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Washington Post Features Home for the Next 50 Years

Posted on September 28, 2011 by admin

- Article Advances Acceptability and Understanding of Universal Design and Aging In Place -

Takoma Park, Md. (September 28, 2011) – Universal Designers & Consultants, Inc. (UD&C), an industry-leading accessibility consulting firm, today announced a Washington Post article published on September 24, 2011 titled "A Home for the Ages." This article advances the effort to help the general public understand the benefits of Universal Design and its ability to allow people to age in place.

The publication of "A Home for the Ages" is directly attributable to the Green Mountain Ranch Fellowship 2011, a meeting of experts in Universal Design, convened in early June 2011 by Cynthia Leibrock, Easy Access to Health, LLC. The group met to discuss how best to educate and motivate the general public about the possibility that through Universal Design, lifestyle choices can be built into living spaces right along with the color of appliances. With Mary Jo Peterson, Mary Jo Peterson Designs; John Salmen, Universal Designers and Consultants, Inc.; Katherine Salant, syndicated columnist for the Washington Post; and Diana Schrage, Kohler Plumbing Company, Leibrock led two days of brainstorming, information sharing and healthy living in the Colorado Rockies to explore how best to market the benefits of Universal/Healthy Living Design to the consumer.

One result of that meeting was Katherine Salant's visit to the Universally Designed home of John Salmen, president of UD&C. Following her visit, Salant crafted a column for the Real Estate section of the Washington Post that grew to a feature article when the editor realized the consumer appeal of the house's craftsman detailing and color palate. The accessible features are all there but put together in a way that emphasizes style, comfort and convenience with popular craftsman design details and color motifs. Salant writes, "The space is so appealing, it would produce competing buyers who have never heard of 'aging in place' in about five minutes, were the house on the market."

With this article, Salant succinctly and persuasively advanced the acceptability and understanding of UD and Aging in Place to the public eye. You can find a link to the Washington Post article and more information on the Home for the Next 50 years on www.UniversalDesign.com.

 

About Universal Designers & Consultants

Based in Takoma Park, Maryland, UD&C is an architectural accessibility consulting firm that specializes in helping clients to address their accessibility and Universal Design needs. The firm, founded by John P. S. Salmen, AIA in 1991, has a history of assisting large corporations, small businesses and government entities in complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and other accessibility codes and regulations. For more information about UD&C, please visit www.UDConsultants.com.

Media Contact:

Susan Roca

Manager, Marketing

Universal Designers & Consultants, Inc.

301-270-2470

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2011 Ideas Competition Focuses on Concept of UD

Posted on February 14, 2011 by UDC Staff

The AIA Young Architects Forum (YAF) and the AIA Committee on Design (COD) invites architects, students, and allied design professionals to submit sketches to the international 2011 YAF/COD Ideas Competition.

In this unique sketch competition, submitters are asked to explore the concept of Universal Design as well as their overlap with values of social and environmental sustainability.

Winners will be announced and will have their work exhibited at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) 2011 National Convention and Design Exposition in New Orleans, Louisiana, May 12-14, 2011. Selected entries will be displayed on the AIA web site.

Check out the Call for Entries at http://www.aia.org/aiaucmp/groups/aia/documents/pdf/aiab087247.pdf.

 

Strategies for Independent Living, LLC Seeks Lead Carpenter (up to 35 hours/week)

Posted on February 9, 2011 by UDC Staff

Strategies for Independent Living, LLC is an expanding consulting and construction specialty firm that evaluates, redesigns, and modifies homes to make them accessible to persons desiring to "age in place" and those with disabilities. We have a new position for an intelligent, pro-active person to complete and manage production of work who will support both the company president and the company's growth in its Takoma Park, Maryland location.

PositionLead Carpenter (hours flexible to start; up to 35 hours per week) is a technical position, responsible for performing a variety of tasks in support of the company president, as our lead field construction technician. This position functions in the areas of home improvement (primarily for the elderly and disabled community), product installation, bid estimating, subcontractor relations, and successful project completions.

Qualifications

  • Proficiency with basic construction tools and materials; with a core ability in carpentry
  • Verbal and written communication skills
  • Maturity, self-discipline, and initiative to start and complete projects needing minimal supervision
  • Awareness of the compassionate nature of our mission
  • Basic construction and/or carpentry experience, with an eye for detail
  • Candidate should have their own tools and reliable form of transportation, with the ability to transport tools and equipment.
  • Candidate should be highly organized, and creative.
  • High school graduate

Qualified Candidates

Please send your resume with a cover letter explaining why you are the best candidate for this position.

  • Salary Range: $20 – $30/hr
  • Mileage reimbursement
  • Location: Takoma Park, MD

Contact

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NEA Funding Opportunity Available for UD Projects

Posted on February 3, 2011 by UDC Staff

Last week the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) launched funding guidelines for Art Works, an update to the existing Grants for Arts Projects category. This funding opportunity is available to organizations with Universal Design projects in disciplines including, but not limited to, planning, urban design, architecture, landscape architecture, interior design, product and fashion design, and communications and graphic design. The Office of Accessibility has supported the growth of the Universal Design field through its leadership initiatives and welcomes this new opportunity to offer funding for Universal Design projects through Art Works. Application guidelines are available at http://www.arts.gov/grants/apply/GAP12/DesignAW.html.

 

Webcasts, Transcripts Available from DOJ Public Hearings on ANPRMs

Posted on February 3, 2011 by UDC Staff

In November, December and January, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) held three public hearings seeking comment on four advance notices of proposed rulemaking (ANPRMs) published in the July 26, 2010 Federal Register, on establishing accessibility requirements for web sites; movie theaters; equipment and furniture, including medical equipment; and 911 call-taking technology. Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Thomas Perez said that the proposed rules "are designed to bring the ADA fully into the 21st century. The ANPRMs are a first step in the regulatory process to address areas where we see a need to provide regulatory guidance to public entities and businesses."

Those individuals unable to attend or watch the hearings in Chicago, Washington, DC and San Francisco can watch re-broadcasts of all three and/or review transcripts. (Re-broadcasts are available with open captions or with open captions and audio description.) Visit http://www.ada.gov/anprm2010/hearing_rebroadcast.htm for details.

 

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