#universal design

[virgosimulator]

My boyfriend shared this post with me and as an Accessibility Studies Minor (literally was so niche and new the major didn't exist until after I graduated), I just have to respond. (and I am so excited to do so!)

I’m going to have to play this game, even if it's not specifically about disability, because it’s so exciting to see someone actually doing disability theory work. I know disability scholars are out there, but our community is fractured and so pushed underground it's very hard to connect. I so often only see opinions about disability written exactly as OP says, black or white. Good guy vs Bad guy. And most often by people who do not identify as disabled, or are disabled and are only drawing on personal experience (which is great, but there's much more to consider!)

I am most passionate about Universal Design which is a field of study that…almost doesn’t exist it’s so niche, despite the fact that it concerns itself with everyone. I wanted to move across the country (America) to join the only Universal Design lab in the world (general, NOT UD for Education, which there is a lot for), originally created and run by the author of the Universal Design manual, Ronald L. Mace (he died 1988). Unfortunately, it had shut down just a few years before I even encountered the phrase "Universal Design." (I just googled it but couldn't find a date, I believe it closed in 2010 but I don't know that for sure.)

In any case, one of the core tenants of Universal Design, the core issue it seeks to resolve, is that all people have conflicting needs. In class we often talked about this in terms of one type of disability vs another (sensory vs mobility, for example), but really it’s ability vs ability. Sidewalk safety is a good example as curb cuts (where sidewalks slope downward to meet with the road usually between pedestrian intersections) are 100% necessary for people using wheelchairs, however they can be challenging for people walking on foot who have low mobility. They can also be dangerous for blind persons. Some added accomadations have been a bumpy texture to let blind people know by touch that the sidewalk is sloping, bright caution yellow paint for people with low vision. However, if these curb cuts aren’t maintained properly, especially with added bumpy textures, something could happen like when I was in highschool a girl flipped her motorized wheelchair onto herself because the curb cut was too steep and the road. Instead of being a benefit to everyone, it probably killed her and her accident could have caused a corresponding car accident.

And, by nature of expressing how disability (and some accomodations) can be bad for everyone, OP is also alluding to the truth that accessibility options have the potential to help everyone. You do not need to be “unable to work” to have a different set of abilities and needs from another person. Trying to design a universally accessible world is actually limited by thinking of it in terms of “disability.”

I didn't have a point to this really, I was just so excited to share some of my education with people who might actually be interested. Oh, some might be happy to hear it does appear there is a non profit called RL Mace Universal Design Institute which is keeping his work alive, thank goodness. Perhaps I will reach out and see if they have any education or research opportunities.

something I don’t get about the disability metaphor is that for eureka monsters obviously it harms another person to eat them. the help a disabled person needs doesn’t actively harm or kill another person. Maybe it’s a difference in perspectives that cannot be resolved

(What I’m about to write could potentially sound very fucked up at first so I’m going to need to trust everyone to read the whole thing before forming an opinion.)

Also this message and response references these two posts.

Eureka’s stance on disabled people is that they (including myself writing this) are, or at least can often be, burdens.

Disabled people often require more resources to live than they are able to “give back,” which, in our capitalist and artificial-scarcity-based economy, is just about the worst thing a person can do.

Anti-ableism sentiment often focuses on the idea that “disabled people aren’t burdens, that they’re just as good and capable as everyone else,” but if they were, they wouldn’t be “disabled” would they? When you say stuff like that, you’re conceding that a person’s worth is determined by how capable they are at doing work, and then having to bend over backwards to justify thinking that a person without arms is just as valuable as a person with arms. Eureka is asking you to decouple a person’s value from how much net resources they can produce.

Often times also, the resources that real disabled people consume are human resources, and those human resources are very much capable of suffering for it. Nurses are overworked, around-the-clock care is absolutely physically and mentally exhausting, people who have to care for their elderly or otherwise disabled relatives on top of their regular jobs don’t get to have social lives or hobbies, etc.

To this end, we wrote the monsters in Eureka to be unquestionably people who “cause damage” to society by literally eating up human resources, because they have to to live, they have no other choice unless they want to just die. Your friend is gone from your life because he has to spend all his free time caring for his comatose wife after a freak car accident. Your friend is gone from your life because a vampire randomly ate him. Providing a metaphor isn't all the monsters are doing, they just work well through that lens.

And then Eureka forces you to look at these people as people, and make up your mind as to whether they have value and a right to prologue their own existence. We can’t force you to agree that they do, but if you think they don’t, then you’ll have to make that argument looking at an intelligent person with a life rather than a pure hypothetical or statistics on a chart.

There are some monsters in Eureka where, if the economy or societal structures were changed, they would stop being such severe drains on resources and could exist harmlessly within society, and there are some monsters where no imaginable amount of societal change would solve the problems they cause. This is true of disabled people IRL as well. Some of them would require no further assistance with living if certain things about society changed, and others would still require a massive amount of human resources.

And even when it’s not necessarily human resources, the extra resources that disabled people need also cause huge energy expenditure and create huge amounts of plastic waste, which are things that contribute to global warming and pollution, which do have significant harmful effects on everyone’s lives. Despite this, they are still “worth it” to keep around.

As for actively causing harm, that happens too. I randomly scrolled past this post after we got this message and saved it so I could link it here.

This person and their family had to cause a big stink in a restaurant just to get an accommodation that they needed, and to us reading it from their perspective, we’re obviously on their side, but I can assure you that the overworked staff at that restaurant didn’t see it that way. They saw the disabled person as an aggressive Karen whom they would never in a million years want to have to provide customer service to. The disabled person & family had to get aggressive, and ruin the staff’s day, to get what they needed. That’s actively causing harm - harm we all agreed was justified to cause - but harm nonetheless.

Plastic straws aren’t that big of a deal for global pollution, but even if they were, the point is that this person still would have needed a straw. It doesn’t line up one-to-one, because metaphors rarely do, but a vampire asking if they can drink someone’s blood, and being told No, may find themselves in much the same position. (And if you bring up that some people find vampires really sexy, you’re missing the point. “I would give them a straw if they had sex with me.” is not actually a great thing to announce about yourself.)

I can also come up with an example from my own life. I personally am very sensitive to noise and noise pollution. If there’s music playing at a public space, I usually can’t handle it. (Earplugs don’t work for other reasons I won’t get into - plus, if I just deafen myself to all sound, how can I socialize with anyone in this public space?)

If I want to exist in this space, I will have to actively cause harm to everyone there, or else stop existing in that space. I will have to go up to whoever is responsible and ask them to turn off the music, actively taking it away from everyone else who was enjoying it. I have to take action to ruin their good time if I want to exist in that space at all, and they might, very understandably, be pissed off at me for doing that. Because, like I said in this other post, the people that monsters eat do have a right to prevent themselves from being eaten by monsters. We aren't proposing that the solution is everyone has to line up to be mauled to death by monsters or else they're a bad person.

Who has a greater right to enjoy themselves in that space? That’s the kind of question that Eureka poses, and makes you consider both sides as human being rather than denoting one as just an ontologically evil villain to be destroyed.

We actually don't know of perfect solutions to all the problems presented by the existance of monsters in Eureka, we just know that "exterminate all people who are parasites and burdens to society" ain't it.

[a-little-revolution]

oh shit i’m aware! :0 happy October!

what sort of society wide structural accommodations would you like to see in place to help/make more accessible for little people?

Aaaaah this ask is so old now I'm so sorry!! (Things can get lost among all the hate messages lol) But gosh so many things!!

• The first is step stools EVERYWHERE!!! Public access to step stools would solve most of the problems little people face with access. I'm talking bathrooms, service desks, cash registers, libraries, clothing stores - the list goes on! They could fold away for easy access, or blend in as universal design.

There's even these amazing fold up ones I've seen that get automatically tucked away to prevent tripping hazards:

The second is for grab bars such as these (see bellow) for easier toilet access to be more widespread. It's important that toilets remain the height parallel with the average wheelchair, but grab bars can make it much easier for shorter people to hoist.

Public bathroom/change room stalls that go close to/all the way to the floor! As a little person, the average stall door ends at my waist (sometimes higher) so I am not guaranteed privacy. I much prefer stalls with minimal viewing access. And as a trans person, stalls that are more private create added safety.

I would love for extended grabbing handles to be standard practice in vehicles!

These would make getting in and out of cars much easier for a little person, not to mention elderly folks, children, and other disabled people. Extra foldable steps in cars is also something I've seen and loved.

Adjustable foot hammocks on public desks and tables would be sooo goood! A big source of leg pain for me is that my legs are dangling in every chair I sit in, which cuts off circulation and semi-dislocates my loose joints. Some sort of ledge or hammock would solve this issue.

I'm sure there are many more but this is what comes to mind for now!

-Elliot (they/them)

[heretherebedork]

The idea of universal design is wonderful and I hope it can only continue to gain traction as more people realize that it means making the world more accessible for everyone and that everyone includes themselves and the people they love.

[reasonsforhope]

"Greece is making hundreds of beaches wheelchair-friendly by installing the Greek-designed Seatrac system for wheelchairs.

The system is a free service that offers unassisted sea access to people with disabilities and mobility issues. It is an innovative, technological assistant that promotes autonomy, quality, and wellness in everyday life.

Speaking at a press conference on the project on Thursday, officials said that a total of 287 beaches across Greece will be fully accessible to people with mobility problems by introducing other essential facilities like parking, bathroom/changing facilities, ramps and corridors to sun loungers, and refreshment bars.

Officials said that 147 beaches have already undergone the necessary transformation to make them more accessible.

“Equal access to the sea is an inalienable human right,” said Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias, adding that the 15-million-euro project is being funded by the European Union and national resources...

Greece tries to become more wheelchair-friendly

Disabled people in Greece face the challenge that the country was not designed for people in wheelchairs. Even before uneven streets and steps were created, the topography of the country was rocky and mountainous.

The country has made great strides for disabled persons’ ease of movement and access since the 2004 Athens Olympics.

It recently placed concrete in some pathways of the Acropolis despite opposition from archaeologists.

“It’s a crime to wound the Rock, because it’s a monument,” architect Tasos Tanoulas said at the time.

According to the Ministry of Culture, the cementing of certain areas was part of a project to help people with mobility difficulties.

“The disabled, the elderly, people with various problems have the right to see and admire up close the Acropolis monuments,” a statement said at the time.

People with mobility issues hailed the project.

“We’ve been talking about disabled access to the Acropolis since the 2004 Olympics,” said Yiannis Vardakastanis, president of the Confederation of Disabled People.

“Now we can say that any disabled person in the world who wants to visit the Acropolis can do so,” he added.

-via Greek Reporter, 4/7/23

[intothestacks]

Why Should I Invest in Making My Library Age-Friendly?

1. If you’re a public library your job is to serve the entire public. Older adults are part of the public too.

2. Most changes that make a library age-friendly helps other groups of users too, such as those with disabilities, people who are short, people with kids in strollers, and pretty much everyone else.

[designleadershipcdnm]

Universal Design is Design Leadership

"An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design. "

Principle 1: Equitable Use

Principle 2: Flexibility in Use

Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use

Principle 4: Perceptible Information

Principle 5: Tolerance for Error

Principle 6: Low Physical Effort

Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Whereas traditional accessibility design creates design parameters based on the needs of a minority group/solely those with disabilities, the Universal Design #schema expands the #desideratum to include, well, everyone.

Ron Mace, the one who coined the term Universal Design, is a #design leader.

[gofundme-friends-of-addie]

Update on our GoFundMe page out NOW!!!⬇️⬇️⬇️

Thank you all SO much!!!

First and foremost, we want to thank everyone who has donated to the GoFundMe, and connected us with those who have helped make a true difference for Addie. This outpouring of generosity has been so beautiful to witness. Thank you. Here are a few exciting updates!

Thank you SO much to Marlin and Lisa at Plain Values Magazine for publishing the GoFundMe in their August issue! We are so incredibly grateful to have been featured, and for the opportunity to reach such a wide audience.

Thanks to the generosity of E-Sight, Addie will be sent the first new pair of glasses that comes out in the fall, and she currently has an excellent (and wireless!) pair she is using now.

Through the GoFundMe, we’ve been given access to some items that have been massively helpful while we search for long term medical purchases. Thank you to the folks who have been helping us get a foot (or rather a wheel) in the door with medical suppliers!

So far, we’ve managed to raise $24,480 thanks to the generosity of donations and the sharing of Addie’s story. Now we find ourselves filled with a much-needed hope for the hurtles ahead as we continue our fight by the Graf family’s side.

And finally, we have the next step. We have been given the opportunity to purchase an accessible van for Addie and Tricia. The dealership has been deeply empathetic and flexible to our needs. Thanks to that, they have generously agreed to give us a major discount.

However, we only have 21 days to keep the van & deal on hold, and reach our needed new goal of $65,000.

Thankfully, we are already a quarter of the way there! If we can come together and raise 40,000 more by the end of the month, we will be able to buy that van, and help Adeline explore the world more than she has been able to in years.

We hope you will continue with us on our journey by continuing to donate, share, and reach out for any help you may find.

Thank you again for everything!

[luckybyler]

Today on "Why Diversity Matters": Floorplans

I'm hyperfixated on floor plans: it's a combination of daydreaming about homes and playing Tetris. I look on Pinterest, play around on Floorplanner, and joined the /r/floorplan subreddit, which is where I realized U.S. people live in another world.

Someone posted a plan for a two-bed/one-bath rectangular home they want to build with a footprint of 730 sq ft (68 m2 in non-freedom units). Some of the feedback made sense, but some of it was baffling, like:

Just put a bar, a dining table with chairs won't fit.

2 bedrooms are too many for the area. Be realistic.

A second bedroom is too small because it only fits a single bed and not a queen (OP said he needed it for an office that could double as a guest room).

If you have to put the bed in the corner against a wall it's too small because contact with your body will stain the walls (which isn´t wrong, it's just...)

These are the plans for a 68m2/730 sq ft apartment in my country:

These are real apartments for sale, to scale, where actual families live. They have three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living, dining table, kitchen, utility area, office desk, and even a goddamn balcony! A family of 4 can live here somewhat tight, but with dignity. Now, this isn't rectangular like OP's plan, it's an apartment and not a house, I agree that this isn't ideal, and U.S. building codes are different. I would want more space too, but you can tweak this to fit what OP wanted:

Look! A floorplan with decently U.S. dimensions! Even a foyer with a coat rack! Dining/living/kitchen would be an open or semi-open concept, I just divided it to show it all fits. A U.S. couple or even a family of three could live here in comfort (I'm sure an actual architect or drafter could fit a studio desk space to work as a home office just in case). I'm not an architect, I'm not even good at this. But I have been inside places like this, so I can imagine them.

What if architects and hobbyists (and general public?) from the U.S. and other places where big spaces are the norm took a look at how others make things work every once in a while? Especially in the developing world, where we can't afford expensive, customized hi-tech solutions to our space limitations? Your homes would still be big (which is great), but maybe they would be fewer McMansions full of wasted space, less distressing solutions to housing crises in big cities, or a middle ground between the big house/tiny house dichotomy.

Now it's easier than ever to see how people make things work all around the world, how we live in small spaces, big spaces, awkward ones, and our different approaches and materials. Maybe we should all start taking the best from each other.

P.S.: In countries where homes are bigger: Why isn't accessibility / universal design the standard? If you have at least 430 sq ft/40m2 of floor space per person and that's not a given, it's basically a waste of space.

[mastermigraciones]

DC Metro Family Room

An illustration of a mid-sized transitional enclosed family room design with blue walls and a medium tone wood floor

[sarcatholic]

Keeping Covid-safe at school

I might have started my new academic admin job in August with the second-worst sinus infection of my life from a gd COLD (thanks, immune dysregulation!), BUT all the students are home now, which means I've successfully made it through my first semester ever without getting sick!

At the risk of jinxing myself before the holidays, I'm going to share with you what's worked for me, so you too can enjoy your holidays with minimal risk of infection.

1. This little buddy lives in my office:

He's a Blue 411 HEPA air purifier that I got on sale at Target for $80. Every 13 minutes it cleans the air in the whole (tiny) space. My school has pretty decent air quality to begin with, but this guy gives me an extra boost — especially because I see students in my office. (Bonus: he's unbelievably quiet!)

2. I wear one of these EVERYWHERE:

The only time they come off is outdoors; or in my office and I've been alone for 13+ minutes.

I wear 3M AURA N95 respirators in high-contact settings and during periods of high transmission on campus. They're the gold-standard and have an amazing seal for maximal protection and minimal glasses fogging!

In low-contact settings and when my facial eczema flares, I wear Kimtech duckbill N95 respirators. They're softer and more comfortable than the 3M AURAs, but the seal isn't the best.

3. I require students to wear some level of protection, which I have available in a bag taped to my door. Thankfully, school policy allows faculty and staff to set expectations for the spaces they control.

4. I could probably self-test more, but home tests are increasingly less accurate as the virus gets stealthier. When I do self-test, I swab my throat. They do this in Canada and it's a lot more effective than nasal only!

I've had a LOT of close calls this semester; students have, bizarrely, come in sick, even with my remote options. But, between aggressive air sanitation, high-level self-protection, and sheer luck, I've stayed well and I hope you can too!

Not getting sick 3x year has been life-changing and I don't ever plan to go back. As one friend pointed out, self-care is community care. The state doesn't keep us safe — we keep us safe!

[a-little-revolution]

I hope this doesn't come across the wrong way, I absolutely do not have the same or even nearly the same struggles as you do, but I am shorter than average (close to around 5 feet, but a bit shower) and I just found your blog and a lot of the disability accommodations you mention that could help little people feel like they would help me too! You actually brought up some things that could help you for accommodations that I wish I knew about sooner - I had no idea that things like the back cushions existed and I'm so sad I didn't know before! I'd love a back cushion! Well now I know! I'm going to get one! I've just been putting pillows behind my back all this time 🤣

Hello! Yes, in the disabled community this is known as universal design! A lot of access tools that help little people are beneficial for short abled folks as well! There's also lots of cross over with wheelchair users (i.e. bars on toilets, ramps instead of stairs, etc.). If something helps you, use it! The more demand there is for an access tool the more they're implemented, so hell yes to universal design!

I also want to say that there's no gate-keeping on this blog! It's fine if abled folk relate to my experience - all are welcome in the name of education!

[heretherebedork]

Glad to see the inclusion of the idea of universal design and why disability access changes so much for people. Gonna be interesting to see how they use it in a GL specifically about being able to lie to someone due to their disability but that's entirely beside the point. It is interesting to see this since Last Twilight really didn't talk about this much because Last Twilight was much more about the pain of loss that can come with disability while Pluto seems to be set much after the acceptance... though maybe not by much, it depends.

But I am glad to see universal design and disability (specifically the severity of a disability) being being based on society rather than the disabled person.

[alog4]

iPhoneにBIZ UDフォントをインストール

はじめてiPhoneにフォントをインストールした。選んだのは、BIZ UDPゴシック。目的はシンプル。Day Oneライフを、より満喫するためだ。 Continue reading Untitled

[stevviefox]

Exactly. AI and other technologies should be used for necessities. And be put to those who are disabled first.

Your wheelchair should be able to hold you safely if the ground becomes uneven and your in danger of tipping over. It should raise and lower and angle so you can go about your life with ease. It should have a kind side car that does dishes, laundry, cleaning and can go pick up your groceries.

Free people to do what they love.

[luckybyler]

I find this really funny too, but yesterday my mom fell off the hotel tub/shower and hit her head. I don't see a grab bar on this shower, so maybe the hole does indeed work for holding someone's hand (think an elderly or disabled person - or drunk person).