Universal Design Improves Quality of Life for People with Disabilities

Universal design involves designing buildings, products and services that meet the accessibility needs of everyone. It can help people with disabilities, but it’s intended for everyone.
ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO 90.7 KWMU
article by By LARA HAMDAN • NOV 13, 2017

(L-R) Colleen Starkloff, Judith Heumann and Marcie Roth advocate for more implementation of universal design.

LARA HAMDAN / ST. LOUIS PUBLIC RADIO

On Monday’s St. Louis on the Air, host Don Marsh talked about how the use of universal design can help people with disabilities and can improve the overall safety and quality of life of all people when used during disasters.

“It’s a great design opportunity to create a more inclusive community for everybody, from children to seniors,” founder and co-director of the Starkloff Disability Institute, Colleen Starkloff, said.

Universal design also caters to people getting old, people with injuries, children, etc. When it comes to accessibility in St. Louis, Starkloff said St. Louis is doing well.

“We’ve been working on making places and public spaces accessible since the ‘70s,” she said. “Are we perfect? No. But we’re getting there.”

For existing structures, complete renovation to provide more accessibility might not be possible, but Judith Heumann said there are ways of making those structures more accessible by adding ramps, lifts, etc. Huemann is the senior fellow at the Ford Foundation and former special advisor on disability rights to President Obama.

Heumann started using a motorized wheelchair 68 years ago. She said she’s seen public spaces and transportation become much more accessible over the years.

“But one of the big barriers that still exists is housing,” Heumann said. Many homes are not accessible for those with mobility disabilities, where a seemingly simple five-step staircase can be “Mount Everest” for some.

“If people choose to move out of their communities, it shouldn’t be for lack of accessibility in their communities,” she said.

When it comes to disasters, Marcie Roth, president of Inclusive Emergency Management Strategies LLC, said crisis can be turned into opportunity.

“The opportunity that comes with the crisis is that federal dollars are going to be spent; they need to be spent in compliance with the Rehabilitation Act requirements, and this is a golden opportunity for the whole community,” Roth said. Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in programs that receive federal financial assistance.

Roth is presenting at the Starkloff Disability Institute Universal Design Summit 6: "Inclusive Communities: Housing & Public Spaces.” The two-day conference engages architects and designers, as well as everyday consumers, with universal design ideas, workshops and product and service presentations.

Host Don Marsh talks with universal design advocates about how universal design caters to all people.
Listen Here as Heumann, Roth and Starkloff discuss how universal design is implemented in their lives:

http://news.stlpublicradio.org/post/universal-design-improves-quality-life-people-disabilities#stream/0

St. Louis on the Air brings you the stories of St. Louis and the people who live, work and create in our region. St. Louis on the Air host Don Marsh and producers Mary Edwards, Alex Heuer and Lara Hamdan give you the information you need to make informed decisions and stay in touch with our diverse and vibrant St. Louis region.

Diane Coleman,"The History and Purpose of Not Dead Yet" - America's Disability Rights Movement

Diane Coleman speaks about the euthanasia issue in the disability community, universal design, and Ed Roberts.

Diane Coleman has been disabled since birth and has used a wheelchair since the age of eleven. She has served on the boards of independent living organizations in California ,Tennessee, Illinois, and is a national organizer for ADAPT.

This is #28 out of more than 1,000 interviews that "It's Our Story" has collected in an effort to free the voices of the disability community.

Visit the Its Our Story YouTube Channel. 

Not Dead Yet is a national, grassroots disability rights group that opposes legalization of assisted suicide and euthanasia as deadly forms of discrimination.
For "Not Dead Yet", visit: notdeadyet.org/

# originally posted May 2011

The University of Illinois Has Long List of Needed ADA Repairs, 2017 Report

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign photo

The University of Illinois (Urbana Illinois) was a pioneer in making college accessible to people with disabilities, dating back to World War II.

article by Julie Wurth for The News-Gazette | 04/22/2017      
But there's still a long list of improvements to be done to make outdoor areas of campus fully accessible, a new report shows.

A survey by the UI and its community transportation partners identified $1.1 million worth of improvements to campus-area sidewalks and building entryways needed to comply with updated standards under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

They include sidewalks cracked by tree roots or overgrown with weeds, entry thresholds that are too high and ramps that are too steep, among other problems.

"We're not in bad shape, but we do need to stay on top of these things and correct them," said Roland White, an engineer with UI Facilities and Services.

The UI adopted a plan in 1992 to comply with the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act, which prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities in employment, transportation and other areas.

The original focus was on ensuring buildings conformed to ADA requirements, with elevators, ramps, accessible restrooms and other accommodations.

But over the past decade, requirements for sidewalks and outdoor approaches to buildings were updated, White said. One example, visible throughout Champaign-Urbana: the red squares with bumps on sidewalks, "warning pads" to let those who are visually impaired know a street or ramp is ahead.

As a result, many agencies across the country are taking a fresh look at sidewalks and access routes, he said.

The UI owns and operates about 20 miles of public sidewalks and streets, which connect to many more miles owned by the cities of Urbana and Champaign.

The UI contracted with the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission's transportation planning entity known as CUUATS — Champaign-Urbana Urbanized Area Study — to conduct the review for the entire university district, from University Avenue on the north to Curtis Road on the south. CUUATS includes the UI, Champaign, Urbana, Savoy, Champaign County and the Illinois Department of Transportation.

The effort was funded with a $250,000 grant through the Illinois Department of Transportation and completed last summer. It examined sidewalks, curb ramps and crosswalks, looking at the overall condition, size and slope, as well as pedestrian crosswalk signals.

UI Facilities and Services did its own assessment of walkways and entrances to UI facilities that connect to public sidewalks. The Americans With Disabilities Act requires at least one accessible route to each building from a drop-off point, such as a parking lot, bus stop or public street or sidewalk.

The UI identified 80 priority buildings where students with disabilities live, attend class or visit frequently, based on input from the public, the Chancellor's Committee on Access and Accommodations, University Housing and the Disability Resources and Education Services program, among others.

The review looked at the height of building thresholds; ramp dimensions, handrails and landings; obstructions such as hydrants, sidewalk grates and tree roots; and sidewalk cracks and heaving.

For example, entrance ramps higher than 6 inches have to have handrails on both sides. The surface has to be slip-resistant and free of cracks. Curb ramps and landings have to be at least 3 feet wide and have no cracks or obstructions. And stones make building entrances difficult for those in wheelchairs or with other disabilities.

The two surveys found almost 400 "deficiencies" on UI-owned property, half of them problems with the slope of ramps and sidewalks.

Some are simple — such as no sign being posted near an accessible entrance at the Education Building.

Others are more serious. At Freer Hall, walkways are cracked, handrails too low, an automatic door opener doesn't work, a ramp is too narrow and the slope is off.

The deficiencies are scattered across campus, at buildings old and new, including the newly renovated State Farm Center. White said the problems there are with the public sidewalks around the site, as the construction focused on the building itself and the interior walkways. Even the Rehabilitation Education Center has some ramps that aren't up to code.

White said ramps can settle over time, throwing off the slope, and some curb cuts on campus predate the 1990 federal accessibility law. Tree roots are the biggest culprit for sidewalks, causing them to heave or crack, and they can also be disrupted by construction and utility work.

The cost of the repairs is estimated at $1.17 million, which will be spread over 20 years. Facilities and Services plans to spend about $55,000 a year on the improvements.

The work is divided into three priority areas, with the most heavily used buildings being addressed within five years.

Priority 1 areas includes residence halls and other buildings used most frequently by disabled persons, such as Nugent Hall, McKinley Health Center, the Activities and Recreation Center, the Rehabilitation Education Center, Turner Student Services Center and the Center for Wounded Veterans.

Priority 2 includes 46 high-use public facilities and academic buildings, including the Armory, Foellinger Auditorium, the Library, Illini Union, Altgeld Hall, Lincoln Hall, the Music Building, Beckman Institute, State Farm Center, Memorial Stadium, several engineering buildings and other residence halls.

The final group consists of 16 high-use facilities and lecture halls, such as Everitt Lab, Loomis Lab, David Kinley Hall, the Psychology Lab, Burrill Hall, Bevier Hall, Turner Hall, the Seibel Center, the Business Instructional Facility and Orchard Downs housing complex.

White said the UI has been a leader in accessibility since Tim Nugent started working to provide access for wounded veterans returning from World War II. The campus provides an impressive array of services for students, he said.

"This is part of that effort," White said.

Share your thoughts
The University of Illinois' revised ADA Transition Plan will be presented at a public open house from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday (4/27/2017)  in Room 2003 of the Student Dining and Residential Programs Building, 301 E. Gregory Drive, C.

The UI is also taking public comments on the report through June 30, 2017 on the Facilities and Services website.

http://www.news-gazette.com/news/local/2017-04-22/report-ui-has-long-list-needed-ada-repairs.html

Universal Design is for everyone – but what is it?

What is Universal Design?

"Universal Design is likely the most misunderstood term in remodeling and construction," said Mimi Altman, Executive Director of NARI of Greater Chicagoland (NARIGC), based in Des Plaines. 

Altman continues to say that the misconception is Universal Design is not just for the elderly but for anyone with adapting living environments. "Universal Design makes your home safe for infants becoming mobile toddlers, for those with disabilities; those with severe arthritis, those who struggle with fibromyalgia, OR any other form of physical consideration regardless of age. Homeowners think Universal Design is only ADA or handicap-accessible design. Yet Universal Design can be those things and so much more."

In 1977, architect Michael Bednar authored Barrier Free Environments which noted that the functional capability of all people is usually enhanced when environmental barriers are removed and suggested that a new concept is needed that is "much broader and more universal" and "involves the environmental needs of all users." 

John Oetking, CR, UDCP, owner of Western Springs-based A Street Builders, says homeowners he is working with are not talking about Universal Design until something happens in their life where they need it. 

"We remodeled a bathroom for a woman who broke her leg and at that point she realized how inaccessible her home was," said Oetking. "Our work in this area affects bathrooms, typically installing zero-threshold showers and 36" doorways. Most of the time we are remodeling existing space; with home additions we work with an architect to include a 36" doorway to the bathroom.

"Homeowners are more concerned with how it looks than whether they will need it down the road," said Oetking. "Some of the things people talk about are comfort height toilets and using levers on doors. We also suggest a fixed shower head with a handheld and a zero threshold in the shower."

 
Don Van Cura Sr., MCR, CKBR, CLC, GCP, UDCP, the owner and president of Chicago-based Don Van Cura Construction was in a car accident when he was out of town. "I hurt my arm and quickly realized that I was unable to open the hotel room door - this was an eye opener for me! Everything in a home should deal with human ergonomics. The height at which a person sits in front of a computer day in and day out will determine whether they develop carpel tunnel syndrome, for example."

Van Cura was part of a core group of remodeling professionals that developed the original writing of the UDCP (Universal Design Certified Professional) NARI course to certify remodelers in 2009. 

Over time, the addition of hundreds of home remodeling idea magazines beyond Better Homes and Gardens and Good Housekeeping coupled with double income Baby Boomers fueled the industry with dollars and choices. Additionally, those in the market have access online to Pinterest and HOUZZ and HGTV for ideas. 

"When I started in the industry we were in the Dark Ages. We did what we did and no questions were asked and available choices were nothing like they are today," said Van Cura. "Now, new materials are continually being introduced and combined with a large portion of the population getting older, people are asking for very specific things. We don't mention ADA or geriatric because it's a turnoff and they will say they don't want that!"

Oetking and Van Cura agree that many baby boomers begin by requesting subtle changes such as lever handles versus round knobs on doors. Both say that before people did not want trough or zero threshold showers or higher toilets but now it's stylish. "The higher toilets are now called comfort height and everyone wants them," said Van Cura.

Recent projects Van Cura cites in bathrooms are adding personal spray showers, curb-less drains and wider doorways and in kitchens varying counter heights.

"Bathrooms with grab bars are really tough", said Van Cura. "Homeowners don't want something that makes them appear old. I had a 90-year-old homeowner who did not want a grab bar because it made her look old. I asked: how old do you have to be? Manufacturers now make grab bars that don't look like grab bars. Newer support materials are made to look like part of the shower component."

When remodeling a bathroom, Oetking adds plywood between the studs in the shower to support the addition of a grab bar at a later date when it is needed. "Otherwise it is impossible to locate the studs with the tile on."

Van Cura concludes: "One day my wish is that we no longer have to use the term Universal Design or Green Building because it should not have to be differentiated. Our goal should be to eliminate those terms so every job we do is healthy, green and accessible."

Based in Des Plaines, the Greater Chicagoland Chapter of NARI (www.narichicago.org) is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1987 and currently consists of approximately 280 member companies. NARI of Greater Chicagoland is committed exclusively to the service of the local professional remodeling industry, representing professional remodeling contractors, product manufacturers, distributors, wholesalers, trade and consumer publications, utilities and lending institutions. For more information visit us online at www.narichicago.org or call at (847) 298-6212.

As published by the Chicago Tribune  | March 31, 2017

by Community Contributor Walsh Communications LLC

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