There are times in life when we need certain answers. We have many methods for getting those answers suited to who we are as individuals. We contact friends, we search the internet, we go to bookstores, etc. What will thwart our searching, no matter how thorough our technique, is when...
The Missing Keyword
Topics: Blog, Universal Design
The Three Little Boomers
Once upon a time there were three little boomers and the time came for them to leave home and seek their fortunes. Before they left, their mother told them, “Whatever you do, do it the best that you can because that’s the way to get along in the world.” The...
The Walk-In Tub .. Brrr
Not every idea touted as universal design makes sense. The walk-in bathtub is one example. Do you know the one I’m talking about? The picture in the advertisement shows a young 60-ish and happy guy or gal in their bathrobe stepping in or out of the tub through a door,...
The Wooden Plate
Long ago there lived a happy family in the foothills of the Pyrenees. They raised livestock in the hills, mostly sheep and pig, and went into town once a week to trade their meats for supplies. The grandfather, too old for work, stayed in the home and helped care for...
Try Before You Buy
You’re a construction worker, single and moving into a new rental apartment. Unknown to you it has been updated applying universal design. Not a bad place. Bigger bathroom, wider doors and hallways, everything is easier to reach. Different, but good. Then one day, oops, hernia. Back home after the hospital,...
The Gift of Cranberry Juice
All excited, I opened up my gift. A bottle of concentrated, unsweetened cranberry juice? Hum, not what I expected. Not like I expected something in particular, but, it wasn’t exactly … Christmassy. It was a gift from my significant other, one that had been given considerable thought. A day later,...
The Future
Topics: Blog, Universal Design
Read 100 books on future trends and two themes emerge: China once again becomes the dominant power (weren’t they always except for the last few centuries); and, Web 2.0 will change everything. So, wouldn’t you buy stock in a social networking company based in China? Our bias in life favors...
The 8th Principle, Part II
In last week’s post, Universal Design: The 8th Principle, Part I, I departed from the more frequent discussions about how we physically “fit” in our environments and looked at the emotional landscape we have as a result of being perceived and judged as fitting in or not. Here is Part...
Surviving Snow & Ice: SNOW REMOVAL
Snow and ice spell trouble, maybe danger, probably extra work, and certainly limits to mobility. Hardest hit won’t be those who live in snow country and are used to it, but those who live in the marginal areas that rarely get snow or ice. Overcoming the inconveniences of snow requires...
Surviving Snow & Ice: UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR WINTER
Snow and ice spell trouble, maybe danger, probably extra work, and certainly limits to mobility. Hardest hit won’t be those who live in snow country and are used to it, but those who live in the marginal areas that rarely get snow or ice. Overcoming the inconveniences of snow requires...