Good Intentions in Universal Design: A Global Challenge for Higher Education.

It is not often that a high-level edict requires higher education centres to promote universal design through their programmes; however the recent United Nations Beijing Declaration and Action Plan (UNESCAP 2017) expressly states that, "academic institutions should provide training programmes on universal design for policymakers, building inspectors and contractors, as well as integrating universal design and accessibility into curricula related to architecture, urban planning, transport, civil engineering and other relevant academic branches". This is particularly timely in the Asia-Pacific region, where economies continue to show massive expansion of their built environments. This imperative to future-proof any development therefore is vital, especially considering the growing percentile of older people with their needs for safe and accessible living. Achieving these ends clearly implies a need both to educate professionals and to enact appropriate codes and standards, which in turn require the training of personnel to carry them out. Anticipating this need, Goal 3 of the United Nations Incheon Strategy (UNESCAP 2012) optimistically calls for "civil society involvement in conducting accessibility audits, creating guidelines and advocacy work to promote universal design" and "to enhance mechanisms for tracking its progress". While such good intentions are admirable, they will require radical steps to be achieved. The paper describes examples, including those from the writers' own experiences, outlining a range of practical methods which academics and teachers involved in inculcating universal design principles in both European and Asian centres, through their teaching, training and technology transfer, can positively support continued cooperation towards a more inclusive World for everyone.

Universal Design in Architectural Education - Community Liaison on 'Live Projects'.

The infusion of Universal Design principles into existing courses in architecture should become evident in any project work undertaken. 'Live project' is a term used to describe projects that engage the academic world with real-world groups/organizations. CCAE sees such projects as valuable exercises in a student's education, particularly, the practical experience of interaction with 'user-experts.' In 2016 Cork County Council approached CCAE with a proposal to promote age-friendly housing as part of their age-friendly initiative. CCAE developed this into a 'live project' for Year 2 architecture students, continuing the integration of UD into the curriculum. This helps students to identify the negative disabling aspects of ageing and show UD principles can be seen as commonplace. For their part, the County Council were able to expand their own thinking, availing of the less constrained ideas that students brought to their schemes. An approach to achieving the adoption of UD is to consider the Vitruvian definition of architecture as having 'commodity, firmness and delight'. From this, the aesthetic integration of features to benefit users of limited ability can be achieved without stigmatising anyone as being old or disabled. Now in its second year the project is being run in West Cork. The chosen site in Bantry town centre, has interesting challenges for the students to incorporate UD principles. This paper will present imaginative but viable projects as examples of student' responses to the challenges of designing housing solutions and will report on their ability to integrate age-friendly features at different scales.