Universal Design Talks – Stream

Universal Design Talks

Program (pdf)

Please register by sending an e-mail to info@nordichouse.is with your name and name of the seminar.

The keynote speaker is Sean Vance, Architect and Assistant Professor of Architecture at the University of Michigan, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Program

The Universal Design Talks, which is a part of Design March, will be in English.  The event will be held in the Nordic House on March 24, 2017.

Universal Design has become an integral part of the design of man-made environments and is increasing in the field of management and organization.  At Universal Design Talk we will discuss how vast the ideology of universal design is; how and where it is manifested.  Recent research will be shared on how universal design is the way to a better community through architecture and design.

The synergy of universal design and aesthetics will be examined in context with a research project on guiding directional lines to aid blind and visually impaired people in finding their way.  We will talk about technological advancements – intelligence in buildings and what purpose it’ plays in daily usage, especially for people with special needs. The importance of dependable and verified information about circumstances in a man-made environment will be discussed and examples given on how to obtain, analyze, and portray information that will be useful to people, for example, when planning their travel and other outings.

We will look at the possibilities for people with disabilities to travel around Iceland, and the interplay of private and public entities will be reviewed in the light of societal responsibility. Can it be that society discriminates against people through negligence?

Participants in Universal Design Talk come from the U.S., Denmark, Norway, and Iceland. They all share the background of working in the field of universal design and accessibility in their professional career.