Universal Design: Your Kitchen

Please go to your kitchen, stand in the center, and ask yourself a question:

What simple changes would make this area more enjoyable for myself and others?

Keep your response simple, meaning that the changes you identify are nothing as expensive or labor-intensive as new counters, flooring, paint, or appliances. Open the cabinets. Look into drawers. Evaluate your workstations. Improvements will quickly come to mind, such as: Clean the drawer. Organize the cabinet. Put away, replace or toss such-and-such. Form your to-do list, but set aside any urge to act on it (you have enough to do).

As you do the task above, think about universal design in your kitchen. How accessible are the things you use most? What is difficult to do that might be made easier? Are there any accidents waiting to happen? How might lighting be better? Is there anyone who can't use parts of the kitchen? You’ll probably have an insight or an “aha;” perhaps something that has been on your mind was confirmed or maybe you considered a new viewpoint. Next, pause and ponder one possible change that you feel inspired to make. Can you do it today? If not, pull out a calendar and schedule it. If something needs to be bought, jot it down on your shopping list. If something needs to be discussed with your spouse or a professional, start a kitchen journal where you keep track of the topics of conversation. Refer to the elements of a universal design kitchen not just for this one action but for any changes you intend to make in your kitchen, big or small.

As your kitchen takes its steps toward being a better work environment, share your success with others. Go through other rooms in your home. Just look for the simple improvements, just pick one change, just do it ... and then enjoy it!


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
July 5, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: Geriatric Planning

I don’t really do something that we are all supposed to do: I don’t have a fire emergency plan for my home – not really.

I live in an attached-house part of town and know my neighbors, as do my kids. There’s a lots of people just a few doors up and down my block. A fire happens and we’ll be out front checking on each other – that’s the way it’s happened when there were other fires.

We also are loaded up with cell phones. I have plenty of smoke detectors and a few fire extinguishers. We all know the way out of the house and there are two exits to most parts of the house, even the basement. I’m attentive to these emergency plans but also winging it. I’ve thought things through but I’m also stumbling along. I have a lot of trust that things won’t go wrong. We’re all able bodied. If a school teacher were to grade me, I’d be a C+.

I should have a thorough assessment. I should have a plan. I should review it annually. I should do fire drills. I should share it with my neighbors. I should be at least an A-.

That’s fire. What about getting older? Same thing, but I’m not as prepared. Right now, I might be thinking about having enough cash and a suitable environment so that I can be mostly independent. Like the fire plan, I am basically in good shape – but not really on top of it. My geriatric plan is barely a passing grade.

What about 10-20 or 30 years down the road? I should begin to have a geriatric plan – at least a rough draft. What about nutrition? Medication? Household needs like laundry, shopping & cooking? Hygiene? What happens if my memory fades? Who is in charge of my legal matters? Paying the bills on time? Overlooking my driving ability? Who will help me get to my appointments or advocate for my well-being? Who will help me adapt my home to current needs? How will I stay social?

Like the fire emergency plan, the geriatric plan is a prudent endeavor. It’s pennies now instead of dollars later; it’s hours now instead of days or months later. It’s being ready or just hoping.

I’ll do both – the fire and the geriatric plan. The fire plan will go quick –sit down with the whole family, map it out, run a drill and correct any shortcomings. The geriatric plan won’t take that long either. What there is to do right now is have a financial plan: look at future needs and plan how to have enough.

"Old age is like everything else; to make a success of it, you’ve got to start young."
Fred Astaire




Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
June 25, 2009
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Universal Design: Living Large in the 70’s

See it in video: Living Large in the 70's

Ahh, the 70’s. Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, Vietnam, China and Watergate. What about Star Wars, disco, Atari and video cassettes? How about the New York City blackout, Son of Sam and Guardian Angels? A pretty amazing decade, but, I’m not talking about those 70’s. I’m talking about you and your seventies!

Becoming seventy is far away, maybe 10, 20, 30 or even 40 years off. When it comes, I’m sure you want to be living a great life. There are a few essential ingredients required for that decade to be great; one of them is your independence.

What will give you your independence in your seventies is not what gives you your independence today. The environment you live in will need to be different; you will have to ready it for your arrival. The good news is that there is nothing to invent and no mystery to solve – it’s already invented and solved. To prepare your environment for ongoing independence you need two words: universal design.

What is universal design? It is an approach to designing products and environments that doesn’t discriminate on the basis of age or ability. It means that a home, for example, can function equally well for a child, an adult, an elder or a person with a physical limitation either temporary or permanent. Right now, we don’t build homes that way; we build homes for one type of person, an able-bodied adult.

Universal design unlocks the gate to living large in your seventies (and many other decades of living) but it doesn’t overcome another rather large obstacle, your fear of aging. Ask me about my seventies and I get squirmy and try to change the subject. I don’t want to think about it. When I do, I don’t have positive associations. I think of slowing down, weakening strength and failing body parts. Shudder! Planning for my seventies? Mañana!

Unfortunately, mañana isn’t a winning formula. Without planning, I’ll stumble into my seventies. I’ll have fewer options. I’ll be trying to stay afloat rather than living large. The question that emerges is, how can I get excited about taking actions today that won’t seem to matter for years?

There’s a trick.

Start by remembering an adventuresome vacation you took. There you were, time off from work, where to go? You did your research, talked to friends and voila, Costa Rica would be your destination! Step two was to hone the plans: what hotel, what flight, what activities, etc. Finally you put your money down and booked the trip. Excitement bubbled within; you were going to Costa Rica! Did you walk into work the next day all ho-hum? No, you couldn’t wait to tell friends and co-workers about your forthcoming trip! After work, did you just head home? No, you hit the stores and bought snorkeling gear, a fishing rod and some suntan lotion. Hardly a day passed without some excitement and preparation for the trip.

It’s the same for your seventies. The only thing that’s different is the destination. Much like the vacation, there is a chunk of time in your future that’s open and can be planned as you see fit. Begin by imagining what you want it to look like. This is an important step. As you imagine your seventies, be unreasonable. Let nothing hold your imagination back. Be vivid. Be unbridled in your creativity. If you have an idea and it doesn’t excite you or put a smile on your face, cross it off and imagine something else. Keep going until becoming seventy couldn’t happen soon enough.

Good questions to ask yourself during this stage are: Who am I? Am I rich in wealth? Am I rich in spirit? Am I rich in love? Do I live in a warm climate or a cold? City or country? A big community or a small one? Near family or far away?

As this picture of yourself in your seventies emerges, map it out. Write it in a journal, collage it or make a scrapbook of ideas. With a clear picture of your seventies that makes you excited, we now need to work toward the present – is there an action you could take today? Steps toward the present will be large at first and as we get closer to the present, will become smaller. The end of this journey will be the present, and, in this present, you will be clear on an action to take that will bring you toward living large in your seventies.

Let me walk you through it using myself as an example. Don’t ask me why, I’m a New Yorker, but, I have a thing for Montana. I want to be in Montana for my seventies. I’ll have an apartment in New York and will visit frequently. I’m still married to my wife and we have a joyous vibe that attracts lots of visitors. The house is on the North Fork in the Bitterroot – lots of trout. I have a big porch that faces west, and, I can drive from the land onto the porch and into the house with my rugged ATV-ish scooter. For some reason, that picture of seventy excites me.

Working toward the present, at age sixty, I got to have things pretty set up so that ten years out I’m living this dream. I’ll be familiar with Montana having visited for long periods. I’ll be members in local clubs and have my first few friends. I’ll know where I want to live and be ready financially to purchase land and a home.

Jumping toward the present another ten years, what do I got to have at fifty so that that vision at sixty is ready? I need to be building equity, I’ll begin visiting Montana regularly, I’ll be in my peak earning years and kids will be all educated freeing up additional capital to set aside.

I’ll jump again toward the present but in a shorter time jump, five years. At 45, what do I got so that the vision at 50 is ready? I’m building my value at work, I’m owning or buying some of that equity that’s gonna grow and I’m raising a family. What about one year from now? I’m finishing my research on being seventy in Montana. How about three months from now? I’m in the middle of my visioning and research. And how about right now? Right now, I’m beginning my research. Right now, I’m Googling universal design and thinking about being seventy in a whole new way.

If at the beginning, I asked you, “What are you doing today so that being seventy is gonna be great?” You might have squirmed, said you had an IRA and changed the subject. Instead, you have a new answer, Google universal design resource and start forming an idea of what you’ll need to keep the independence you love.

Wow. Living large in the seventies is possible. When you get there, it will be ready for you. Your independence will be as present as it is today. Opportunities won’t diminish, they’ll continue. Sure, it will all look different. But best of all, you’ll still get to be you.


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
June 12, 2009
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Universal Design: Are Home Improvements UD?

An blog was written, The Best Return on Home Improvements. “Oooo!” I emphatically exclaimed, anxious to read about maximizing the value of my home. If you notice, I was hooked by an opportune distraction from my work. As I read the top 10 tips, I felt as if I was reading about universal design. Clean it up. Get rid of the clutter and the old and worn. Increase light. Fix broken things. Patch floors and walls. In brief, have it work and have it look nice. That’s a great starting point. Your home will become a pleasure, not an inconvenience. Your life will improve.

Eager for another top 10, I found, 2008 Cost vs. Value Report: Still Many Happy Returns for Home Rehabs. I saw improvements that favored low-maintenance, natural light and updated functionality.

Finally, I looks at shelter mags and what do I see? All the contemporary styling is open, wide, spacious and filled with light. Humm. Maybe we’re more universal design than we realize.

PS: A video clip about planning your own 70's:
"Living Large In The 70's"



Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
June 12, 2009
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Universal Design: New Baby vs. New Elder

A bit of a rant today:

It’s getting to be years ago that I was looking at bookshelves filled with books on having a baby, bringing a baby home, what to do with a baby when it’s home, what to expect next; what it’s expressing and when, how-to this and that. Then the parents, and what they are going through and how they can handle it. I still see that bookshelf at bookstores, how could I not? It’s one of the bigger shelves in the store.

But I go now in search of a different book. It’s the one on bringing an elder into my world, not a baby. Forget finding it on a bookshelf. I have to go to Amazon. Why? There are so few books written on this topic. If I help a parent move closer to me or maybe into my home, there’s no psychologist there to hold my hand and guide me along the way. There’s no medical book like the pediatric ones that tell you no honey until age 1. There’s no book telling me how to make my parent’s new home “elder-safe.” There’s no info on how to prepare for the transition and how to make the move itself.

The beginning of life has as many concerns and hurdles as does the end of life. One just seems to us as a bit more optimistic and less fearful. This is a call out to authors and professionals to start writing these books. The market will be there when your book arrives. Occupational therapists – you know the whole world of concerns of what ailment needs what environment to have a person comfortable and successful in their daily routines. Psychologists – tell me how I’m going to decompress when things get rough; how can I love my parent when it gets hard? Builders – tell me what I need to have in their new home. And doctors – tell me how to find a new range of specialists in the new neighborhood; tell me how to have a smooth transition from one practitioner to another.

For you authors who take this on: one of you will write “the” book on this topic. One of you will be on Larry King. One of you will make this bringing of an elder into our lives something we can do without all the fumbling. I look forward to your success.

PS: A video clip about planning your own 70's:
"Living Large In The 70's"



Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
June 5, 2009
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Universal Design: 10 Simple Home Improvements for Seniors

Are you 55 or older? What would be the simple improvements to make your home get you another ten years of usability?

AARP does annual surveys to assess the desire to age in place, and the means which people are employing to do so. This annual survey, in its fifth year, looked at who made what improvements and what was the benefit. 70% did at least one modification that made it easier to live at home. Half of them believe the simple modification will make living at home longer possible, adding as much as 10 years to the livability of their home. The 30% that did not make any improvements to their home cited physical and financial limitations.

The home improvements cited most frequently were:

1. Levered doorknobs.
2. Grab bars in bathrooms.
3. Levered faucets in kitchen sinks.
4. Handrails on both sides of stairwells and on front and rear steps.
5. Grab bars in showers; removal of any door threshold.
6. Movable shower heads for those who must sit.
7. Portable shower seats.
8. A bathroom with a bath/shower as well as a bedroom on the first floor.
9. Widened doors to accommodate wheelchairs.
10. Ramps for those using walkers and wheelchairs.
    

And who can stop at just one top 10 list? Here’s another that lists the main improvements to reduce chances of falls, the #1 killer for seniors - yes #1!. From AARP’s CDC report:

10 steps to make home a safer and more comfortable place:

1. Install handrails on both sides of all steps (inside and outside);
2. Secure all carpets and area rugs with double-sided tape;
3. Install easy to grasp shaped handles for all drawers and cabinet doors;
4. Use brighter bulbs in all settings;
5. Install nightlights in all areas of night activity;
6. Add reflective, non-slip tape on all non-carpeted stairs;
7. Install lever handles for all doors;
8. Place a bench near entrances for setting down purchases and resting;
9. Install closet lights, as well as adjustable rods and shelves;
10. Install rocker light switches; consider illuminated ones in select areas.
    

What are you waiting for? Get to work!


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
May 28, 2009
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Universal Design: A White House Disability Agenda

"We must build a world free of unnecessary barriers, stereotypes, and discrimination.... policies must be developed, attitudes must be shaped, and buildings and organizations must be designed to ensure that everyone has a chance to get the education they need and live independently as full citizens in their communities." -- Barack Obama, April 11, 2008

Below are key points from a White House disability progress report:

1) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act included a number of provisions of particular concern to people with disabilities.
--- The Act included $500 million to help the Social Security Administration reduce its backlog in processing disability applications.
--- The Act supplied $12.2 billion in funding to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA);
--- The Act also provided $87 billion to states to bolster their Medicaid programs during the downturn; and,
--- The Act provided over $500 million in funding for vocational rehabilitation services to help with job training, education and placement.

2) The President signed the Christopher and Dana Reeve Paralysis Act, the first piece of comprehensive legislation aimed at improving the lives of Americans living with paralysis. The Stem Cell Executive Order, March 9, 2009: (read the remarks) (read the executive order)

3) Strengthen Access to and Improving the Quality of Health Care President Obama has placed comprehensive health reform at the top of his domestic policy agenda. This means providing all Americans with stable and reliable access to quality and affordable health care. He will work with Congress to build on what works—including strengthening Medicaid and Medicare, programs that are of particular importance to people with disabilities.

4) Promote Access to Community Living Services Too many people who need assistance with activities of every day life are faced with a difficult choice. They can move into a nursing home and face safety and quality of care problems or risk injury or death by staying in the community without adequate services to take care of personal needs. The President believes that more can be done to encourage states to shift more of their services away from institutions and into the community, which is both cost effective and humane.

5) Protect Civil Rights The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a landmark law that has done much to protect people with disabilities from discrimination. However, President Obama will push for more consistent and effective enforcement of ADA, which can do more to prevent discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations and telecommunications.

6) Expand Educational Opportunities President Obama supports educational opportunities for people with disabilities and will expand funding for programs like the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act (IDEA) that ensure all Americans have access to the tools to succeed.

7) Increase Access to Employment President Obama is committed to expanding access to employment by having the federal government lead by example in hiring people with disabilities; enforcing existing laws; providing technical assistance and information on accommodations for people with disabilities; removing barriers to work; and increasing employment opportunities for people receiving public benefits.


My own comments? PHEW! The historical trajectory shows that disability rights are the access point for a wider discussion on universal design to come in the future as our population faces the first impacts of an aging society. The dialogue, shut down by Obama's predecessor, is once again open. Did I say, phew!


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
May 21, 2009
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Universal Design: Welcome to SATH!

Welcome to SATH, the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality. Founded in 1976 and presently led by Stuart Vidockler, SATH is an educational nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to raise awareness of the needs of all travelers with disabilities, remove physical and attitudinal barriers, to free access and to expand travel opportunities.

So why do disability travel opportunities matter to you? Maybe the better question is why doesn’t it matter to you? Or maybe you haven’t asked the question in a while and now remember traveling with a temporary disability and the added complications. I am sure your compassionate self believes in equal travel opportunities, but then your brain gets involved and comes up with arguments like cost, inconvenience and mistaken assumptions.

SATH is here to dispel outdated beliefs and put in their place a new reality that illustrates the benefits when travel is available for all. SATH educates and advocates. They work hard to coordinate industry efforts. They field media questions. They post news updates. Best of all, they are here for you. They are a clearinghouse of information and can help you skillfully navigate disability travel whether you are travel agent looking to enter a new market (hint-hint – lucrative opportunity), a hotel or transportation service, or a consumer.

Disability travel and universal design are partners in a better world that works for everyone. Awareness and a demand for inclusive design are necessary to bring about these shifts in design over the next years; the money is there (see below).

Begin by visiting the SATH website. Questions not answered in the site can be emailed to Jani Nayar who will generously assist you.





TRAVELERS WITH DISABILITIES COULD SPEND $27 BILLION PER YEAR, SAYS NEW HARRIS INTERACTIVE POLL.

The Open Doors Organization in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA) and the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH) released a landmark study on the spending trends and market scope of U.S. resident travelers with disabilities. The study, conducted by Harris Interactive, polled 1,037 people with disabilities. The major findings of this groundbreaking study were released on January 16, 2003 at the 7th Annual SATH World Congress in Miami.

The study suggested that people with disabilities could spend at least $27 billion per year, if certain needs were met. These include a "meet and greet" at airports and preferred seating as top issues for the airlines while lodging issues include the need for rooms close to amenities and staff members that go out of their way to accommodate guests with disabilities. People with disabilities spent $13.6 billion on 31.7 million trips in the past year. The modifications suggested by the survey could increase expenditures by people with disabilities by 100% per year.

In 2001, the airline industry saw $3.3 billion in spending by travelers with disabilities, resulting in 52,800 jobs created to provide services for people with disabilities. The lodging industry saw $4.2 billion in spending and 60,000 jobs. The study also suggested that people with disabilities could at least double their spending generating $6.4 billion for airlines and $8.4 billion for lodging if the needs of travelers with disabilities were addressed. Currently travelers with disabilities generate a total of 194,000 travel-related jobs, $4.22 billion in payroll and $2.52 billion in tax revenues in the U.S.

The study was conducted to measure general travel behaviors including how often people with disabilities travel, with whom they travel, how much they spend while on the road, the mode of transportation and accommodations used, and on which sources of information they rely to make decisions. The study provides information that travel industry and related businesses will find invaluable as they seek to stem large losses following the terrorist acts of 9/11/01. The upside potential for both the economy and the travel industry is highly significant. TIA participated in the study in a consulting capacity, advising in the questionnaire design and validating the study and its findings against TIA's substantial market and economic research resources for the U.S. travel industry.

The Open Doors Organization is a not-for-profit corporation founded for the purpose of teaching businesses how to succeed in the disability market and to provide direct support to people with disabilities. The organization creates comprehensive programs and services that offer training and consultation and market statistics to both the public and private sectors.


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
May 14, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: Website Under Construction

The Universal Design Resource website is undergoing revision! When created, my intention was to raise awareness and provide information. For the revision, I have structured a tiered approach: First is a facelift using today’s technology making it easier for you to participate by either finding what you are looking for or by submitting your own material. Universal design is not so much a destination but rather a dialogue; the new UDR website will support that. Second will be networking opportunities similar to Facebook and Linkedin. The final tier will be a wiki-style knowledge base. In all levels of development, I will strive to meet the needs you expressed in the survey (which you can still respond to).

Here’s a quick glimpse of UDR Version 2.0:
--- More and better organized material for those who are researching universal design for their projects including internal search engine.
--- Focus on meeting the needs of professionals.
--- Courses, links, photos, hot topics & news and problem/solution forums.
--- Professional networking opportunities; marketing, codes, database.
--- Reading lists and resources.
--- Clean, intuitive look.

UDR website has an expected launch in late July. Until then, keep the feedback coming through comments at this blog, the survey and UDR email.




Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
May 7, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: “Time” To Do It Right, Part II

On the April 13th post, I looked at the impact of time on design. Five hundred words were insufficient. I have since expanded the article and given it as a brief speech. Below is an abstract followed by links to the video and the article itself.

Abstract:
Time was measured by nature until late 13th century when machines began to successfully measure time. Since then, time has marched forward measuring shorted intervals and with greater accuracy. We now measure attoseconds, one quintillionth of a second. The impact on design is a shift from qualifying it by some other measure such as scale, to doing in on time. For new and beneficial results in design, we need new measures, and, we need to turn off the clock.

The Impact of Time on Design (YouTube)
“Time” To Do It Right (PDF)



Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
April 30, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Anne Wiesen: The Restorative Garden, Healing by Beauty

The restorative garden can be as simple as a well-situated pot of healthy sage at a window-sill or as sublime as a cathedral forest. It’s how we respond to a garden that makes it restorative. Are there gardens that are universally restorative? Gardens that evoke a healing response in each and every one of us? I believe so.
I’ve learned that the most restorative of gardens are those that embody “nothing less than the entire universe” – to borrow from Luis Barrigan. To me this means, the whole universe of human experience is present: from the basic requirements for our biological survival to the complex processes that reveal the breadth of human emotion, thought and spirit.

The well-situated pot of sage sits in my friend Susanna’s* window. This restorative garden is spare, simple, provocative and beautiful. Just sage, in a large urban front window. It’s there for anyone walking by to appreciate. Susanna’s cultivation and placement of sage gives me pause, draws my gaze, stimulates my thought, and elicits quiet experiences of wellness and marvel. Noticing the darkened soil of the freshly watered plant I feel a curious satisfaction, and completion. Freely circulating air above and around the living sage reminds me to breathe in it’s oxygen and I feel gratitude for my ability to do so. I realize my attention on the garden has shifted my mode of thinking. It’s not that I am momentarily distracted from my busy life. Instead, I have momentarily returned to what is essential for human life: the plant world, all the bio-chemical processes that support it, and the care of a thoughtful steward to transform these processes into nourishment and care. No wonder then, that a single well-cared for plant carries a universe that we experience as beautiful.

Gardens that reveal the nourishing forces of nature re-enforce our experience of beauty and wellness at multiple levels, with myriad benefits. At our simplest, in our common humanity, and consciously or not, we are all evolutionarily prepared to be nourished by a restorative garden.


* Susanna is a restorative artist, therapist and interfaith minister (2010). Her practice, Creating Space, is to reveal nature’s essential potency and beauty and to help us reveal the same in our selves.



Anne Wiesen is an ethnobotanist and garden advocate who runs the NYC based non-profit, Meristem. Meristem provides educational resources for architects, designers, urban planners, and community activists to create restorative gardens that promote ecological, individual and community health.

Order your copy of: Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-being Through Urban Landscapes. Published by the US Forest Service, the volume is multidisciplinary compendium of 19 authors inspired by the Meristem 2007 Forum with a foreword by Dr. Oliver Sacks. No charge.

Meristem, Inc. Information about restorative gardens, including a database of studies supporting nature’s role in human health, and to contact the author.

It has been a pleasure to have Anne Weisen bring her appreciation of nature and her commitment to our having it always present to this blog; thank-you.

Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
April 24, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: Nature & Urban Gardens

Stepping back from a focused view on universal design, I see that there are other ways to achieve an environment that disappears the effects of many conditions that would otherwise be considered disabling. What is it and how is it possible?

A new and beautifully illustrated book, Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-Being Through Urban Landscapes, not only values that calming experience we all feel after time spent in nature, it looks at how to bring nature back into our urban settings. As Oliver Sacks says in the introduction, this non-pharmaceutical therapy works because it seems to satisfy a deep and necessary biological craving for nature.

This book consists of eighteen articles, informal dialogues, with an emphasis on the urban settings in and around New York City. Topics covered include human health and well-being, civic stewardship, design, lessons learned and ongoing questions. Best of all, for a limited time, the USDA Forest Service is making this free both as a hard copy and as a pdf. Don’t miss this engaging and inspiring book!

Use these links to get your copy:

Restorative Commons: Creating Health and Well-Being Through Urban Landscapes

USDA Forestry Service publication details
USDA Forestry Service book chapter details
Book in pdf form (save a tree)
A one-page pdf flyer



Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
April 17, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: “Time” To Do It Right

I was struck by an article by Dr. Dr Sunil Bhatia in that way when a subject just doesn’t leave you alone – it kept popping up in my thoughts. Dr. Bhatia created and runs the Design For All Institute of India and publishes a monthly newsletter. He recently wrote about the invention of the measurement of time and its impact on human life; click here for the pdf article.

Long ago there were no means to measure time beyond the sun, moon and seasons. One can imagine that to be present in the moment might have been easier. Today, being present seems impossible; our gadgets ply us with constant interruptions. We are always managing what was, and planning what will be. Hardly ever are we simply present. We jump so much between past, present and future that it actually appears as if there really is such a thing as time – as if there is anything other than this very moment.

How did this shift occur? How did we move from a timeless human existence to one measured by time? We tracked the planetary motions, discovered the pendulum, built big clocks and finally made tiny ones that are portable. Time became noticeable and measurable for everyone. Once measurable, there would soon be either too much or too little. This shift in awareness made time seem as real as the earth we stand on.

With this measurement of time came awareness in our notions about yesterday and tomorrow, last month and next month. Notions about too long or too short appeared because we have a precise measurement device – gone was the pure sensation of experience: “That rollercoaster ride was too short,” rather than, “it was so exhilarating.” What disappears in a world ruled by time is our freedom to be present. Instead, our actions must adapt into a framework of time. If we do so well, we are considered efficient, a much valued attribute in today’s world. But in doing so, we traded away a simple key to happiness. No longer do we do that which is simply better for us. No longer do we take the time we need to do something right. We squash ourselves into time, we budget time and we are slaves to time.

Do you disagree? On your next activity, take the time you need to be present as you work and to work in a means that produces happiness for yourself and those who will experience the results of your efforts. Time says get it done rather than do it right. As a paradigm, the era of time consciousness has revealed its consequences. Much that is awry in our world is so as a result of the clock. As we move into an era of universal design, it will bear similar fruits if we are unwilling to get it right rather than on time. It is time to put aside the clocks and to focus who we are when we do what we do and the impact our caring will have. Such a consciousness will result in greater compassion and thoughtfulness. The rushing about will gone and in its place will be richer and more rewarding lives. This is a result of placing our values on experience, not how long it took.


Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
April 13, 2009
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Universal Design: A Reading List

I recently received a call from someone seeking building specifications for universal design. She wanted to know heights, distances, widths, brightness, etc. I humbly told her that I’m not the spec guy. Those are codes and in the USA, codes are local, very local. Not only do you want to meet your local laws, you want to insure that every area of compliance has been covered. This often includes local ordinances specific to community developments, neighborhoods and even block associations and historic districting.

I did tell her that universal design was an approach, a philosophy, an attitude and even an open dialogue in it’s supporting and designing the ways we build our products and environments. I pointed out that although she was building to suit the needs of a family member in a wheelchair, that she had to also design for herself. It wasn’t either/or, it was both/and. She understood quickly.

Below are a few articles about universal design. My wish is that they inform and inspire.

1) A Brief History of Universal Design, by James L. Mueller & Ronald L. Mace,1998. History, accessibility, legislation and the demographics of universal design by two of its creators.

2) A Brief History of Disability Rights Legislation in the United States, by Poly Welch & Chris Palms, 1995. It seems so simple when looking back, but the history of disability rights tells of a powerful fight that produces so many of the civil rights that followed.

3) Livable Communities: An Evaluation Guide (pdf), by Mary Kihl, Dean Brennan, Jacqueline List, Neha Gabhawala, Parul Mittal, May 2005. Thinking about relocating or making your present community more livable? Looks at transportation, walking, shopping, housing, health services, recreation and culture.

4) World in the Balance, Voices of Concern, by Paul Hewitt, 2004. Is world population exploding or imploding; understand the perspective on how different country’s populations are aging.

5) Lighting for Universal Design (pdf), by Patricia Rizzo, 2007. Understand your eyes, color temperature, lighting efficiency and circadian cycles. Then learn how to integrate lighting for desirable results.


To those who generously gave their time to a survey designed to make the Universal Design Resource website better, big thanks! Your answers were thoughtful and provided much guidance. For those who didn’t take the survey, have a look at both it and the website. I will be up through the remainder of April.

Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
April 3, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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Universal Design: The 8th Principle, Part II

In last week’s post, Universal Design: The 8th Principle, Part I, I departed from the more frequent discussions about how we physically “fit” in our environments and looked at the emotional landscape we have as a result of being perceived and judged as fitting in or not. Here is Part II:

Judgments form the foundation of our daily decision making, and are informed and adjusted by the present situation. Driving a car is a useful example: you learn the skills needed to drive, yet every road is different and requires immediate judgments for the situation at hand. Judgments are also received without question by us from our parents and the cultures we live in. One example is height.

Our judgments of height subtly tell us that tall is better, tall is more powerful, and tall is more authoritative. Shorter political candidates struggle with this perception and constantly seek adaptations to equalize the influence of height over voter perception. Herein lies the essence of an eighth principle, can we build in a way that reduces or eliminates those judgments? Can our environments and products allow us to appear more equal to others, reducing or eliminating biased perceptions, than the way we presently design them?

In December, 2008 President elect Barak Obama announced members chosen to be on his green team. I watched the press conference and saw something unusual as a result of a rare camera angle. When it was Nancy Sutley’s turn at the podium, the camera shot switched from the rear of the room to the side of the stage. Ms. Sutley is quite short. I watched as President Elect Obama moved forward and using his foot, nudged a stepping stool into position for her. The gesture was personal; they shared a glance that was endearing and which acknowledged the caring forethought. Seen from the camera at the back of the room, one saw nothing other than one person turning over the podium to another.

With these extra inches to stand on, she presented her speech in no way marginalized by her shorter physical stature. Without these extra inches, she would barely peer over the podium, or, would have stood to its side, an action that would have unfairly singled her out from the other speakers and induced judgments base solely on physical stature.

By recognizing that it is in our nature to be judgmental and that environment influences the judgments we make at every moment, I assert that in addition to the seven principles that equalize the mechanics of a physical environment, we can add a principle that calls attention to the emotional ones.

Here would be principle eight:

8. Principle Eight: Perception of Equality –
The design minimizes the possibility of an
individual being perceived as unequal.



Konrad Kaletsch, CAPS
March 29, 2009
Universal Design Resource
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