This course is coming soon!

This course will be available in late 2021. Sign up for the Informal/Function email list to be sure to hear about it first thing!

Reach out to Hannah at the email address above to schedule a 1 hour online or in-person Lunch + Learn on this same topic for AIA LU|HSW credit! Find more about live trainings on the Informal/Function website.

What's in the course?

We've surveyed and interviewed lots of disabled people to find out how we can design "above and beyond the ADA."

In this course, we'll dig into both cultural and design changes that we need to make spaces more welcoming to our disabled friends. 

We'll cover some history of disability justice, touch on the ADA, talk about disabled JOY, and learn about the diverse spatial needs of disabled folks.

Here's how we categorize what we know now about better design for disability:


Toilet icon by Andrejs Kirma from the Noun Project opened door icon by Vectors Market from the Noun Project Couch icon by Vectors Market from the Noun Project horizontal arrows icon by ArtWorkLeaf from the Noun Project

Better Bathrooms / Equal Entry / More Chairs, Everywhere / The Space Between

Map icon by Adrien Coquet from the Noun Project balance scale icon by Vectors Market from the Noun Project statistics icon by Vectors Market from the Noun Project Mouse icon by Vectors Market from the Noun Project

Clear Navigation / Balance Design Elements / Design for Dynamism / Digital Bridge

I/F elevates the voices of disabled people.

We know we need to listen to spatially marginalized people themselves to improve design for them. 8 Ways to Design for Disabled Joy is full of videos, audio clips, and quotes from real disabled people who were fairly compensated for their contributions.

We reached diverse people through our survey. Here's how some of them identified themselves:


AIA LU|HSW Learning Objectives

After completing this multimedia on-demand course, students will be able to:

1. INFORM - Summarize how a culture of exclusion and the design legacies of a homogenous profession have contributed to shaping a built environment that does not fully meet the needs of the 25% of adult Americans who identify as disabled.

2. LISTEN - Elevate and interpret the spatial concerns of diverse disabled stakeholders who would like to experience more access in a spectrum of building types.

3. SYNTHESIZE - Recount 8 design strategies beyond ADA basics that make any built space more inclusive of people with physical and cognitive disabilities.

4. ACT - Define personal and professional "next practices" (advocacy steps + design decisions) appropriate to the individual's role, spheres of influence, skills, and interests in the design industry.

Course Curriculum

  • 1

    ADMINISTRATION

  • 2

    INTRODUCTION

  • 3

    UNIVERSAL NEEDS

    • The Experience

    • Isolation

    • Community

    • ACTIVITY: Where do you find joy?

    • Disabled Joy

    • America Today

    • Intersectionality

    • People Say "Crip"?

    • Designers' Response

    • Attitude (Jan)

    • Inclusion

    • DEFINITION: inclusion

    • REVIEW: How do we show up?
  • 4

    EXPERT INPUT

    • Who Are the Experts?

    • Introducing Our Experts

    • Where do you love?

    • Karaoke (Sabine)

      FREE PREVIEW

    • CASE STUDY: Eugene Public House

    • How do you choose?

    • What gets in the way?

    • Sports Fan (Jonathan)

    • REFLECTION PREP: LISTENING

    • REFLECTION: What showed up?
  • 5

    DESIGN FOR DISABLED JOY: BETTER ADA

    • Summary of Observations

    • Next Practices

    • Wine Bars (Jan)

    • 1. Better Bathrooms

    • Go With the Flow (Beq)

      FREE PREVIEW

    • 2. Equal Entry

    • 3. More Chairs, Everywheres

    • 4. The Space Between

    • CASE STUDY: Revolution Hall
  • 6

    DESIGN FOR DISABLED JOY: BEYOND ADA

    • ADA+

    • Predictability + Navigability (Sabine)

    • 5. Clear Navigation

    • Dynamic Disability (Beq)

    • 6. Balance Design Elements

    • Flexibility (Sabine)

    • 7. Designing for Dynamism

    • Competitive Advantage (Jonathan)

      FREE PREVIEW

    • 8. Digital Bridge

    • CASE STUDY: Community Vision

    • The Business Case

    • REFLECTION PREP: DESIGN

    • REFLECTION: What's feasible?

    • REFLECTION PREP: APPLICATION

    • REFLECTION: How would you do it?
  • 7

    TAKING ACTION

    • The Activist Designer

    • Butting Heads

    • Tradeoffs (Jonathan)

    • Design Needs Culture

    • Beyond Design

    • No Checklist (Sabine)

    • REFLECTION PREP: ROLE

    • REFLECTION: Where do I start?

    • REFLECTION PREP: ACTION

    • REFLECTION: How will I take action?

    • Conclusion + Pep Talk
  • 8

    RESOURCES

    • Additional Design Resources

    • OPTIONAL: Add to our collective resources!
  • 9

    CREDIT

    • AIA + IDCEC CREDIT REQUESTS

    • LEED/WELL AP Self-Reporting Information