*ASL interpreting services available upon request.*
Inclusive design is a simple idea: design things to be accessible and relevant to as many people as possible. It’s a broad-reaching, foundational design principle applicable to everything from architecture to websites. On October 18th, we are hosting a panel discussion with five people working across a range of industries to discuss and explore:
- Who are we designing for in NYC? Who are we NOT designing for in NYC?
- How are we currently designing accessible/inclusive services in New York City across various sectors?
- How might we break the barriers to participation?
- What is a designer’s responsibility?
There will also be a raffle for a Cooper Professional Education (CPE) class!
Here’s our panel of speakers:
Anita Perr, Clinical Associate Professor of Occupational Therapy at NYU’s Steinhardt
Anita has a passion for helping people with disabilities participate in the activities they desire. She brings her creativity and expertise in biomechanics to her work in designing assistive technologies. Anita co-directs the NYU Ability Project, an interdisciplinary effort focusing on research and teaching.
David Vega-Barachowitz, Senior Urban Designer at NYC Department of City Planning
As a city planner and urban designer, David’s work explores the intersection between urban design, zoning, and transportation with a focus on reimagining and reinvesting in the public realm. At NYC Planning, David has spearheaded a range of projects and initiatives including the development of neighborhood-based public realm plans, research on new and emerging mobility options, and guidelines for the design and retrofit of public housing complexes.
Kohzy Koh, Product Strategy Manager at Intersection
Kohzy is an interaction designer with a special interest in urban issues, waste management, and designing for disability. He designs, prototypes, and builds across mediums: digital, hardware, service, and print.
Liz Jackson, Accessibility Advocate & Designer
Liz is the founder of The Disabled List, a disability self-advocacy organization that focuses on design. The Disabled List is a curated list of creative disabled people who are available to consult, collaborate and support brands that are interested in reaching their disabled consumers. The Disabled List is shifting the disability narrative by ensuring disabled people are treated as the experts in disability. Liz recently launched a program called WITH, which is creating new pathways into design for disabled people.
Mari Nakano, Acting Design Director, NYC Mayor’s Office for Economic Opportunity
Mari Nakano has an obsession with problem-solving through the lens of design. She has been practicing what design can do for products, services, and teams in the social impact space for over 12 years and has worked with notables such as the United Nations Population Fund, Women Deliver, PepsiCo and Design Continuum. Prior to joining the New York City Mayor’s Office as the Acting Design Director, she served for 4 years as the Design & Interaction Lead for UNICEF’s Office of Innovation where she orchestrated the production and execution of designed materials and processes across a multi-disciplinary global team of innovators focused on developing forward-thinking solutions to improve the lives of children around the world. She is the recipient of the 2015 ArtCenter Young Innovator Alumni Award and a contributor to the award-winning LEAP Dialogues: Career Pathways in Design for Social Innovation.
