RESEARCH IS BETTER

 WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

The FES Center wanted to better understand how mild electrical stimulation of certain nerves can improve bladder and bowel function.

“Before investing a large amount of time and money in this direction, we asked individuals with SCI about how they manage their bladder and bowel, what their priorities for functional recovery were and whether they were even interested in an approach that used nerve stimulation,” says Dennis Bourbeau, a research investigator at the Cleveland FES Center. 

“An independent advisory board helped craft the questions and helped us interpret the feedback that we received.”

The results were published in the Spinal Cord journal, where clinicians can find them and potentially use them to improve the quality of life of people with SCI they see in their offices.

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

“As an engineer, I think in terms of first developing a good definition of the problem, and then understanding the elements of what would be considered a successful solution to that problem,” says Dennis Bourbeau, a research investigator at the Cleveland FES Center.

“Developing the solution itself should come after these first two steps.

It is critical to include all stakeholders, especially individuals with SCI, at all points of this process, not just with evaluating a potential solution that was defined by the other stakeholders.”

HONORED TO ADVOCATE FOR UNIVERSAL DESIGN

THANKS TO KENT STATE UNIVERSITY FOR FEATURING MY WORK

I am honored to share my story of using my communication skills to advocate for Universal Design in Planning, Architecture, Engineering, Urban Design, Public Policy, Mobility, Transit, Landscape Architecture and more.

I appreciate it that Jargon, the digital publication of Kent’s School of Media and Journalism, published my essay on activism and pro-bono work on diversity, equity and inclusion – through the lens of wheelchair access.

The full essay – with an inset piece on proper language for writing about people with disabilities, is here:

https://www.kent.edu/mdj/news/kent-where-lifetime-passionate-storytelling-and-advocacy-people-disabilities-was-born-and

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

“Laypeople gain a deeper understanding of the research and the researchers gain a deeper understanding not only of the lived experience, but also the end goals articulated by representatives of the SCI community,” says Matthew Rodreick, the group’s executive director, about how including people with SCI from the ground up benefits all involved.

Dennis Bourbeau, a research investigator at the Cleveland FES Center, asserts that including people with SCI at all stages of a study is effective problem solving. 

Also, it could save investors a large amount of time and money.

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

More professionals need to be open to having an advisory board of people with SCI at their disposal, Bonnie Richardson said, noting most participants are willing to donate their time to improve products and services for their community.

This is where advocacy groups like Unite 2 Fight Paralysis come in.

Its network has directed, trained and supported advocates in multiple states to push for legislation to fund community advisory board-based clinical studies. 

These studies have resulted in more than 40 people with SCI receiving interventions to pursue functional gains.

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

It takes a team to make a successful product, treatment or service — and teammates who will be end-users play an especially important role in making the end result a success.

“People with SCI are living the life every day. We know what has and has not worked for us in the past.  

We also usually have a good understanding of what would have made it more usable,” says Bonnie Richardson. 

“If designers utilize an advisory board of people with SCI, they can save tremendous time and money by not repeating these same design issues. 

The earlier the board is consulted, the greater the success and savings.”

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

Bonnie Richardson praises NASCIC’s engagement program, which connects projects requesting input or involvement from people living with SCI to willing participants. 

This human-focused approach allows those who will benefit the most from the research to play an active role in designing the studies, “rather than just be data that is measured and manipulated,” says Richardson. 

“When considering our individual abilities and challenges, we are the experts. 

When researching something for our community, collectively we have invaluable real-life experience to contribute.”

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

Bonnie Richardson, a C5-6 incomplete quad from Sequim, Washington, is not a scientist.

But she is listed as an author on a study that appeared in the November 2020 Spinal Cord Series and Cases journal that looked at how people with SCI access information about experimental therapies and clinical trials. 

She worked alongside scientific researchers whose careers are built on studying SCI, helping to create a survey and analyze the results. 

“The goal was to gain a better understanding of how people living with SCI get their information,” she says about the North American SCI Consortium-sponsored research.

RESEARCH IS BETTER

WHEN PEOPLE WITH SCI HELP DESIGN IT

For far too many years, spinal cord injury researchers have failed to include disabled people in their studies as anything but subjects.  

Fortunately, that’s changing as more people with SCI/D participate in consumer advisory boards and other human-focused approaches. 

They are designing surveys, focusing on goals and giving key input before a solution that impacts them is completely designed and ready to submit for approval.

Whether it’s creating products, designing treatments or collecting data, people with SCI are increasingly involved in all aspects of research.  

Their vast experience, expertise and real-life knowledge are informing approaches — before funding is wasted or unrealistic conclusions are reached.

PROUD TO CONTRIBUTE TO UNIVERSAL DESIGN EDUCATION

MY WORK INCLUDES PUBLISHING, PRESENTING AND PILOTING A COLLEGE COURSE AT A MAJOR SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE

Recent and ongoing work includes:

1) Designing/teaching a course on it at a major School of Architecture -- with my wife, Americans with Disabilities Act expert Heidi Johnson-Wright.

2) Being selected to present on Universal Design at a major conference in Paris.

3) Getting chosen to share my research on wheelchair access and sidewalk infrastructure at a global meeting in Istanbul.

4) Publishing a story on sidewalks and access in Planning Magazine, the publication of the American Planning Association. 

5) Participating as a key speaker -- on Universal Design in Planning Education -- at the annual conference of the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning.

THE WILLIAMSBURG BRIDGE

SUSPENSION BRIDGE OVER EAST RIVER 

My pre-dawn run along the waterfront in Brooklyn ended with this view of the 1903 Williamsburg Bridge.

It connects the Lower East Side of Manhattan with Williamsburg.

It has a pedestrian pathway and bike lanes.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Expedited permitting processes should be a major facet of regulatory reform at the municipal level.

With faster approval times, developers could produce housing more consistently, which has the potential to lower construction costs and allow for lower housing costs over time.

The use of accessory dwelling units (ADUs) is not new but provides a relatively immediate way to relieve pressure on the housing market in a region. 

These units provide a benefit for municipalities in that they can increase density, often without the need for major zoning changes and with a more limited amount of construction activity in residential areas.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Up-zoning and rezoning policies involve converting low-density, or commercial parcels, to higher density housing lots.

Broadly, these policies should focus more specifically on underlying zoning regulations that can be modified to support the development of new housing over time.

Municipalities and public agencies should assess their landholdings to identify underutilized land or find vacant or blighted lots and rezone these lots for housing, especially in areas in which increased housing would benefit nearby businesses and residents.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

The Rosen Group report “State and Local Policy Strategies to Advance Housing Affordability” highlights policy pathways that communities should consider pursuing in order to support local affordability, such as:

Inclusionary zoning is a direct approach, by which localities or states can require developments to include affordable housing, often in areas where it is undersupplied or would provide a large public good.

It is important for inclusionary housing policies to align with local market conditions to ensure that these policies remain economically and socially viable and do not turn into a barrier to development.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Arthur C. Nelson, professor of planning & real estate development at the University of Arizona, said there are houses “with more rooms than people because over the years, the average number of people in a home has shrunk from 3.5 to 2.5.” 

These are the aging baby boomers’ houses on large lots that will not match the needs of young buyers.

Nelson believes in many regions, including the Great Lakes, there will be more senior citizens trying to unload their homes than people who want that type of housing on large lots.

This will become very evident by 2030,” he said. 

“Seniors, whose biggest asset is the home they own, will sell their home for much less than they hoped — or not be able to sell at all. 

Public policy must address this mismatch of housing needs.”

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Arthur C. Nelson, professor of planning & real estate development at the University of Arizona, said a trend linked to the pandemic is that new homebuyers want more out of their communities — such as walkability, convenient transit and places for social interaction.

He said many suburbs have done a good job of putting in sidewalks and creating complete streets, so they are competitive with urban areas. 

This means people can stay in the same metro area, but trade a smaller expensive attached unit in the center for more room at a lower cost on the fringe of the core city.

Nelson said despite the desire to age-in-place, many baby boomers will want to unload large houses that they can no longer maintain — to become renters in smaller, more efficient units.

TRULY ACCESSIBLE AIR TRAVEL

COULD BE COMING SOONER THAN YOU THINK

The headline contains the good/hopeful news.

But first the bad.

For more than half a century, my wife and all others who use a wheelchair for mobility, have to check their legs at the door and worry during an entire flight.

The very real possibility is an essential power or manual wheelchair will be broken beyond repair, lost or damaged so much that the trip is ruined.

Every time I get an online form thanking me for using an air carrier, I move to the “other” comments and submit something like this:

Please build a plane that allows wheelchair users to board in their power wheelchairs.

My wife is a wheelchair user.

She cannot fly with a power chair -- because the airlines are very well known (tragically) for badly damaging, even losing wheelchairs.

Flying without your wheelchair is like flying without your legs attached.

Technology exists to allow a person to roll aboard and be safely secured for flying.

Forcing people to stow their means of mobility out of sight and out of use is: humiliating, terrifying -- something that strips dignity and perpetuates discrimination.

Please address this.

If you do not, anything American Airlines states about commitment to equity, inclusion and diversity -- rings 100 percent hollow.

Now the somewhat good news, light at the end of the tunnel story:

https://www.travelpulse.com/news/airlines/truly-accessible-air-travel-could-be-coming-sooner-than-you-think.html

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

“Many suburbs were poised to meet that demand. 

I think a part of that sudden demand for homebuying by millennials was, in part, a failure for cities to expand housing supply for young families. 

They did a good job of attracting young singles, young couples — but cities missed the opportunity to build the missing middle,” Arthur C. Nelson, professor of planning & real estate development at the University of Arizona, continued. 

“Cities need to do more to make their current housing stock nimbler.”

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Arthur C. Nelson, professor of planning & real estate development at the University of Arizona, focuses on long-term demographic trends. 

He said the big rush to buy houses soon after the pandemic hit hard was a surprise to many.

“The younger generations were accumulating some money (because) the pandemic shut things down so there was nothing to spend money on and with two percent interest rates — the market came together nicely for millennials and they moved to the suburbs,” he said.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Multiple surveys show roughly half the nation would opt to move to a walkable community — where they could walk to most of their daily needs — even if it meant they would live in an attached dwelling such as a townhouse, condo or apartment.

However, the impact of the pandemic plus trends towards millennials starting families and settling down as they age, indicate a shift in the opposite direction for some. 

Results from NAR’s Coronavirus Update to the 2020 Community and Transportation Preferences Survey show younger respondents — especially those with children at home — reported a reduced need to be near highways and public transit or to have a home with a short commute to work. 

Results, released after surveying at the height of COVID in 2020, indicated an increased desire for more outdoor space and larger homes, most particularly among millennials and those with kids at home.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

AHS advocates for housing types that support transit-centered, walkable communities that are inclusive and equitable for people of all incomes, backgrounds, ages and stages of life.

The group is well-aware that when people hear about zoning changes, they worry how it will impact their homes, neighborhoods and environment.

“Updating zoning laws allows for more types of housing and does not mean an end to single-family zoning or allowing large apartment buildings next to single-family homes,” Alice Hogan, a consultant to AHS,  said.

“AHS advocates for mindful growth so that added density — or gentle density can be easily incorporated into the fabric of a community. 

Missing middle housing is well-suited to fit into existing neighborhoods because it is efficiently sized and designed with a lower perceived density.”

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Though missing middle housing isn’t the solution to all affordability challenges, AHS sees it as a way to re-introduce more housing types into the local housing market.

“Zoning laws that were enacted many decades ago in Arlington — and in many other places across the United States — can make it a challenge to build missing middle housing today. 

But we’re starting to see a shift: cities like Berkeley, Calif., have committed to ending restrictive zoning laws by the end of 2022. 

And in August 2020, the city of Portland, Ore., approved a policy legalizing up to four homes on most lots and significantly reduced maximum building sizes,” Alice Hogan, a consultant to AHS, said. 

“In Arlington, AHS is pleased that the county is exploring zoning changes to allow for more missing middle housing types through a multi-year study.”

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Alice Hogan, a consultant to AHS, said missing middle housing is an important tool for communities to have in their toolbox when seeking to increase housing supply and create greater housing diversity and opportunity.

“When it comes to the issue of affordability, we like to think of missing middle as attainable housing instead of affordable housing, which is restricted to people making a certain percentage of the area median income.

Missing middle housing is ‘affordable-by-design,’ meaning it is priced at a financial level that many middle-income earners can achieve, including young professionals, essential workers, and seniors,” she said.

BIG NEWS ON DESIGN FOR ALL

WE WILL BRING UNIVERSAL DESIGN EDUCATION TO THE WORLD

We will soon announce the details of our once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to teach a first-of-its-kind in the world course on Universal Design.

This will positively impact:

#UniversalDesign 

#Diversity 

#Equity

#Inclusion

#Accessibility

#architecture

#designforall 

#ADA 

#wheelchairaccess 

#peoplewithdisabilities

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

“They are designing attractive housing for lower incomes. 

I lived in workforce townhomes and you couldn’t tell it from the outside. 

They have built public housing next to million-dollar townhomes and it hasn’t made them less desirable,” said Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Virginia REALTORS®.

Sturtevant has hope for new building methods that can create more affordable housing that is accessible to all in terms of price and mobility accessibility. 

She points to a demonstration house created via 3D printer. 

She noted advances in modular housing produce a more durable, flexible and sustainable product — not the modular housing that people picture from 1970s trailer home styles.

Sturtevant endorses efforts by advocates such as the Alliance for Housing Solutions (AHS), a nonprofit working to increase the supply of affordable housing in Arlington County and Northern Virginia.

REST IN PEACE (AND POWER) SIDNEY POITIER

 

When thinking about the long, storied career of trailblazing Sidney Poitier (RIP), I am drawn to the chronicling of his life in Colorization, the seminal book by my friend and mentor Wil Haygood.

https://stevewright-1964.medium.com/author-wil-haygood-is-a-national-treasure-colorization-his-latest-book-is-a-must-read-abefc83de686

#SidneyPoitier #WilHaygood #Colorization #ripsidneypoitier

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Lisa Sturtevant, chief economist for Virginia REALTORS®, agrees that swift action must be taken at all levels of government to supply more housing — especially the missing middle.

“Where housing is most needed is where the strongest community opposition is. 

And elected officials put their foot down on housing,” she said.

“Arlington is joining Minneapolis in moving to allow duplexes and triplexes by right in single-family zoning.

But sometimes the most progressive places are where road blocks come up in the way of housing for different populations.”

Sturtevant said NIMBYism must be resolved in the suburbs. 

She said people feel it will hurt their property values, but that isn’t an automatic.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

At the local level, the NAR/Rosen report urges incentivizing shifts in local zoning and regulatory environments to substantially increase the quantity and density of developable residential space.

“Housing policy is very complicated.

We haven’t had much policy at the federal level. 

I’m confident that this administration will see this is a major issue, that housing policy should be a center focus,” said Ken Rosen, chairman of real estate market research firm Rosen Consulting.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

The NAR/Rosen report explains that hurrying for solutions to the housing shortage will not only benefit families, but it also will create sustained fiscal success at all levels of government.

“This additional new residential construction would also be expected to generate more than $53 billion dollars in new annual tax revenue, including $18 billion in state and local taxes and $35 billion in federal taxes, reflecting a wide range of activity, including considerable new federal income taxes related to the new job creation,” the report states.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

Ken Rosen, chairman of real estate market research firm Rosen Consulting, said cities and regions would be wise to use a good portion of their share of previous stimulus bill funding for government, plus the $1.2-trillion infrastructure funding, to improve diverse housing and transit opportunities where people live and work.

“Address congestion with efficient transit. 

Allow more density near transit. 

Relax costly parking requirements for residential next to transit,” he said. 

Density can work well. 

People want more open space and concentrating density can create a balance that allows open space.

THE HOUSING CRUNCH IS REAL

HOW WE GOT HERE, HOW WE ADDRESS IT AND THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS THAT WILL IMPACT WHAT AND WHERE WE CALL HOME

“The expensive areas — and that has increased from a few big cities a few decades ago to dozens of metros — must create more housing and different prices. 

We must convert underused commercial to residential. 

We must allow more dense housing. 

We need special programs to support affordable housing,” Ken Rosen, chairman of real estate market research firm Rosen Consulting, said.

The NAR report that Rosen led bluntly states:

“Large-scale investment in infrastructure for the 21st century provides a once-in-a-generation opportunity to avoid the mistakes of the past and instead build infrastructure and housing together in a way that plans for inclusive and sustainable growth that binds communities together instead of dividing them along racial lines.”

THE INCLUSIVE, ACCESSIBLE, ALL-AGES FRIENDLY STORYWALK

AT PONDWAWK NATURAL AREA IN BOCA RATON

Pondhawk Natural Area in Boca Raton features Storywalk, a 0.7 mile paved path.

The wheelchair-accessible trail displays pages from a children’s book on nature, as told by a skink.

This is the greatest idea ever.

It ties the barrier-free trail to the adjacent library.

There a nearly 3 miles of total paths.

An incredible asset in Palm Beach County.

The only change needed is to put accessible parking by the trailhead instead of far away at the library.

Such a shame Miami-Dade has so few accessible nature trails scattered among neighborhoods.

Maybe the Underline can have a story walk that is inclusive.

https://discover.pbcgov.org/erm/NaturalAreas/Pondhawk.aspx