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News and Events
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news | events calendar
News
[ go to the Americans with Disabilities Act news page ]
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Introducing the Establishment of the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) [ new ]
October 22, 2003
Information regarding the establishment of a new universal design organization in Japan.
[ Introducing the Establishment of the (IAUD) ] -
Waterfire Providence: Accessibility Update
Waterfire Providence, an award winning sculpture that is installed on the rivers of downtown Providence, has been a very popular event that has been drawing huge crowds for many years. Unfortunately, people with disabilities have always had a difficult time in enjoying the full effect of Waterfire due to the large crowds that gather along the rivers and the cobblestone surfaces on the river walks. Recent changes will allow greater participation in the event by people with disabilities.
[ Waterfire Accessibility Update ] -
Videoconference to Promote Feedback to NIDRR
As a part of the development of the new long-range plan for the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), NIDRR is conducting a series of three national video teleconferences, June 18, June 25 and July 16, all from 2-5 PM EDT. It is our intent to promote wide diversity in those participating, geographically, by interest and by race and ethnicity.
[ NIDRR Videoconference Announcement ]
[ NIDRR Videoconference Background Information ] -
Verizon Service Offers Sign Language Basics
By Peter J. Howe and Hiawatha Bray, Boston Globe, 6/23/2003
Along with a growing number of time-killers and small-scale video games, Verizon Wireless has begun offering subscribers to its "Get It Now" wireless data service a new flash card-like service to help people learn American Sign Language, used by many deaf people.
[ Verizon Service Offers Sign Language Basics ] -
A Trend With Universal Appeal: Home Design Concept is Moving Into Mainstream
by Paul Restuccia, The Boston Herald
Recently Boston held its first full-fledged conference on universal design with an emphasis on affordable housing, but the concept is gaining ground among an increasing number of nonprofit and market-rate housing developers who want to build maximum flexibility into their homes.
[ read the complete article: A Trend With Universal Appeal ] -
Accessible Information Technology: A Practicum for Marketers and Program Managers
The Information Technology and Technical Assistance Training Center (ITTATC) will offer a 2-day, hands-on course on Accessible IT for Industry Marketers and Accessibility Program Managers on June 10 - 11, 2003 in Washington, DC. Participants will engage in hands-on experiences that build skills identifying usability and accessibility product features for diverse populations and techniques for promoting accessibility, including developing a business case.
[ Accessible Information Technology Practicum Information & Registration ] -
Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability
A new book by Paul Longmore
April 30, 2003
This wide-ranging book shows why Paul Longmore is one of the most respected figures in disability studies today. Understanding disability as a major variety of human experience, he urges us to establish it as a category of social, political, and historical analysis in much the same way that race, gender, and class already have been.
[ Why I Burned My Book and Other Essays on Disability ] -
Curriculum Transformation and Disability
April 30, 2003
The University of Minnesota General College's Center for Research on Developmental Education and Urban Literacy (CRDEUL) is pleased to announce the publication of a new book, Curriculum Transformation and Disability: Implementing Universal Design in Higher Education. The book is downloadable, free of charge, from the Center's web site
[ Curriculum Transformation and Disability ] -
Include 2003 Scientific Committee Salutes Elaine Ostroff
In appreciation and recognition of her leadership, personal dedication and groundbreaking work in developing and promoting the concept of universal design in the USA and beyond the Include 2003 Scientific Committee presented an award to Elaine Ostroff.
[ Include 2003 Scientific Committee Salutes Elaine Ostroff ] -
New Design Awards Program - Call for Entries
Excellence in Universal Design - Great Places Fit for People
April 1, 2003
This is a new design awards program sponsored by Adaptive Environments, Inc., an educational nonprofit organization, in collaboration with the Boston Society of Architects and the AIA New York Chapter. This program is a celebration of Adaptive Environments’ 25th anniversary.
[ New Design Awards Program - Call for Entries ] -
Course on Third Age Architecture: "From the Elderly Adults' Habitat to Universal Design"
April 1, 2003
Within the field of activities of the CESCA - Architects' Central Society Studies Centre, the CEDU - Universal Design Studies Centre, has organized the Post grade Course on Third Age Architecture, "From the Elderly Adults' Habitat to Universal Design", under the direction of the architects Norma Sharovsky and Eduardo Frank, from 1st thru 31st August 2003 at the Architects' Central Society.
[ detailed information in MS Word format ]
[ detailed information in MS PowerPoint format ]
[ detailed information in Spanish on the CEDU web site ] -
Declaration on Universal Design Business (Japan)
March 19, 2003
At the conclusion of the Nikkei Universal Design Business Forum, held in Tokyo on February 24 and 25, 2003, participants collectively embraced the ideas set forth (in this Declaration). In addition to the Declaration, there is also a short animated film that illustrates the benefits to companies that incorporate universal design principles into their business practices. The film was created by Dai Sogawa of the Universal Design Consortium in Japan.
[ go to the declaration and animated film ] -
Universal design leaders win ACSA Awards
March 17, 2003
Elaine Ostroff, founder of Adaptive Environments, and Dr. Edward Steinfeld, founding director of the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA), were honored Saturday by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture at its annual meeting.
[ read the complete announcement ] -
MAGpie 2.01 Released
NCAM Press Release, March 13, 2003
Version 2.01 of the Media Access Generator (MAGpie) — free, do-it-yourself captioning, subtitling and audio-description software for digital multimedia developed by the CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) — is now available to download at http://ncam.wgbh.org/webaccess/magpie/.
[ read the complete press release ] -
Section 508 Standards Now Available in Other Languages and Additional Alternate Formats
Recognizing the international interest in access to information technology, the Board has posted on its website translations of its section 508 standards in Spanish and Japanese. The Board also enhanced the range of available alternate formats by a adding a text-to-speech version of the standards that can be downloaded from its site.
[ read more ] -
Bush Appoints Alpha One Employee to U.S Access Board
Alpha One Press Release
President George W. Bush this week announced his intention to appoint Denis Pratt of Kennebunk, Maine to the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) for the remainder of a four-year term. Denis is currently an Architect and Accessibility Specialist with Alpha One, based in So. Portland.
[ read the complete press release ] -
Tech Advances Narrow Digital Gap for Disabled
By Maggie Jackson, Boston Globe Correspondent, 2/16/03
The yawning digital divide for people with disabilities is starting to close, thanks to an explosion of advances that gives them better access to mainstream technologies and provide the tools necessary to succeed in the work force.
[ read the complete article ] -
Chicago School to Create Exercise Technology Center
Club Industry, January 2, 2003
University of Illinois at Chicago researchers will use a $4.5 million grant to help make recreation and fitness activities and programs more accessible to people with disabilities.
[ read the complete article ] -
Voluntary National Standard for Accessible Digital Instructional Materials to be Developed
The U.S. Department of Education has awarded $199,911 to the National Center on Accessing the General Curriculum (NCAC) at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in Wakefield, Mass., to develop a voluntary national file format for the electronic transmission of instructional materials for students who are blind and students with other disabilities.
[ read the complete article ] -
W3C Finalizes Disability Guidelines
By Paul Festa, CNET News.com, News.com
Bringing a five-year project to a significant milestone, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) finalized guidelines for building browsers and media players that work better for people with disabilities.
[ read the complete article ] -
Defining Accessible and More
By Barbara Ballinger Buchholz, Chicago Tribune
January 26, 2003
A brief discussion about accessibility, visitability and universal design with regard to homes.
[ read the complete article ] -
Kennedy Hopes Accessible Site Leads Way
By David Becker, New York Times
January 21, 2003
Sen. Edward Kennedy's office unveiled a revamped Web site recently, one of the first congressional sites to fully comply with federal laws requiring accessibility for disabled users.
[ read the complete article ] -
Expanded Access
By Barbara Ballinger Buchholz, Chicago Tribune
January 26, 2003
The design concept known as "visitability" could open more homes to people with disabilities.
[ read the complete article ] -
Elaine Ostroff to Receive Honorary Award from the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA)
Elaine Ostroff, Founding Director of Adaptive Environments, has been selected as a recipient of the 2003 ACSA Honorary Award. All ACSA Award winners for 2003 will be recognized in the March 2003 ACSANEWS and presented at the 91st ACSA Annual Meeting in Louisville, Kentucky, March 14-17, 2003.
[ read more on the ACSA web site ] -
NEC Foundation of America Refines Funding Priorities
Press Release
Melville, NY, January 21, 2003
NEC Foundation of America today announced that, effective with its proposal deadline of March 1, 2003, its sole focus will be on technology for people with disabilities.
[ read the complete press release ] -
Upcoming Online Course: Designing Universally Accessible WWW Resources for People with Disabilities
This non-credit course is being offered by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It will run from February 18th to April 17th, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00-5:00 p.m. (Central Standard Time). The course is designed for web content developers to learn about the disability access issues faced by people with disabilities in using the web and how web resources can be designed to improve accessibility.
[ visit the course web site for detailed information ] -
World Wide Web Consortium Issues User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 as a W3C Recommendation
Press Release, 12/17/02
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has issued the User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 (UAAG 1.0) as a W3C Recommendation, representing consensus among developers and the disability community on accessibility features needed in browsers and multimedia players used to access the Web. A W3C Recommendation indicates that a specification is stable, contributes to Web interoperability, and has been reviewed by the W3C Membership, who favor its widespread adoption.
[ read the complete press release ] -
New "Save America's Treasures" Guidelines
Applications must be received by March 20, 2003.
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) recently published new "Save America's Treasures" guidelines and application forms. The materials will be available Tuesday, January 21 on the Endowment's Web site in the Applications & Grant Forms section. You can also download Microsoft Word versions of the guidelines and application here:"Save America's Treasures" supports the conservation or preservation of nationally significant collections, intellectual property, sites, and structures. The program has awarded millions of dollars to arts organizations over the past four years. Support has been provided for a variety of projects, such as conservation treatment of American paintings; documentation of important 20th century American dance works; re-mastering of previously unavailable American silent films; and appropriate climate control and storage facilities for cultural treasures from Hawaii to Appalachia to New York City.
[ more information on the NEA web site ] -
Fair Housing Accessibility FIRST Program
Design and Construction Resource Center
Adaptive Environments, in collaboration with Bearing Point, Inc. (formerly KPMG Consulting) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), is providing design and construction technical assistance on the Fair Housing Act of 1988.
[ more information ] -
Guía de Adecuaciones para el Hogar
(Guide for Home Adaptation)
A Spanish language guide for people who want to evaluate and/or modify their homes for accessibility. This book was based in part on Adaptive Environments' own publication, A Consumer's Guide to Home Adaptation. It was developed by Teleton, a nonprofit organization in Mexico City, Mexico. There is a PDF version of the book available for free on Teton's web site. For additional information (in Spanish) visit Teleton's web site.
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