Bathroom Talk

Let’s face it. For those of us with spinal cord injuries and many people with mobility impairments bathrooms and bodily processes come up more often in our conversations than is the national average. The Best Little Outhouse in Town! An award-winning universally designed public restroom outside Bangkok, Thailand.  Read More →

Open Letter to José Manuel Barroso from the European Disability Forum

Open Letter to José Manuel Barroso, President of the European Commission: Brussels, 22 April 2008 Dear President, It is with great satisfaction that I am writing to you, following public announcements made by your services that a proposal for a European directive fighting discrimination against disabled people will be proposed to the College of Commissioners at the end of June as part of a comprehensive ‘Social package’. This is the best response that you, together with Commissioner Vladimir Špidla, could give to the ‘1million4disability’ campaign that EDF has led over last year, and... Read more »

Skype presenta un servicio de videollamada para sordos (Spanish)

Madrid. (EFE).- Las personas sordas podrán comunicarse a través de una aplicación de videollamada on line de alta calidad que se ha presentado hoy por Skype y Logitech en la Asociación de Sordos de Madrid. Más información sobre enlace www.skype.com Este sistema permite transmitir mensajes gestuales a cualquier parte del mundo descargando de la página web de Skype el software que permite establecer la comunicación de manera gratuita. Sólo será necesario contar con un ordenador con conexión a Internet, el software de Skype y la vídeo cámara de alta calidad de Logitech por el precio... Read more »

Talking Bus Stops

The e-government Awards in the UK recognize innovation. Talking bus stops in the Brighton & Hove City Council Sustainable Transport system won the award in 2007. http://www.publictechnology.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=15193&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0 In August 2007 Brighton & Hove became the first area in the country to introduce talking bus stops for blind and visually impaired people. Brighton and Hove City Council, in conjunction with Brighton & Hove Bus and Coach Company, have a well-established award-winning accessible... Read more »

Building Comfortable Environments for All Conference

“BUILDING COMFORTABLE ENVIRONMENTS FOR ALL” CONFERENCE May 15-16, 2008 Atlanta, Georgia CIB Conference Website CATEA is pleased to join the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building (CIB),the National Research Council, and the Construction Technologies Institution in organizing the Working Commission 084 “Building Comfortable Environments for All” to be held at Georgia Tech’s College of Architecture. Topic areas are related to Accessibility and Usability of the built environment, including: * Economic Issues of Accessibility * Harmonization... Read more »

Accessibility Means More Than Entry for Wheelchairs

This article from the Cape Cod Times explores disability and citizenship. You can read the whole article here. Every town on the Cape holds its town meeting in a location that at least meets the minimum standards to be accessible to voters who use wheelchairs. But town meeting venues aren’t always so accommodating for those who are visually or hearing-impaired. The article goes on to document a lack of awareness of accessibility requirements by towns in the area. With financial pressures to save money this is not a hopeful sign.  Read More →

Reatech Disability Expo

Reatech is a disability expo in Sao Paulo Brazil. This year there will be a significant contingent representing Inclusive tourism. Presenters on the topic will attend from the US, Argentina, Nicaragua, and throughout Brazil.  Read More →

Announcing the Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC)

I take his development to be a positive sign. This announcement was in my Inbox when I got home today: The Global Universal Design Commission (GUDC) is a new non-profit organization that has been established to promote the adoption of universal design. It is modeled after the Green Building Council which has played an important role in increasing adoption of sustainable design practices in the building industry. Our intent is to address the need for greater usability in buildings in response to many social trends, e.g. the aging of society, globalization and social diversity. Our first activity... Read more »

A Tool for designers to Simulate Disability

Reuters has done a story on the suit car designers use to to experience disability. See the full article but note this attention to market realities justifying Universal Design: Launched in a rapidly graying nation where over 40 percent of the population is expected to be over 65 age by mid-century… Over 40 percent of Nissan’s Japanese and U.S. sales are to customers over 50 years old, according to the company.  Read More →

Airline Services to Deaf Passengers

There is quite furor spreading through the Philippines, Australia, and Southeast Asia about the treatment of deaf airline passengers and rightly so. It is the slippery slope phenomenon affecting those with mobility impairments, service animals, oxygen needs, and other human with the normal range of abilities that this species comes with. Here is an articulate story - in American Sign Language. But don’t stop with the video read the active commentary documenting this phenomenon at http://www.seekgeo.com/?p=821Seek Geo  Read More →

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