Changing the World through Universal Design Standards

Presentation by Joshua H. Heintz, Esq., of Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C., and

Member of GUDC Board of Directors

USBLN 2011 Annual Conference Universal Design: Expanding Markets

and Increasing Workplace ProductivityTuesday, October 18, 2011

Origins of GUDC Robert Congel of Destiny USA, Graham Hill, member of the National

Council for Disability, Josh Heintz, environmental attorney with Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C., and Peter Blanck, Chairman of the Burton Blatt Institute and professor of law and public policy at Syracuse University came together to begin the initiative.

American Dream Forum I was held from May 31 to June 2, 2006, Congel, Heintz and Blanck brought together multidisciplinary experts in architecture, industrial design, law, finance, public policy, technology, and social psychology to dream about the future possibilities of Destiny USA as an inclusive community, specifically with respect to: (1) Universal Design; (2) Inclusive Workforce; (3) Customer Experience; and (4) Living Laboratory – Applied Research

American Dream Forum II was held in December 2007, ADF II assembled 12 experts from the disability design field to discuss a voluntary consensus process to create and implement universal design standards and certification.

The forums lead to the realization that a Not-for-Profit should be formed - Recognizing the need to take Universal Design to the next level by creating voluntary consensus standards to guide designers, developers, lenders, governments and end users to understand and apply UD Standards and certify their efforts in creating fully accessible buildings and products, Josh Heintz and his law partner William Gilberti agreed to fund the formation of a not-for-profit organization, Global Universal Design Commission, Inc. (GUDC), to develop, through a consensus process, and voluntarily implement the universal design standards.

Collaborating Organizations

Burton Blatt Institute The Burton Blatt Institute (“BBI”) at Syracuse University the premier

organization to advance civic, economic and social participation of persons with disabilities in a global society, focuses on research, education, training, policy, technical assistance, outreach and fundraising. Lead by chairman Peter Blanck, Ph. D., J.D., a founder of GUDC and current Chairman of the GUDC Board of Directors

Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C. Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C. of Syracuse New York is one of the

leading environmental law firms in the Northeast. Lead by Joshua Heintz, Esq. partner and Co-Chair of the Environmental Practice Group.

Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access The Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access at the State

University of New York at Buffalo, known as the “IDEA Center” is the premier research and development center on universal design in North America. The Center is known internationally as a leading contributor to the development of universal design, expanding the evidence base for practice, promoting educational initiatives and its many publications in this field. The IDEA Center is dedicated to making environments and products more usable, safer and healthier in response to the needs of an increasingly diverse population. Lead by Director Edward Steinfeld, Arch. D., AIA, a founder of GUDC and current member of the GUDC Board of Directors is leading the technical work on the UD Standards.

Formation of Not-for-Profit

Recognizing the need to take Universal Design to the next level by creating voluntary consensus standards to guide designers, developers, lenders, governments and end users to understand and apply UD Standards and certify their efforts in creating fully accessible buildings and products, Josh Heintz and his law partner William Gilberti of Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C. agreed to fund the formation of a not-for-profit organization, Global Universal Design Commission, Inc. (GUDC), to develop, through a consensus process, and voluntarily implement the universal design standards.

William J. Gilberti, Jr., Esq.

Joshua H. Heintz, Esq.

Gilberti Stinziano Heintz

& Smith, P.C.

GUDC Founding Board of Directors

GUDC assembled some of the most knowledgeable and influential people in the areas of accessible design and policy, including four United States Presidential appointees.

Chairman - Peter Blanck

Honorary Chairman - Ambassador to the United States from Ecuador - Luis Gallegos

Members • Berthy De La Rosa-Aponte *• Joshua Heintz • Graham Hill *• Andrew Houghton * • Carmen Jones• John Lancaster*• Edward Steinfeld

* Presidential appointee

GUDC Purpose & Goals

To develop and promote the understanding and use of Universal Design in the design and development of buildings, products, and environments to be useable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation, retrofitting, or specialized design.

GUDC’s Role & Responsibilities

Facilitate through public education the awareness, understanding, and application of UD principles to products and the built environment;

Lead a voluntary consensus standards development process to provide an objective system of measurement to evaluate level of adoption of UD standards in the built environment;

Promote the adoption and use of newly developed UD standards across environments;

Educate designers, developers, lenders, governments, and end users of the benefits of application of UD standards to the built environment and products;

Measure, through the application of a rating system, the level of adoption of UD standards;

GUDC’s Role & Responsibilities (cont.)

Certify buildings, commercial and residential development, and products that meet UD standards;

Conduct training and offer technical assistance to designers, developers, lenders, governments and end users to understand and apply UD standards to improve product and built environment design;

Certify professionals to be qualified in UD and in UD building and product certification;

Conduct research to improve current and create new knowledge about the adoption and use of UD in the US and worldwide that quantifies and qualifies cost and benefits; and,

Conduct any other activities to fulfill and communicate the mission of the Global Universal Design Commission.

What is Universal Design (UD)?

Universal design increases usability, safety and health through design of environments, products and systems in response to the diversity of people and abilities.

E. Steinfeld, IDEA Center, 2010

Universal Design Goals: Body fit - accommodates a wide a range of body sizes and

abilities

Comfort - keeps demands within desirable limits of strength and stamina

Awareness – insures that critical information for use is easily perceived

Understanding – makes methods of operation and use intuitive, clear and unambiguous

Wellness - contributing to health promotion, avoidance of disease and  protection from hazards

Social integration – treats all groups with dignity and respect. Age appropriateness

Personalization – incorporates opportunities for choice and the expression of individual preferences (self determination)

Cultural appropriateness – respects and reinforces positive cultural values (independence)

E. Steinfeld, IDEA Center, 2010

Universal DesignConsensus Standardsfor Commercial Buildings

A set of voluntary guidance standards that can be adopted to incorporate universal design principles into new and existing commercial buildings

The Consensus Standards will identify and encourage the incorporation of UD features

They are intended to complement existing accessibility standards

GUDC’s Commercial Building Consensus Committee (CBCC)

The Commission has joined together some of the most knowledgeable and influential people in the areas of design and public policy in its effort to define a standard by which buildings can be certified and measured for their level of accessibility.

The Commercial Building Consensus Committee (CBCC) was formed to draft, approve, revise and interpret GUDC’s Consensus Standards on Universal Design for Commercial Buildings.

The CBCC developed the Standards in accordance with the due process procedures outlined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), involving the collaboration of a wide range of stakeholders.

Adoption of Standards and Recent Developments GUDC is pleased to announce that through the

ANSI approved process Version 1.0 of the Commercial Building Standards were adopted in July of 2010. Work is currently underway on the Rating System and Certification Process for such Standards.

In October 2010, Joshua Heintz presented “Universalizing the Universal Design” at the second Meeting on Technology and Innovation for Persons with Disabilities in Sao Paolo, Brazil

This October 2011, Peter Blanck will be the keynote speaker at the third Meeting on Technology and Innovation for Persons with Disabilities in Sao Paolo in anticipation of the use of Universal Design in the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil

A World of Possibilities GUDC looks forward to more partnerships across the globe to help spread knowledge about the benefits of Universal Design and to increase the use of Universal Design.

CONTACT:

Joshua H. Heintz, Esq.Gilberti Stinziano Heintz & Smith, P.C. 555 E. Genesee StreetSyracuse, New York 13202Tel: 1-315-442-0100Website: www.gilbertilaw.com

Global Universal Design Commission, Inc.P.O. Box 6801Syracuse, New York 13217 Tel: 1-315-442-0139Website: www.globaluniversaldesign.org