Upcoming Event: Discussion On Universal Design - Thursday, November 29, 2007

The National Council on Disability (NCD) will conduct a panel discussion on accessibility and universal design at the Hyatt Regency Boston, One Avenue de LaFayette, Boston, Massachusetts, on Thursday, November 29, 2007, from 3:00 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Speakers include:

• Marylyn Howe, NCD Board Member
• Deborah Buck, Association of Assistive Technology Act Programs
• Larry Goldberg, WGBH Public Television
• Judy Brewer, Web Accessibility Initiative
• Valerie Fletcher, Adaptive Environments

Their remarks will be followed by a question and answer session.

In 2004, the National Council on Disability published "Design for Inclusion" : The New Marketplace (http://www.ncd.gov/newsroom/publications/2004/online_newmarketplace.htm), a report demonstrating how an accessible society can be accomplished through Universal Design. Universal design is a process to ensure that the built environment, including electronic and information technology, is inclusive, accessible, and usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. Incorporating universal design processes is one solution to accommodating people with disabilities that also improves the usability of the products for the rest of the population.

This panel discussion is part of NCD’s quarterly board meeting, which will be held Thursday, November 29, 2007, from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m.; Friday, November 30 from 8:30 a.m. until 3:45 p.m.; and Saturday, December 1 from 8:15 a.m. until 11:15 a.m. Public comment sessions will be held Thursday, from 4:30 p.m. until 5:00 p.m. and on Friday, from 1:15 p.m. until 1:45 p.m. A toll-free call in line will also be available to the public during those times. The number is 800-369-1120, and the pass code is NCD Council Meeting. There will be a reception at the hotel for all meeting participants, audience members, and people with disabilities from the community on Thursday afternoon from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

NCD is an independent federal agency composed of 15 members appointed by the President to provide advice to the President, Congress, and executive branch agencies. To carry out its purposes, NCD believes it is vital to hear from communities around the country on what works and what does not for people with disabilities. NCD members and staff are pleased to have the opportunity to visit Boston and learn firsthand about the experiences of people with disabilities from Massachusetts and the surrounding states.

For more information, please contact NCD’s director of communications Mark S. Quigley at http://www.mac.com/WebObjects/Webmail.woa/wa/DirectAction/emptyPage?&action=view&mids=5683# or by telephone at 202-272-2004.

Universal Design Model: The Museum At The Mill

Where the past meets the futue

I am involved in a very exciting Universal Design project at the "Museum At The Mill" with Katherine Honey, a judge in last year's Ms Wheelchair Massachusetts competition.

Katherine is the Director of the newly-refurbished Dodgeville Mill in Attleboro, which will be opening as the "Museum At The Mill" in February, 2008. Her emphasis for the museum is on merging the past with the future, while preserving America's cultural, architectural, and environmental heritage. She has several goals that are focused on inclusion for people of all abilities, including:

• showcasing the elements of Universal Design
• presenting the variety of ways that people express creativity
• illustrating adaptive re-use of historic, land & waterway preservation
• incorporating people with disabilities in the museum's Design Center and Exhibits
• focusing on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) development initiatives to support effective leadership

I am currently collaborating on a joint exhibit with Adaptive Environments, Inc. that examines the evolution and adaptive uses of the wheel.

Stay tuned for updates...