Accessible Building Design

Accessible-Universal Home Design 

Accessibility and Future Redesign/Reuse

Lessons Learned - Accessible and Universal Design

Experiences and lessons learned to make our new home accessible. We designed features that provide accessibility both now and for future redesign.

Demonstration Model Accessible Home

Solutions for people with challenges in mobility, hearing and vision.

Welcome to Choices for Indpendent Living. We are a demonstration model accessible house that is open to the public daily, in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Purpose
Its purpose is to demonstrate accessibile house modifications and related furniture, fixtures, appliances, equipment and technology in a true residential living environment where visitors can obtain take home information about everything in the house. See the Features page for specific information about the accessible features for each room.

The house utilizes as many elements of UNIVERSAL DESIGN as can be practically included. Note: the Universal Design file is a very large pdf.

Accessible Design and Learning Resources 

Access Press

Minnesota's Disability Community Newspaper

American Assoiciation of People With Disabilities

Thank you for visiting AAPD's comprehensive website for disability-related news and information. We update the website continually and welcome your ideas and feedback on this important and unique resource for the national disability community, policy makers, news media, diversity professionals, and researchers. AAPD's website attracts as many as 190,000 unique page visits per month.

DisabilityInfo.gov

DisabilityInfo.gov is the federal government's one-stop Web site for people with disabilities, their families, employers, veterans, workforce professionals and many others.

National Council on Disability

The National Council on Disability (NCD) was initially established in 1978 as an advisory board within the Department of Education. The council is composed of 15 members, appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1984 transformed NCD into an independent agency.

The overall purpose of the agency is to promote policies, programs, practices, and procedures that guarantee equal opportunity for all people with disabilities, regardless of the nature or severity of the disability, and to empower them to achieve economic self-sufficiency, independent living, and inclusion and integration into all aspects of society.

NICHCY

National Information Center for Children and Youth with Disabilities.

NICHCY receives many calls each year from people who are looking for materials on disability awareness. People need these materials for many different reasons, from classroom instructional units, to Girl Scout information fairs, to school reports.

This listing of Resources You Can Use provides just a sample of selected materials available from different organizations.

U.S. Department of Labor

Office of Disability Employment Policy - Fact Sheets

VSA Arts Disability Awareness Guide

The VSA arts' Disability Awareness Guide was prepared by VSA arts as an informational tool for those who want to gain additional knowledge about disability and tips for social etiquette and positive interactions. When the first edition of the guide was printed in 1992, it instantly became VSA arts' most frequently requested publication. Artists, educators and others found it to be a valuable resource in beginning their understanding of people with disabilities.

The guide should be viewed as a starting point for readers to increase their basic knowledge, initiate discussion, and clarify myths and facts about people with disabilities. It is a tool that will start readers on their way to a better understanding of disability issues and the disability community as a whole.

VSA Disability Awareness Guide

Cool Learning Tools 

Kurzweil Educational Systems

As an alternative learning instructor, my wife has been amazed at what this system can do for individuals in their learning lab.

Kurzweil Educational Systems' research-aligned technologies provide complete reading, writing, and study solutions to help all students overcome learning challenges and succeed academically.

Kurzweil 3000 is a scaffolded reading, writing, and study skills solution for struggling learners, including ELL students and students with special needs. It enables educators to provide differentiated instruction without having to differentiate the curriculum. Our Case Studies illustrate student, teacher, and school successes.

Kurzweil 1000 provides blind users access to printed and electronic materials. Scanned print documents and digital files (such as eBooks or email) are converted from text to speech and read aloud.

Documentaries 

Through Deaf Eyes - PBS Documentary

As a brother to a deaf brother and a nephew to a deaf aunt and uncle; I found this presentation extremely insightful. Here's the transcript.