Showing posts with label "independent living". Show all posts
Showing posts with label "independent living". Show all posts
Thursday, May 7, 2009
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
Universal Design Network at Facebook and LinkedIn
Monday, September 15, 2008
Universal Design: AARP's Life@50+
I would like to say that a conspiracy took place – at least there’s intention and action in a conspiracy.
At this year AARP Life@50+ annual convention in Washington DC, twenty-five thousand attendees left knowing as much about universal design as when they walked in (nearly none). I really doubt that this was AARP’s intention; perhaps, in all the excitement of pushing product and keeping the 50+ crowd entertained, it just was overlooked.
After walking miles of convention floor for endless hours, I was amazed by the complete absence of universal design as knowledge. There are a number of advocacy organizations, but none had a booth. Not the Center for Universal Design at NCSU, not Adaptive Environments from Boston, not TRACE from Wisconsin, not Universal Design Alliance, not IDEA at SUNY Buffalo, not Concrete Change, not the National Aging in Place Council, not the National Association of Home Builders and their CAPS (Certified Aging in Place) program nor the National Council on Independent Living, and, none of the manufactures or retailers who are committed to universal design such as Toyota, Lowes, Toto, Humanscale, or General Electric. Nothing. Not even a handout.
Here’s what could be at Vegas@50+ next year: Let’s start with a Universal Design Pavilion (pavilions is how AARP clusters exhibitors by theme). The intention is that all attendees leave knowing at least enough about universal design to acquire it when they want it. This would be supported by handouts, including one in the bag you get when you register, strong visual presence at the UD pavilion itself, interactive displays, additional resources and handouts, workshops, membership drives among the advocacy groups, surveys (data mining to further understand what it takes to create universal design communities), and opportunities for manufacturers to display their commitment to products that support the independent lifestyle that you love. In addition, it would be great to see a celebrity personality give universal design a bit of pizzazz, some wow-ness.
At the core of this endeavor would be Universal Design Resource, and its president, Konrad Kaletsch, providing the leadership necessary for the fulfillment of this expanded awareness. It is easy to imagine the 75,000 attendees, now knowledgable about universal design, telling friends over the following year. If they each have 14 conversations about universal design, one million lives improve as a result. Pretty neat.
At this year AARP Life@50+ annual convention in Washington DC, twenty-five thousand attendees left knowing as much about universal design as when they walked in (nearly none). I really doubt that this was AARP’s intention; perhaps, in all the excitement of pushing product and keeping the 50+ crowd entertained, it just was overlooked.
After walking miles of convention floor for endless hours, I was amazed by the complete absence of universal design as knowledge. There are a number of advocacy organizations, but none had a booth. Not the Center for Universal Design at NCSU, not Adaptive Environments from Boston, not TRACE from Wisconsin, not Universal Design Alliance, not IDEA at SUNY Buffalo, not Concrete Change, not the National Aging in Place Council, not the National Association of Home Builders and their CAPS (Certified Aging in Place) program nor the National Council on Independent Living, and, none of the manufactures or retailers who are committed to universal design such as Toyota, Lowes, Toto, Humanscale, or General Electric. Nothing. Not even a handout.
Here’s what could be at Vegas@50+ next year: Let’s start with a Universal Design Pavilion (pavilions is how AARP clusters exhibitors by theme). The intention is that all attendees leave knowing at least enough about universal design to acquire it when they want it. This would be supported by handouts, including one in the bag you get when you register, strong visual presence at the UD pavilion itself, interactive displays, additional resources and handouts, workshops, membership drives among the advocacy groups, surveys (data mining to further understand what it takes to create universal design communities), and opportunities for manufacturers to display their commitment to products that support the independent lifestyle that you love. In addition, it would be great to see a celebrity personality give universal design a bit of pizzazz, some wow-ness.
At the core of this endeavor would be Universal Design Resource, and its president, Konrad Kaletsch, providing the leadership necessary for the fulfillment of this expanded awareness. It is easy to imagine the 75,000 attendees, now knowledgable about universal design, telling friends over the following year. If they each have 14 conversations about universal design, one million lives improve as a result. Pretty neat.
Monday, June 30, 2008
Universal Design: Let Your Home Work For You
Decreasing the time spent taking care of your home and increasing the time your home takes care of you.
According to a survey conducted by the AARP, 89 percent of people older than 50 wish to remain at home, rather than move to other housing options. The question not being asked is how do you make this possible? At what point does your home hinder you rather than serve you?
I’m a home improvement nut. My idea of exercise is digging a 20' trench and installing an 8” culvert … by hand. At 46, I can pull that off. At 56? Probably (add a chiropractic adjustment). At 66? I doubt it. Even I will one day be overwhelmed by my home (never, I say). But, between now and then, I can do things that will reduce or prevent that day. This culvert is such an improvement; my annual driveway maintenance will decrease: less washouts, fewer repairs, easier plowing, smoother and safer driving.
As you contemplate improvements in a home that you plan to stay in, ask yourself these questions: Will the improvement I am about to make be one that will last for years to come? How soon will it need to be maintained, repaired or replaced? Is there a better solution? If I spend less, have I spent wisely? Or, has cost-cutting provided short-term gains only to leave me with a costly expense in the future?
Consider this wisdom, “Decisions made in haste are regretted in leisure.”
Here is a short list of home improvements that reduce maintenance. Add to this list as you renovate through Internet searches and conversations with experienced professionals.
Konrad Kaletsch © 2008, Universal Design Resource, June 30, 2008
According to a survey conducted by the AARP, 89 percent of people older than 50 wish to remain at home, rather than move to other housing options. The question not being asked is how do you make this possible? At what point does your home hinder you rather than serve you?
I’m a home improvement nut. My idea of exercise is digging a 20' trench and installing an 8” culvert … by hand. At 46, I can pull that off. At 56? Probably (add a chiropractic adjustment). At 66? I doubt it. Even I will one day be overwhelmed by my home (never, I say). But, between now and then, I can do things that will reduce or prevent that day. This culvert is such an improvement; my annual driveway maintenance will decrease: less washouts, fewer repairs, easier plowing, smoother and safer driving.
As you contemplate improvements in a home that you plan to stay in, ask yourself these questions: Will the improvement I am about to make be one that will last for years to come? How soon will it need to be maintained, repaired or replaced? Is there a better solution? If I spend less, have I spent wisely? Or, has cost-cutting provided short-term gains only to leave me with a costly expense in the future?
Consider this wisdom, “Decisions made in haste are regretted in leisure.”
Here is a short list of home improvements that reduce maintenance. Add to this list as you renovate through Internet searches and conversations with experienced professionals.
- Favor no-maintenance siding on your house such as vinyl, or more environmentally sound, brick or stone. Choose long lasting roofing.
- Favor surfaces and designs that clean easily.
- Favor furniture over built-in. For example, a hallway wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair might look awkward especially if the rest of the home doesn’t have a spacious feel, so, install a bookcase that can be one day easily removed.
- Apply universal design as much as possible.
- Throw stuff out – give up attachment to the things that have no more meaning in your life; gain freedom and clarity in the process for something new.
- If moving, choose a neighborhood that has supplies, services and activities nearby, and one that has useful public transportation.
- Keep choosing access and convenience – if something is going to be difficult to use, don’t get it.
Konrad Kaletsch © 2008, Universal Design Resource, June 30, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Universal Design: Consciousness Precedes Form
Being green has been around for a long time. However, in the last year a tipping point was reached and green is now visible everywhere. Governments are doing it, business is doing it, schools are teaching it, and even the “bad” guys, such as the petroleum industry, are dabbling with it. We are still on our way to the tipping point for universal design.
Much like being green, the tipping point is reached once we recognize that the box we are living in is just too small. Like any box, it’s fit is limited both by space and time. As our natural state is growth, the logical evolution is that at some point we need a bigger box, just like a hermit needs bigger shell. In the field of universal design, we are just beginning to feel the limits of an outdated box, yet, we’re not aware of the limits that we have outgrown; we just feel the pinch.
The typical behavior of living inside a box that has grown too small is to look for answers inside the box. It’s absurd, but it’s what we do. The irony is that the answer to expanding the box is outside the box. The other paradox is that from inside the box we can’t see outside the box. This experience is frustrating and the first results show up as conflict. Without a method or trick, the state of conflict grows until we experience is as a pain so great we collapse in defeat and surrender to the change.
The good news is that there is a trick/method for accessing expansion, and, it’s ridiculously simple: ask a guiding question. If we want to kick the petroleum habit, an outgrown and limiting box, we could ask, “How are we gonna live well without petroleum?” That’s not a good question and perhaps you can see why, it’s still inside the box! Here’s the good and guiding question: “What would life on this planet look like if our energy needs were met through healthy and safe means?” You can answer that question, can’t you? The answer feels pretty good doesn’t it? You can even see an action to take. The box just got bigger, didn’t it?
The technique is based upon preceding the form with consciousness. The access to consciousness is through expansive questioning. The answer shows up through insight. A garnish of patience adds ease to the process. Frustration and conflict can’t and don’t exist in this environment; wisdom, creativity and genius do. One beckons the consciousness, which is then answered with form.
Here are some universal design questions:
Much like being green, the tipping point is reached once we recognize that the box we are living in is just too small. Like any box, it’s fit is limited both by space and time. As our natural state is growth, the logical evolution is that at some point we need a bigger box, just like a hermit needs bigger shell. In the field of universal design, we are just beginning to feel the limits of an outdated box, yet, we’re not aware of the limits that we have outgrown; we just feel the pinch.
The typical behavior of living inside a box that has grown too small is to look for answers inside the box. It’s absurd, but it’s what we do. The irony is that the answer to expanding the box is outside the box. The other paradox is that from inside the box we can’t see outside the box. This experience is frustrating and the first results show up as conflict. Without a method or trick, the state of conflict grows until we experience is as a pain so great we collapse in defeat and surrender to the change.
The good news is that there is a trick/method for accessing expansion, and, it’s ridiculously simple: ask a guiding question. If we want to kick the petroleum habit, an outgrown and limiting box, we could ask, “How are we gonna live well without petroleum?” That’s not a good question and perhaps you can see why, it’s still inside the box! Here’s the good and guiding question: “What would life on this planet look like if our energy needs were met through healthy and safe means?” You can answer that question, can’t you? The answer feels pretty good doesn’t it? You can even see an action to take. The box just got bigger, didn’t it?
The technique is based upon preceding the form with consciousness. The access to consciousness is through expansive questioning. The answer shows up through insight. A garnish of patience adds ease to the process. Frustration and conflict can’t and don’t exist in this environment; wisdom, creativity and genius do. One beckons the consciousness, which is then answered with form.
Here are some universal design questions:
- What is possible for us all when we live in an inclusive and human centered society?
- What are the gifts I have that would contribute to those less able-bodied?
- How can I manifest this higher vibration of a society that leaves no one behind?
- What does design look like that profoundly supports our sense of joy, independence, security, confidence and comfort?
- What lifestyle is possible for me if I have taken steps to include universal design in my life?
Monday, April 7, 2008
Universal Design: Boomers Know
Baby Boomers have had quit a run and it is far from over. They created civil rights, a sex revolution and aerobic exercise. Their presidents included Kennedy, Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Clinton and Bush. Their health improved and they are living longer. They are wealthy. In 2007 the first boomer collected social security. As they enter what used to be known as their retirement years, it is up to them again to define who they are by defining what it means to be an older person.
Will Boomers draw on their lifestyle from the 1970's, aka the "Me" generation? Will their lives over age 65 be defined by only their needs and wants? Or will they redefine what it means to have lived a full life and to pass on a planet to a succeeding generation that is better than the one they inherited?
There are many ways to step into this responsible time of life. Not so long ago, living past age 65 was itself a blessing, not something that could be counted on. Today, 65 is 55 - no shortage of possibilities. So what responsibilities will Boomers take on? Universal design fulfills on social sustainability. Boomers can take on this responsibility perhaps more easily as it is also serves ones own self interest.
To embrace universal design would be to personally acknowledge that one is aging (yikes - not by the generation that invented the cult of youth). What is physically possible has changed. One had 20/20 vision. Then in the 40's the eye muscles loose full power and one needs reading specs. By the 50's one begins to loose low light ability as contrast sensitivity diminishes. By the 70's you might have not only minimal contrast but also poor focus. You adapted to the changes in eyesight, why not apply that same adaptability throughout the rest of your environment and much as you maintained the ability to see, also maintain the ability to live independently.
To apply universal design in your life is to honor yourself. It is a commitment to think about your future and to build accordingly. Our lives are lived in many homes. As we approach retirement, we tend to plan one more move or renovation. This is the window to move forward with universal design. It is in the planning stages that universal design adds little to the construction, renovation or relocation costs. How much? Typically between 1 and 2%.
In looking at a generation leaving a legacy, universal design ongoingly provides the full and independent lifestyle so cherished and provides everyone else with an environment that is more livable. Mobility is easier for moms with strollers; grandparents can visit their children's homes, homes can once again be multi-generational, and those with disabilities become less disabled because the environment isn't designed for able bodies only.
For years to come, http://www.universaldesignresource.com/, has much information to assist you in developing your awareness and becoming a consumer fit to serve the person you've been caring for, yourself, as well as those around you, your community.
Will Boomers draw on their lifestyle from the 1970's, aka the "Me" generation? Will their lives over age 65 be defined by only their needs and wants? Or will they redefine what it means to have lived a full life and to pass on a planet to a succeeding generation that is better than the one they inherited?
There are many ways to step into this responsible time of life. Not so long ago, living past age 65 was itself a blessing, not something that could be counted on. Today, 65 is 55 - no shortage of possibilities. So what responsibilities will Boomers take on? Universal design fulfills on social sustainability. Boomers can take on this responsibility perhaps more easily as it is also serves ones own self interest.
To embrace universal design would be to personally acknowledge that one is aging (yikes - not by the generation that invented the cult of youth). What is physically possible has changed. One had 20/20 vision. Then in the 40's the eye muscles loose full power and one needs reading specs. By the 50's one begins to loose low light ability as contrast sensitivity diminishes. By the 70's you might have not only minimal contrast but also poor focus. You adapted to the changes in eyesight, why not apply that same adaptability throughout the rest of your environment and much as you maintained the ability to see, also maintain the ability to live independently.
To apply universal design in your life is to honor yourself. It is a commitment to think about your future and to build accordingly. Our lives are lived in many homes. As we approach retirement, we tend to plan one more move or renovation. This is the window to move forward with universal design. It is in the planning stages that universal design adds little to the construction, renovation or relocation costs. How much? Typically between 1 and 2%.
In looking at a generation leaving a legacy, universal design ongoingly provides the full and independent lifestyle so cherished and provides everyone else with an environment that is more livable. Mobility is easier for moms with strollers; grandparents can visit their children's homes, homes can once again be multi-generational, and those with disabilities become less disabled because the environment isn't designed for able bodies only.
For years to come, http://www.universaldesignresource.com/, has much information to assist you in developing your awareness and becoming a consumer fit to serve the person you've been caring for, yourself, as well as those around you, your community.
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