the development of tools and prototypes that support inclusive curriculum design for learners with diverse needs and demonstrate the capability of The Inclusive Learning Exchange from the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of Toronto.

Universal Design as a Strategy for Developing and Implementing Government Policy

Presenter(s):
Mr Einar Lund, Ministry of the Environment, Norway

Saturday
3:15 - 3:55
Arporador
Project

The Universal Design strategy has proven to be effective in areas where traditional accessibility has little impact or has lost its momentum. Does universal design have the capability of giving meaningful contributions to the development of national policies? If so, does this produce concrete results that improve the life of the citizens in general and people with disabilities in particular, or does the ideology of universal design become too diffuse when mixed with high-level politics. And can governments bring about results alone?

Universal Design: Methods and Techniques Used in Universities to Properly Introduce it in Architecture and Urbanism Graduation Courses in Brazil

Presenter(s):
Ms Silvana Serafino Cambiaghi, Brazil

This survey aims at analyzing and assessing the present situation and the intended situation for teaching universal design in architecture and urbanism graduation courses. In order to do so, it shows diagnoses elaborated from interviews made through e-mail in the last two weeks of August 2003 and, in a second step, from December 2003 until February 2004 with 17 (seventeen) architects and engineers from Brazil, Colombia, Spain, United States, Portugal and Uruguay. The professionals interviewed are experts involved in the areas of research, teaching and professional activities related to universal design. The surveys and analysis presented were elaborated within qualitative research method parameters. As results of said research, programmatic subsidies are provided, not only for inserting the theme in architecture and urbanism graduation courses, but also to offer pedagogical support to present teaching.

User-Centered Approach to Universal Design Curricular Methodology

Presenter(s):
Mr Ricardo Gomes, Design Center for Global Needs, USA

Thursday
4:25 - 5:05
Rio 2
Project

This session documentats the user-centered interdisciplinary and inclusive design methodology that is utilized in the product design course at San Francisco State University. The curriculum objective is to develop a comprehensive understanding of the principles of universal and inclusive design within the context, guidelines, and objectives of responsible design. This user-centered approach involves the end-user in every phase of the design research, product analysis, and concept development.

The presentation will outline and illustrate the paradigm that is utilized in structuring an inclusive systematic approach to the programmatic considerations for a user-centered product design methodology. This paradigm integrates, as well as facilitates, the studentsf interface with interdisciplinary faculty, design professionals and community practitioners relative to accessibility, diversity, and sustainability.

Visual Communication for People with Literacy Problems in the Manaus Harbor, Amazonas

Presenter(s):
Mr Sergio Romero de Azevedo, Romero Design (Sebrae-AM, Faculdade Martha Falcao, esp tribute: M.Sc. Grifoni), Brazil

There has been progress in accommodating the needs of people with mobility limitations in urban design but a group 100 times larger has been mostly forgotten. Developing nations have very large proportions of people who are functionally illiterate. There is a pressing need for urban designers to consider the communication needs of this large group in ways that would benefit all users. This project proposes a solution for illiterate people traveling in Manaus Harbor, Amazonas. The design uses color, proportionate size of the rivers, and icons commonly used in the municipal districts in a comprehensive approach that integrates the system into way finding and water transportation. People who are illiterate can function easily and are spared embarrassment. Everyone, including visitors that don't read Portuguese, benefits.

Top

Working Groups

Working Groups offer in-depth topical discussions. These groups will explore the state of the art and emerging issues. Pre-registration is required because they have a maximum number of participants.

A New Paradigm for the 21st Century: Design that is Inclusive and Environmentally Responsible

Presenter(s):
Dr Louise Jones, Eastern Michigan University, USA
Dr Elizabeth A. King, University of Cincinnati, USA
Dr Dorothy Fowles, Iowa State University, USA

Thursday
1:45 - 3:15
Master 1
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Friday, 11:00 - 12:30 (Master 2).

Universal Design considers the needs of all users regardless of age, ability, or physical stature. Green design addresses micro issues: protection of peoples' health and wellbeing. Sustainable design addresses macro issues: protection of the planet's health and wellbeing. Environmentally responsible design addresses the interrelationships of design, human needs/behavior, and environmental responsibility. This working group will: 1) Clarify issues supporting the need for environmentally responsible design; 2) Identify criteria for specification of green/sustainable finishes and furnishings; and 3) Develop an action plan for implementation of environmentally responsible design to create interior environments inclusive of all people, while protecting the global ecology.

Aging in Place: Perspectives from Brazil and the U.S.A.

Presenter(s):
Mrs Sandra Perito, Instituto Brasil Acessivel / Marcondes Perito Engenharia e Arquitetura, Brazil

Friday
2:00 - 3:30
Master 2
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Saturday, 10:30 - 12:00 (Master 2).

Brazilian architect Sandra Perito will present the Brazilian experience. The perception of barriers in domestic environment undergoes strong influence of economic and psychological factors. In developing countries, such as Brazil, residential mobility is low, due to long-term loans that fix the user to her house. Also, retirement income is low, frequently not enough for the minimum maintenance of the house. Research conducted by Perito showed that the Brazilian elders desire to age in place and show excessive satisfaction, albeit likely inflated, in relation to their homes. When there is no economic prospect of solving the problem, the nonperception of barriers renders the situation more acceptable, although compromising their autonomy.

Developing a Checklist of Universal Design Features, Materials, and Products for New Construction in Housing

Presenter(s):
Dr Sandra Hartje, Seattle Pacific University, USA
Ms Susan M. Duncan, ADAptations inc., USA

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Master 1
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Friday, 10:30 - 12:00 (Master 1).

A challenge for promoting universal design in housing is the lack of a prioritized list of universal design features, products, and materials. Without this list, it is difficult for housing professionals to know which features, products, and materials are most important, and just how many should be included for a house to be considered universally designed, rather than just containing some universal design elements. Although there is some resistance to prescribing universal design elements in this way, builders and developers are asking for the specific direction that would provided by prioritized lists of universal design features, products and materials.

Diffusing Universal Design Globally: Learnsites for Youth and Adult Leaders

Presenter(s):
Dr Betty Jo White, College of Human Ecology, Dept. of Apparel, Textiles & Interior Design, USA

Thursday
1:45 - 3:15
Master 2
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Friday, 9:00 - 10:30 (Master 2).

This intensive UD Introduction consists of hands-on tryouts of two "Learnsites" targeted to teenagers and their teachers and group leaders. The web-learning package is designed to prepare youth to disseminate the UD concept to the mainstream population. Based on Rogersf Adoption/Diffusion Theory, one site instructs teachers and leaders, while the other presents ten age-appropriate, diverse, interactive, and problem-solving lessons to engage youth. Developed in cooperation with the U. S. National Endowment for the Arts, both are fully accessible to people with disabilities, and could be localized to serve developing nations until they can prepare their own.

The Visual Language of Art: Universal Design Approaches to Museum Publications and Interpretation

Presenter(s):
Ms Rebecca McGinnis, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, USA
Ms Ileana Sanchez, Creativo Creativo Inc., USA

Friday
9:00 - 10:30
Master 1
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Saturday, 2:30 - 4:00 (Aporador).

Museums produce publications relating to their collections, in order to inform and engage audiences beyond their walls. By design and content, these exclude many people. This session explores this issue, and presents examples of universally designed museum publications representing the current state of the art, including Art and the Alphabet: A Tactile Experience, a children's book incorporating braille, large print, and tactile line drawings superimposed over color reproductions of art from The Metropolitan Museum's collections, and "Un autre regard," a series of integrated print and CD-ROM publications from the Musee du Louvre, utilizing large print, braille, tactile pictures. and audio.

Universal Design is Essential for the Growth of Healthy Communities

Presenter(s):
Ms Leslie Young, The Center for Universal Design, USA
Mr Marcelo Guimaraes, The Center for Universal Design, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 5:00
Master 1
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Friday, 2:00 - 3:30 (Master 1).

This working group will examine Smart Growth and Universal Design and establish that the first cannot be effectively accomplished without integrating the second. Presentations will be made showing the incorporation of Universal Design at the neighborhood and community scale. The authors will present Universal Design applications and integrated solutions that benefit all. Usability, wayfinding, visitability, and transportation, based on the ecological model, will be discussed. The presenters will redefine key criteria in Smart Growth through the lens of the Principles of Universal Design. The group will then develop strategies to adapt this concept to fit other cultures.

Using Learning Outcomes in Design Education

Presenter(s):
Ms Bobbi Long, California State University Monterey Bay, USA

Thursday
3:30 - 5:00
Master 2
Working Group

There are two sessions for this working group. The other session is scheduled for Saturday, 2:30 - 4:00 (Master 2).

Outcomes-Based Education supports the learning of diverse students. Research shows this method is particularly useful for students with non-apparent disabilities, such as learning disabilities or lack of language skills -- reported to be a high proportion of design students. Learning outcomes will be explained and presented as an application of universal design principles for instruction -- improving teaching as well as learning. Action research will illustrate its application to teaching and support its use. Exercises will stimulate discussion and learning for the workgroup. Participants can apply this model to their teaching, study its effects, and use it as research in their scholarship of teaching.

Top

Plenary Sessions

Plenary Panels offer multiple perspectives on a single topic. Most mix presenters from different parts of the world. Most Plenary Panels will accommodate at least 100 delegates.

A Global Perspective on Development and Gender Equity

Participants:
Prof Leslie Kanes Weisman, New Jersey Institute of Technology, USA, Moderator
Ms Rosangela Berman Bieler, World Bank
Ms Rosemary Ciotti, Global Organization of Feminists with Disabilities, USA
Ms Judy Heumann, World Bank, Advisory on Disability and Development

Saturday
9:00 - 10:30
Rio 3
Keynote Plenary Session

Today, homelessness, militarism, environmental degradation, and disease are widespread in affluent countries as well as in the developing nations of the world. Certainly many people are aware of these problems; yet too few are aware of the disproportionately devastating effects they have on the lives of women and children. In creating environments for people to enjoy long, healthy, and creative lives, designers committed to social justice must understand the complex ways in which development, environment, and housing policies and practices discriminate against women globally. The panelists who will be invited to join this plenary session - women from diverse countries with recognized expertise - will analyze these intersections from a multidisciplinary, multicultural perspective, and discuss the various roles that design professionals can play in redressing injustice.

Accessibility Issues in University Environments: How Unicamp Faces the Challenge

Participants:
Ms Lucia Reily, Cepre/ FCM, Brazil, Moderator
Ms Elisabeth Gasparetto, Cepre-Unicamp, Brazil
Ms Deise Pupo, Unicamp, Brazil
Ms Silvia Carvalho, Cepre Unicamp, Brazil
Ms Rita Montilha, Cepre/ FCM, Brazil

Thursday
4:25 - 5:05
Rio 2
Plenary Session

This panel presents challenges faced by the community at Unicamp and strategies engendered on various fronts to make for an accessible campus. We briefly review relevant legislation and show data on the incidence of special needs on campus and the service of adaptation of entrance examinations for candidates with special needs. We demonstrate the administrationfs efforts to correct various accessibility barriers our team had pointed out in the School of Medicine buildings and surroundings. We describe rehabilitation services offered those with low vision and blindness and present the Main Libraryfs accessibility project, focusing on digital inclusion.

Americans with Disabilities Act Design Guidelines - A Decade Later

Participants:
Mr David Capozzi, U.S. Access Board, USA, Moderator

Thursday
1:45 - 3:10
Rio 3
Plenary Session

The Americans with Disabilities Act established accessibility standards for the design and construction of virtually all buildings and facilities in the United States in 1991. The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) is one of the most comprehensive accessibility standards in the world. In 2004, revisions to this standard were finalized. Not only have revisions been made to various elements, new accessibility guidelines were also added to address judicial facilities, correctional facilities, playgrounds, and recreation facilities. Revised ADAAG includes harmonization with model building codes, and other updates to reflect changing technologies and new advances in accessible design.

Best Practices in Pedestrian Design

Participants:
Mr Steve Demos, Adaptive Environments, USA, Moderator
Mr Yoshi Kawauchi, Architect/Advocate, Japan
Mr Gustavo Partezani, Comissao Permanente de Accessibilidade (CPA), City of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Dr Avi Ramot, Israel Center for Accessibility, Israel

Other presenters to be added, including representatives from the U.S. Access Board and the Norwegian government.

Thursday
11:00am - 12:30pm
Copacabana
Plenary Session

A cornerstone of sustainable development in cities across the globe is to promote vibrant pedestrian-centered communities. Good pedestrian design supports not only ecologically and economically sustainable development but is central to social equity and sustainability. No single answer responds to local needs and conditions. Experts who have created solutions in very different parts of the world will share their stories and techniques.

Best Practices in Universal Design: A Comparative Study

Participants:
Mrs Betty Dion, ICTA Global, Canada, Moderator
Ms Marnie Peters, Betty Dion Enterprises Ltd., Canada
Ms Claudia Sanchez, ICTA Latin America, Colombia

Saturday
10:30 - 12:00
Rio 1
Plenary Session

This collaborative presentation will be presented by members of ICTA Global who will provide an overview of the process involved in the publishing of a Comparative Study of Best Practices in Universal Design, including the researching and retrieving of accessibility standards from around the world. Examples of innovative best practices in universal design will be presented for discussion. The presenters are from three different continents and have international experience in both the research, application and design of universal design.

Building New Tools for Teaching Inclusive Architecture

Participants:
Prof Regina Cohen, Pro-Access Group - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Moderator
Mrs Cristiane Rose Duarte, Pro-Access Group - Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Prof Beth Tauke, University at Buffalo - State University of New York, USA

Thursday
1:45 - 3:10
Copacabana
Plenary Session

This plenary will offer a cross-cultural parallel models - Rio de Janeiro and Buffalo - of introducing concepts of the "other" and human diversity into university courses.

Beth Tauke will address the topic of "difference" in university general education courses. Specifically, it will examine a course entitled "Design and Diversity" that has been one of the required courses on pluralism at the University at Buffalo - State University of New York. The course introduces various types of diversity and their attendant design issues, and focuses on inclusive design. Specifically, the course concentrates on the ways in which our physical and media environments affect various populations and, in turn, the ways these populations have affected our visuals, products, and environments.

Regina Cohen will describe her Architecture and Urbanism course that intends to develop of an holistic view towards built spaces. She'll illustrate with some examples from her didactic experience in a discipline at FAU/UFRJ. The results of this pedagogic instrument arise from the various methodological questions concerning the teaching of Architecture Design. Besides many other aspects we try to show the efficiency of dynamic learning methods which group theoretical teachings, simulations and accounts of experiences one has had as well as a frequent and intense designing activity.

Certification and Quality Labels

Participants:
Mr Francesc Aragall, Design for All Foundation, Spain, Moderator
Mr Jim Sandhu, UK
Ms Annamari Lammassaari, KONE Corporation, Finland
Mr Sergi Pastor, Applus, Spain

Friday
2:00 - 3:30
Rio 2
Plenary Keynote Session

Presenters:

• Francesc Aragall (Moderator), President, Design for All Foundation, Spain
• Eduardo Alvarez, ISO/TC59/SC16-CT143/COPANT/UNIT, Architect, A&A-Accesibilidad y Arquitectura, Uruguay
• Jim Sandhu, UK
• Sergi Pastor, CEO, Applus, Spain

Introduction: Certification and Quality to Speed Up Accessibility Processes in Developing Countries
Mr. Jim Sandhu, Principal, Inclusive Design Research Associates Limited, UK (Conference Co-Chair)

International Accessibility Standards
Eduardo Alvarez, ISO/TC59/SC16-CT143/COPANT/UNIT, Architect, A&A-Accesibilidad y Arquitectura, Uruguay
An inclusive physical environment intended to be universal, effective and sustainable, requires synergetic and TECHNICALLY SUPPORTED actions.
Scope examples: Municipal Admainistration of Montevideo, Uruguay agreement with the Uruguayan Institute of Technical Standardization, Inter-American Development Bank guideline development, Certification Uruguayan Institute of Technical Standardization/ICTA Latin America.

Corporate Social Responsibility and Design for All: Experience with 20 Companies
Mr. Francesc Aragall, President of the Design for All Foundation
To achieve real changes in our society regarding Design for All, the involvement of companies is necessary. To totally guarantee the commitment of companies, the Design for All objectives should be compatible with the companies’ economic ones. The Design for All Foundation runs the Commitment to Design for All projects, which consists of supporting companies in finding new opportunities for business by using Design for All as a strategic tool. From these opportunities, companies follow a process that progressively increases their Social Responsibility towards consumers, employees, suppliers and the environment. Examples of good practices and success stories will be presented.

A Global Certification Scheme to Guarantee Accessibility in All Sectors
Mr. Sergi Pastor, Applus C.E.O.
The design of products and environments suitable for as many individuals as possible with no need for adaptation or specialized design, as proposed in the “Design for All” (DfA) concept, requires quality, design and pricing standards in keeping with products for mass consumption.Mr. Pastor presents the accessibility certification scheme developed by Applus +, along with its advantages, for four different areas:

• Construction and urbanism
• Transportation
• Machines
• Information society

Applus +, a member of the Agbar group, is the first Spanish multinational firm in the field of certification. Its head offices are located in Barcelona, Spain.
As a member of the “Design for All Foundation,” Applus + has implemented the philosophy of this organization and the concepts present in most organizations that work with the elderly, disabled, consumer and professional associations: respect for diversity, ethics, solidarity, sustainability and defense of individual rights and equal opportunity.

Designers with Disabilities at Work: Building a World Fit for People

Participants:
Ms Elaine Ostroff, Adaptive Environments, USA, Moderator
Ms Regina Cohen, Research Center on Accessibility and Universal Design, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ms Taide Buenfil, Oficina de Representacion para la Promocion e Integracion Social para Personas con Discapacidad, Mexico
Mr Yoshi Kawauchi, Access Project, Japan
Mr Jorge Falcato, Camara Municipal de Lisboa, Social Affairs, Portugal
Mr Marcelo Guimaraes, Center for Universal Design, NCSU, USA

Other session participants to be confirmed.

Saturday
2:30 - 4:00
Rio 1
Plenary Session

Meet with other designers with disabilities from all over the world to participate in a moderated discussion with members of the International Network of Designers with Disabilities. More than 50 designers and design students are members of the Network, interacting through an e-list. Learn how designers with disabilities are changing both design practice and design education, are influencing the universal design of products, places and information, and are encouraging younger people with disabilities to enter the design professions. Consider joining the Network. For more information, see Access to Design Professions . Interested colleagues, friends and family of Network members are also welcome.

Disability Leaders Working Inside Government: Strategies, Assets, Challenges

Participants:
Ms Sandy Matava, Suffolk University, USA, Moderator
Ms Taide Buenfil, Oficina de la Presidencia de la Republica de Mexico, Mexico
Mr David Hanson, City of Chicago, USA
Mr Edison Passafaro, City of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mr Andrew Shipley, City of London, UK

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Rio 3
Plenary Session

There is a growing wealth of expertise among managers in government with responsibilities related to accessible environments who are also people with disabilities. In a number of places, they are also articulating a vision of universal design. The panelists will offer examples of specific projects that exemplify their goals. They will also assess the advantages and disadvantages of being a person with a disability on the inside of policy making.

From Barrier Free Access to Universal Accessibility: Best Practices and Guidelines

Participants:
Ms H.M. Chan, Architectural Services Department, China, Moderator

Thursday
4:25 - 5:00
Rio 2
Project

According to the household survey conducted in 2003, the elderly population in Hong Kong is on the upward trend and the percentage of total population with the age of 65 and above was 11.7%. The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government encourages community care and integration. With these two initiatives which coincide with current philosophy in "Universal Designh, notions of diversity in design and caring for people of all ages and abilities are promoted. The intention of this paper is to increase awareness of universal accessibility issues and initiate innovative design towards a more accessible and sustainable environment.

From Seniors' Habitat to Universal Design

Participants:
Mr Eduardo Frank, Estudio S+F, Argentina, Moderator
Ms Norma Sharovsky, Estudio S+F, Argentina

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Flamengo
Plenary Session

Senior architecture is much more than a habitat without barriers. It is not the result of applying a catalogue of forms and recipes, or the design of orthopaedic spaces which reinforce the exclusion model.

The designing must be handled taking into account the individual needs, from an inter-disciplinary approach, and within the frames of Universal Design and Health Promotion.

In this period of great change, it is important to develop an advanced foresight enabling new developments related to this reality. In order to create solutions to new problems and at the same time, to generate opportunities for the design professions.

Government Policy Initiatives

Participants:
Mr Abhishek Ray, Matrika Design Collaborative, India, Moderator
Ms H.M. Chan, Architectural Services Department, Hong Kong

Friday
10:30 - 12:00
Rio 1
Plenary Session

The big idea of creating places that anticipate and welcome everyone across the spectrum of age and ability becomes meaningful at the city scale. Public policy is a key to communicating expectations and making it work. Presenters from disparate parts of the world will describe their experience with public policy related to inclusive design and explore the assets and risks.

How to Stop the Train After Itfs Left the Station: Diary of the Construction of a Bridge

Participants:
Mrs Shirley Confino-Rehder, Shirley Confino Interiors, USA, Moderator

Friday
9:00 - 10:30
Flamengo
Plenary Session

What do you do about a pedestrian bridge that many pedestrians will not be able to use, after construction has started?

This presentation will discuss the saga of the Calatrava Bridge designed for the City of Venice. Using PowerPoint participants will travel to Milan to hear from the architects and petitioners, to Venice to understand the site and design, and be brought back to Rio to learn the process of negotiations that will result in a perfect example of Universal Design. The participants will learn how voices can be heard around the world and can create change.

Implementing Access Through Universal Design in Five Brazilian Cities: Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte

Participants:
Mr Eugene Williams, board member, Adaptive Environments, USA, Moderator
Mr Edison Passafaro, Comissao Permanente de Acessibilidade--Sao Paulo, Brazil
Mr Humberto Lippo, Governo Municipal de Porto Alegre, Brazil
Ms Veronica Camisao, CVI-RJ Centro da Vida Independente-Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Ms Ana Paula Crosara Resende, Cidade de Uberlandia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Ms Sandra Fernandina Fagundes, Governo Municipal de Belo Horizonte, Brazil

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Rio 2
Plenary Session

Representatives from the five Brazilian cities recognized as the most advanced in implementing access through Universal Design will present the strengths and weaknesses of their city's approach. Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte have developed unique approaches based on social and physical geography, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the relationships between access advocates and municipal government, particularly in the area of enforcement. Panel presentations will be followed by discussion of the follwing questions:

• What works?
• What doesn't work?
• Can a model be developed from a synthesis of experiences?

Inclusive Strategies in Higher Education

Participants:
Ms Marie Trottier, Harvard University, USA, Moderator
Mr Avi Ramot, Ph.D., Israel
Ms Lucia Reily, Cepre/FCM, Brazil
Ms Kathleen Mallon, Ph.D, Community College of Rhode Island, USA

Friday
2:00 - 3:30
Rio 3
Plenary Session

A key to equal employment opportunity in the 21st century depends upon the ability to contribute and compete in knowledge economies in jobs that most often require at least some college or university training. What has been true for some years in the developed nations is each day becoming a more important proportion of work and opportunity in the majority world. As is true for everyone, access to higher education for people with disabilities opens doors to opportunity. Panelists will describe their experience with transforming universities to be more welcoming to people with disabilities. They will touch on the changes in both the physical and technological environments that can benefit everyone.

Inclusive Voting Strategies

Participants:
Ms Deborah Lisi-Baker, USA, Moderator
Mr Singanapalli Balaram, Institute of Design, India
Mr Jim Sandhu, Inclusive Design Research Associates, Ltd., UK

Thursday
1:45-3:15
Arporador
Plenary Session

Voting is the core civil society activity in democracies. The inability to participate almost guarantees a marginal social role. Attention to the design of the physical space for exercising this basic right, combined with the extraordinary opportunity offered by technological innovation, can ensure a new baseline of equal opportunity through design. The panel will explore guidelines for the design of voting places, the extraordinary experience of the 2004 Indian election in which 800 million people voted electronically and the potential as well as the risks and benefits of "smart cards" in the European Union.

It Takes a School to Build a Community

Participants:
Mr To be Determined, CEFPI
Mr Alberto Treves, CEFPI, USA
Ms Renata Mattos Eyer de Araujo, Centro de Vida Independente do Rio de Janeiro (CVI-Rio), Brazil
Mr Ronald Fanning, AIA, REFP, Fanning/Howey Associates, Inc., USA

Friday
9:00 - 10:30
Rio 1
Plenary Session

The quality of a school building has a direct bearing on the economic vitality and livability of a community in every society. Well planned, high performing, safe, healthy, sustainable schools foster student achievement and serve as centers of community. The school building essentially serves as the learning center for the entire community, whether in a developed or developing nation. All community members should be involved in the process of designing, building, maintaining and supporting the educational program. The presentation will analyze one of the most significant factors in community building: the building of a school. We will examine case studies, explore various concepts and ideas, demonstrating how the community can participate and benefit from a comprehensive school project., strengthening the community's sense of identity, coherence and consensus.

Japanese Experience Toward Accessible and Usable Built Environment: Lessons for the Developing Economies

Participants:
Prof Satoshi Kose, Shizuoka University of Art and Culture, Japan, Moderator
Mr Yutaka Takamine, The University of the Ryukyus, Japan
Mr Singapalli Balaram, Institute of Design, India

Thursday
1:45 - 3:15
Rio 1
Plenary Session

In Japan, legal enforcement has not played a major role in making the built environment accessible and usable for a long time. It was rather the mix of recommendations and economic incentives that proved to work so far, particularly for housing design with emphasis on designing for the ageing society. The lesson from Japan is that economic incentives of some kind must be in place to make the requirements effective. Without requirements it is very difficult to persuade people, but without incentives people are reluctant to move.

Kansai Rosai Hospital Garden, Sharing the Experience in Every Way

Participants:
Mr Yoshisuke Miyake, SEN inc., Japan, Moderator
Prof Fusayo Asano Miyake, Institute of Natural and Environmental Science, University of Hyogo, Japan

Friday
2:00 - 2:40
Copacabana
Plenary Session

The physical design is important in universal design, but it is not the only thing to be considered: a system that makes the design work all the time is important as well, especially when it is designed with natural elements as in landscape architecture. This project is to create a universal design hospital park to provide healing through natural elements to various people, including the patients, their family members and the staff, and to organize the operating system to promote the use of the park. In this session, we will introduce several designs as well as plans for education and maintenance of the space, including volunteer education.

Learning to Construct a More Inclusive Society Through the Practice of Universal Design Projects

Participants:
Mrs Marta Dischinger, UFSC, Brazil, Moderator
Ms Vera Helena Moro Bins Ely, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil

Thursday
2:20 - 3:00
Rio 1
Plenary Session

The inclusion of all citizens in the Brazilian society is a very present question that is being undertaken on different levels. Organized movements, greater social concern and new laws and regulations are some of important conquests of the last 10 years. However, many other actions are still needed to implement Universal Design actions and to change the daily life of persons possessing some form of disability. We present in this paper two educational Universal Design projects that had concrete repercussions towards the construction of a more inclusive society in Brazil.

Now that We Can Get In, How Do We Get Out? - Fire Safety in Buildings

Participants:
Mr C. J. Walsh, FireOx International, Ireland, Moderator
Ms Betty Dion, ICTA Global, Canada
Ms Marnie Peters, Betty Dion Enterprises, Canada

Friday
9:00 - 10:30
Arporador
Plenary Session

An Interactive Fire Safety Workshop

Presentation A
PROTECTION FROM FIRE IN BUILDINGS
Health can no longer be described as the absence of disease or infirmity, but as a state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing (WHO). The word 'safe' on the other hand, meaning simply un-injured or out of danger, when used in the context of the protection of people from fires in buildings, is entirely inadequate to properly describe the correct fire engineering design objective, i.e. that during and after the process of independent evacuation to a 'place of safety', or partial evacuation to a 'place of relative safety', or protection in place, the health of those people involved, including fire fighters, should be assured.

Notwithstanding the fact that different types of legislation have existed for many years in all of our countries which require that buildings be accessible for people with activity limitations, a lack of purposeful resolve on the part of controlling authorities at national, regional and local levels has ensured that, even today, countless barriers to that accessibility are still being erected in the 'built environment'. Furthermore, however, the lack of comprehensive technical guidelines on protection from fire in buildings has resulted in the creation of a far more pervasive form of barrier to 'equality', and 'inclusion' into the economic, cultural and social life of communities.

This presentation will examine recent thinking at international level, a fire research project in Sweden using elevators for evacuation during a fire, and some long-term impacts arising from the WTC Incident in New York on 11th September, 2001.

Mr. C.J. Walsh, Ireland
Chief Technical Officer, FireOx International
Member, CIB Working Commission 14 : Fire

Presentation B
FIRE FIGHTER TRAINING
As the world has come to realize the need for a universal design approach to the creation of the built environment, accessibility requirements have been introduced to building codes. With the introduction of these technical specifications for accessibility comes the responsibility to ensure that evacuation is equally addressed. It is no longer acceptable to simply design to allow access for all people, including those with activity limitations. One must ensure that all the systems are in place to enable everyone to get out safely.

There are a number of elements that must be included: the actual design of the facility; an evacuation strategy and procedures in place; and practising the procedures. Another element is the ability of fire fighting personnel to effectively respond to evacuation of people with activity limitations.

Training of fire fighters is also a very necessary component, and a Model Program from Canada, produced in consultation with Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJ's) and Fire Fighters, will be reviewed in this presentation.

Ms. Betty Dion, Canada
President, Betty Dion Enterprises
ChairPerson, ICTA Global

Offices for the 21st Century

Participants:
Mr Robert Kaye, Equity Office, USA, Moderator
Ms Melody Roberts, IDEO, USA
Mr Dai Sogawa, Universal Design Research Cimmittee, JFMA, Japan
Mr Jon Sanford, Workplace RERC @ Georgia Tech, USA
Ms Susan Szenasy, Metropolis, USA

Friday
9:00 - 10:30
Rio 3
Plenary Session

Knowledge workers have become the norm in developed nations and are expanding in actual numbers and proportion worldwide. Office design represents an opportunity to shape environments that minimize impediments to work for people with disabilities and older people. They also offer opportunities to consider the ways in which design can enhance performance. But are we making the most of what we know? The session will consider issues of the interface with green design and human health and well-being in offices, ergonomics, technology, lighting, acoustics and the configuration and allocation of space.

Social Inclusion: An Urban Development Rationale for Societies in Conflict

Participants:
Dr Riadh Tappuni, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia, Lebanon, Moderator

Friday
Rio 1-3
4:00 - 5:30
Keynote Plenary Session

Urbanization is a most challenging problem facing nations today. Unless cities prepare to meet its demands, the social consequences could be detrimental to the well being of lower income and less fortunate groups. The case of the countries of Asia and the pacific, demonstrates this point clearly. all the population increase of the 1st quarter of this century, which is close to one billion people, will be absorbed by urban areas. This will be coupled with an increase of the over 60 population from 9.3% to 15.5% of the total. This demographic pressure will be compounded by an increase in the cultural and ethnic diversity of cities due to national and international migration.

Present day urban development poses major challenges to the planner. Development in economic terms is usually expressed as economic growth; to architects it is often the physical development of the urban fabric and the cityfs infrastructure. But what is at the heart of the citiesf development is its social context as expressed and assessed through their social capital.

The exclusionary quality of a city is imbedded in its socio-economic and physical forms, being presented here as a complex network of stratified systems. Urban slums are an extreme case of stratification where a section of the community is economically deprived, socially contained and physically isolated. From a social point of view, urban community stratification indicates a form of exclusion; a negative measure of the cityfs social capital. Progress in technology, particularly transportation and communication, enabled the rich to live far from the slums. This fragmentation of society was accentuated when households were able to afford being further apart, all leading to an erosion of social capital. Exclusion, corruption, fragmentation and denial of rights often result in conflict, transpiring into physical confrontation. Reconstructing cities after the devastation of civil unrest is a task that is considerably more complex and difficult than conventional city development.

Social inclusion cannot achieve its full potential without an urban environment that is physically inclusive. This can be especially difficult in traditional and old cities, where human movement is substantially hindered, and accessibility is hard to achieve.

Over the past thirty years, the city of Beirut went through staggering transformations. It shifted from its 1974 status as the vibrant cosmopolitan east Mediterranean city to a state of utter destruction in the late nineties. Beirut has now completed 14 years of its reconstruction age, a process that was led by a political evolution and stability, paving the way for a social contract. The physical reconstruction of Beirut had its institutional foundations in the early nineties, with the beginning of the construction work around 1994.

Ten years on, the Beirut Central District can now boast an up to date infrastructure and a reconstructed building fabric that retained the visual character of the old district. Through good planning decisions, the BCD became the hub of leisurely and touristic activities, achieving a level of accessibility that is unparalleled elsewhere in Lebanon.

The BCD experience emphasized the importance of confluence of Political will by the decision makers, public awareness of the significance of inclusive design, suitability of guidelines and legislation to the local environment, feedback from the field, and the participation of the beneficiary groups.

Universal Design Practices in the Japanese Corporation

Participants:
Mr Kei Tomioka, Toshiba Corporation, Japan, Moderator
Mr Yoshihide Yano, Fuji Heavy Industries LTD., Japan
Mr Hitoshi Kanamori, Toyota Motor Corporation, Japan
Dr Naotsune Hosono, Oki Electric Ind., Japan
Mr Masakazu Hosoyama, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd, Japan
Mr Yasuaki Takamoto, Fujitsu Limited, Japan

Special Half-Day Plenary Session Coordinated by the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD)

Friday
9:00 - 12:00
Rio 2
Plenary Session

I. Opening Keynote Address
9:00 - 9:30

Kazuo Toda, Executive Vice President, Matshushita Elecectric Industrial Co., Ltd., IAUD, Japan

• Reading of a Greeting from Prince Tomohito, Patron of IAUD
• Opening Remarks

II. Universal Design Practices in the Japanese Corporation
9:30 - 12:00

The International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) was founded inheriting the philosophy and the accomplishment of the "International Conference for Universal Design in Japan 2002", with the participation of a variety of individuals, organizations, and enterprises in Japan in different industries and kinds of business. Through further popularization and realization of universal design, we seek for the establishment of the foundations of a society in which more people will feel comfortable to live. We also believe that widely disseminating universal design from Japan throughout the world could contribute to the improvement of the welfare of all humankind.

This special session was planned in the belief that discussing the practices of universal design and the results it has achieved with many people is extremely significant for the further development of universal design. At this session, six companies, Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd., Fujitsu Limited, Oki Consulting Solutions, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, and Toyota Motor Corporation that are IAUD affiliates will present their engagement with universal design, and some important issues and challenges related to practicing universal design will be discussed.

Web Accessibility and Design: A Failure of the Imagination

Participants:
Mr Bob Regan, Macromedia, USA, Moderator

Thursday
11:00 - 12:30
Rio 1
Plenary Session

This session examines the relationship between web accessibility and design. Accessibility is often viewed as a limitation on creativity and design. For most designers, accessibility equates with boring, uninteresting designs. The state of accessibility on the web today represents a failure of the imagination. Accessible sites don't have to be boring. Boring sites do not have to serve as models of accessibility. Perhaps one of the greatest limitations on accessibility today is that the sites we hold up as models of accessibility are boring. We have yet to bring the power and creativity of the design community to bear on the challenge of accessibility. This presentation looks at some of the most common challenges of accessible design. These include issues related to navigation, layout and typography. Examples of various strategies as well as common practices will be presented.

Web Accessibility: A Foundation for International Cooperation and Local Implentation

Participants:
Ms Shawn Lawton Henry, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), USA, Moderator

Friday
2:00 - 3:30
Rio 1
Plenary Session

It is vital that the Web is accessible for people with disabilities, given its increasingly key role in education, employment, commerce, and government. This presentation explores:

• existing accessibility guidelines for Web sites, browsers, and authoring tools;
• strategies for harmonizing advanced international accessibility guidelines for Web sites, browsers, and authoring tools;
• material to help develop local support for Web accessibility, including: developing policies, promoting awareness, providing training, and evaluating accessibility of Web sites;
• opportunities for involvement in international Web accessibility efforts, including the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), an international forum where industry, disability organizations, accessibility researchers, and government develop consensus-based Web accessibility solutions.

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