For three previous conferences The R.L. Mace Universal Design Institute (UDI) staff has collaborated with The Starkloff Disability Institute (SDI) to provide a unique educational experience showcasing good examples of universal design that can be incorporated into housing and neighborhoods. This October the North Carolina and St Louis based partnership is conducting the fourth Universal Design Summit (UDS4).

As North America’s only conference focused exclusively on housing and communities usable by all, UDS4 continues a tradition of providing exceptional content on universal design in housing, sustainable design, community design, and affordability. UDS4 will offer learning opportunities through informal discussion, breakout, and plenary sessions. The conference will feature exhibits, design charettes, workshops, and a tour of universally designed housing and neighborhoods.

Location

Saint Louis University
Busch Conference / Student Center
20 North Grand Boulevard
St. Louis, Missouri 63103

Information Desk: 314-977-2820

Saint Louis University is located in midtown St. Louis and is easily accessible by major highways, light rail, and public transportation. Lambert International Airport is the nearest airport, located approximately 20 minutes from the campus.

Audience

Architects, landscape architects, designers, planners, developers, builders / contractors, design students, non-profit housing organizations, code officials, public health professionals and other related disciplines.

Continuing Education Units will be available for architects and occupational therapists, interior designers, landscape architects and planners.

Background

UDS4 responds to the growing need for information about the 21st century customer, home and neighborhood design issues. The current and future demographics of North America have produced a growing need for housing and communities that better support an individual’s day-to-day activities and are more accommodating as abilities change. The need is great and growing and the trends in home styles have not kept pace. There are 125 million residential units in the United States right now. Perhaps 15 million of them have significant usability / accessibility features.

There are 60 million people living in the United States with some type of disability, a population bubble of 77 million “baby boomers” moving into middle age, and a group of older adults whose numbers will double by 2030. No domain is more in need of universal design than housing and the communities of which they are a part.