ALL URBAN DESIGN SHOULD BE HUMAN-CENTERED

UNIVERSAL DESIGN IS THE PATH TO ACHIEVING IT

Government – be it a town, city, county, regional, state or federal agency – MUST take the lead on hiring people with disabilities as planners, architects, engineers and designers that create an inclusive built environment. 

Government often was a leader in hiring people of color and women and giving them the tools to take on leadership roles.

It needs to do the same with people with disabilities. 

Beyond that, every city advisory board should be required to a person with a disability on it.

How can the 13 person board that oversees the spending of a $250 million capital improvements bond ensure that main entrances will be accessible, pools will have lifts, sidewalks will be built extra wide and libraries will have access to all floors – if there is not one person with a disability among the other dozen?

How can an 11 member parks advisory board design for inclusion if no person with a disability serves on it?

How can a 9-person planning board create a better built environment for all if it doesn’t have a person who has lived with a disability and is intensely aware of barriers? 

When I speak to standing room only audiences at major conferences for urban designers, planners and others – I talk about the chicken and egg effect.