What is The Universal Design Education Project?

The Universal Design Education Project (UDEP) is a national effort organized by Adaptive Environments Center in Boston, MA to challenge existing values in design education by supporting curriculum development and teaching interventions that incorporate the principles and values of universal design. During the 1993-4 academic year, twenty two design schools across the U.S. were funded to undertake innovative teaching in the areas of architecture, landscape architecture, interior design and industrial design. Support came from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Disability Rights Section of the US Department of Justice, and private foundations.

Every project involved people with disabilities working as consultants in the classroom or studio setting. The range of strategies used by faculty included department wide curricular change, design charettes, competitions, teach-ins, university wide seminars, and computer assisted teaching modules. The results of this project are described in case study format in the book, Strategies for Teaching Universal Design, edited by Polly Welch. (Available from Adaptive Environments, 374 Congress Street, Suite 301, Boston, MA 02210 for $29.95)

The Universal Design Education Project is now in its second cycle. Eight schools have been funded to pursue additional innovations in universal design teaching.

More information on the Universal Design Education Project can be found at the Universal Design Education Project web site.