Many disabilities remain unseen or unaddressed in design, leaving people excluded by choices that limit access and dignity. This session will show how design can transform exclusion into belonging, fostering inclusive, resilient spaces where people of all abilities thrive.
Join us to explore the transformation of a vacant high school into the world's largest Special Olympics facility and a hub for nine nonprofits in the disability community. You'll learn strategies for integrating accessibility and inclusivity. And with guidance from the presenters, a practicing architect and a disability advocate, you'll discover new standards for creating adaptable, equitable spaces for all.
Learning Objectives
- Consider various types of disabilities and how they influence interactions with the built environment, with an emphasis on the needs of individuals with physical, sensory, and cognitive challenges.
- Evaluate the role of inclusive design in fostering resilient, equitable communities as well as how accessibility-focused design practices strengthen social cohesion by accommodating the needs of all members.
- Discover how to apply best practices for creating an inclusive design process to address both overarching goals and detailed needs.
- Explore emerging tools and technologies alongside simple user-led strategies to expand your design toolkit for supporting diverse abilities in the built environment.