Stepping back from a focused view on universal design, I see that there are other ways to achieve an environment that disappears the effects of many conditions that would otherwise be considered disabling. What is it and how is it possible? A new and beautifully illustrated book, Restorative Commons: Creating...
Malia & Sasha Obama
Malia and Sasha Obama are in the White House (almost) and one of the places they will be making friends is in the kitchen. There will be no shortage of staff ready to serve up a hot coco and a fresh baked cookie. And, much to their delight, there won’t...
Let Your Home Work For You
Decreasing the time spent taking care of your home and increasing the time your home takes care of you. According to a survey conducted by the AARP, 89 percent of people older than 50 wish to remain at home, rather than move to other housing options. The question not being...
Living Large in the 70’s
See it in video: Living Large in the 70’s Ahh, the 70’s. Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, Vietnam, China and Watergate. What about Star Wars, disco, Atari and video cassettes? How about the New York City blackout, Son of Sam and Guardian Angels? A pretty amazing decade, but, I’m not talking...
Interior Design
Design isn’t just making things pretty or trendy, not anymore. Design includes neuroscience; maybe one could say it IS neuroscience. It’s your nervous system that matters now (it’s the planets nerves too). Our world has changed. The Smithsonian Institution has this list: The Ten Most Disturbing Scientific Discoveries, third on...
Emily Post for Buildings
Laura Claridge has just published a biography on Emily Post. To the delight of fans, Emily Post was quite the woman living in quite the time. To her detractors, Emily Post is still no more than an arbiter of manners including the extended pinky finger while quietly sipping tea. It...
Euthanasia
Today’s partisan politics is like a bad marriage. The couple no longer communicates; instead, they undermine each other’s intentions by using any opposing position, even when it doesn’t support their own agenda. President Obama wants to improve our health care system. He doesn’t have a perfect solution – it’s a...
Gadgetmania!
Ages ago, the only gadget was a pair of specs. When not used, they hung neatly from one’s neck. If I hung today’s gadgets from my neck, I’d soon be crippled. Gadgets start with the cell phone. Next would be the TV clicker. But given today’s level of remote controls,...
Geriatric II
With forethought and planning, you can recognize and then optimize the ability to enjoy life, reduce chances of hospitalization or institutionalization, and continue independent living. This might be for yourself or for someone you care for such as a parent, spouse or sibling. Consider this endeavor as meaningful as having...
Gorilla Marketing
Topics: Blog, Universal Design
We are GUILTY when we pretend that our current designs don’t foster a class of OUTLIERS. We pretend that THREE CUPS OF TEA will make it go away. But let me tell you THE SECRET: the DREAMS OF MY FATHER and the dreams of all our fathers wasn’t WHY WE...