THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE CARES ABOUT UNIVERSAL DESIGN

ADA Compliance Professional Speaks

to Design and Theory Class

Heidi Johnson-Wright, an ADA compliance professional, attorney and author, spoke to the students in Professor Frank Martinez’s Architecture Design and Theory class about the importance of the SoA commitment to an inclusive built environment.

Johnson-Wright provided a thought-provoking presentation on how society views people with disabilities and how this, in turn, shapes the way architects design structures.

In the past, people with disabilities were expected to “become normal people” and negotiate an inflexible built environment or isolate themselves from society.

Today, social discrimination in the form of inadequate support services, plus attitudinal, sensory, cognitive, economic and architectural barriers are recognized as the most significant problems experienced by those with disabilities.

Johnson-Wright, who has used a wheelchair for mobility for 40 years, has published more than 1,000 articles on universal and inclusive design and the built environment.

She has guest lectured as adjunct faculty at UM SoA for several years. She praised Professor Martinez, Professor Oscar Machado and UM SoA leadership for exposing students to inclusive design principles early in their education.

“It’s an honor to teach young architecture students about the need for inclusive and universal design. People with disabilities struggle to find housing and employment because of products and environments designed without regard to its discriminatory effect,” Johnson-Wright said.

“I commend Dean Rodolphe el-Khoury and the faculty for allowing me to guest lecture to the diverse student body. Teaching students about these issues is an important way to ensure a more inclusive built environment.”