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Librarian's Picks: Universal and Adaptive Design.

'Quick picks' from librarians at the National Rehabilitation Information Center.

Universal design (UD) is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. This definition was coined by Ron Mace, an architect and pioneer of UD. By integrating the principles of UD into the design process, architects, builders, designers, and engineers ensure the usability of technology and the accessibility of environments. The agencies and organizations listed in this guide can help you make your home, your office, even your website accessible to everyone.

For more resources, search the Knowledgebase. You may also download the brochure in PDF format at the bottom of this page. Available in Spanish.

INFORMATION SOURCES ON UNIVERSAL AND ADAPTIVE DESIGN

Contact these organizations for information on modification of the home or workplace. You may also contact NARIC for home or workplace modification specialists in your area.

ABLEDATA
8630 Fenton Street, Suite 930
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 800/227-0216 (V)
TTY: 301/608-8912
Fax: 301/608-8958
Email: abledata@orcmacro.com
www.abledata.com
Provides searches for rehabilitation related products, devices and equipment. The database contains detailed descriptions of thousands of products including price and company information. The database can be searched from the ABLEDATA web site.

Center for Universal Design
North Carolina State University
College of Design
50 Pullen Road, Brooks Hall, Room 104
Campus Box 8613
Raleigh, NC 27695-8613
Phone: 800/647-6777
TTY: 919/515-3082
Fax: 919/515-8951
Email: cud@ncsu.edu
www.design.ncsu.edu/cud
Develops publications and instructional materials. Provides information, technical assistance, and referrals on accessible and adaptive design. Web site includes a publications list, glossary, and related links.

This project also maintains www.udeducation.org, a collection of universal design education materials available online.

IDEA Center (Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access)
School of Architecture and Planning
University at Buffalo, State University of New York
3435 Main Street, 375 Hayes Hall
Buffalo, NY 14214-3087
Phone: 716/829-3485
TTY: 716/829-3758
Fax: 716/829-3861
Email: idea@ap.buffalo.edu
www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea
IDEA provides resources and technical expertise in architecture, product design, facilities management and the social and behavioral sciences to further the concept of universal design, or design of places and products that are usable by and desirable to a broad range of people, including people with disabilities and other often overlooked groups.

This center maintains the Rehabilitation Engineering Center on Universal Design and the Built Environment (www.ap.buffalo.edu/idea/RERC/rercud.asp) and also participates in www.udeducation.org.

RESNA Technical Assistance Project
1700 North Moore Street Suite 1540
Arlington, VA 22209-1903
Phone: 703/524-6686
TTY: 703/524-6639
Fax: 703/524-6630
Email: resnata@resna.org
www.resnaprojects.org/allcontacts/statewidecontacts.html
www.resnaprojects.org/afp/index.html
Administers the assistive technology programs, which provide assistive technology related services to each state. Services include information on financial assistance. Call RESNA or NARIC for details on contacting your states' project.

W3C Web Accessibility Initiative MIT/CSAIL, Building 32-G530
2 Vassar Street
Cambridge, MA, 02139, USA
Phone: 617/253.2613
Email: wai@w3.org
www.w3.org/WAI
Works to educate webmasters, software designers, and Internet users about integrating accessibility into design. Resources include guidelines for webpages, webpage authoring tools, browsers, and the media associated with the Internet; discussion forums; links to accessibility laws in the US and internationally.

National Center for Accessible Media
CPB/WGBH
125 Western Avenue
Boston, MA 02134
Phone: 617/300-3400
TTY: 617/300-2489
Fax: 617/300-1035
Email: ncam@wgbh.org
ncam.wgbh.org
NCAM's mission is: to expand access to present and future media for people with disabilities; to explore how existing access technologies may benefit other populations; to represent its constituents in industry, policy and legislative circles; and to provide access to educational and media technologies for special needs students.

HUD USER
P.O. Box 23268
Washington, DC 20026-5268
Phone: 800/245-2691
TTY: 800/927-7589
Fax: 202/708-9981
Email: helpdesk@huduser.org
www.huduser.org/publications/hsgspec.html
Source for Federal government reports and research literature on accessible design and housing for people with special needs. Publications can be searched for and ordered from HUD USER or online.

Adaptive Environments Center
374 Congress Street Suite 301
Boston, MA 02210
Phone: 617/695-1225 (V/TTY)
Fax: 317/482-8099
Email: adaptive@adaptiveenvironments.org
www.adaptiveenvironments.org
Offers resource materials on design, accessibility standards, guidelines, and legislation. Web site includes a publications list, ADA resource information and related links.

BFE Architecture, PLLC
811 West Hargett Street
Raleigh, NC 27603
Phone: 919/839-6380 (V)
Fax: 919/645-3275
Email: don@bfe-architecture.org
www.bfe-architecture.com
Provides design and consulting services on accessibility of the home or work environment. Publications on accessible housing design and product information are available.

National Kitchen and Bath Association
687 Willow Grove Street
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
Phone: 800/843-6522(V)
Fax: 908/852-1695
www.nkba.org
Offers books on universal kitchen and bath planning and provides assistance in locating services. Web site has design guidelines and a professional locating section.

Paralyzed Veterans of America
801 18th Street NW
Washington, DC 20006-3517
Phone: 800/424-8200
TTY: 800/795-4327
Email: info@pva.org
www.pva.org
Provides publications covering such topics as accessibility, assistive technology and adaptive design. Web site includes design guidelines for the kitchen and bath.

Please visit these Web sites for more information:

Attach a File: 
ud.pdf


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by Dr. Radut.