Building Inclusion Beyond the Americans With Disabilities Act

Course Details

Previous conventional wisdom called for accommodating a narrowly defined list of people with disabilities. New best practices consider disabilities along a spectrum, resulting in a larger population that must be accounted for and a realization that planners need insight into how to better serve people with disabilities.

This presentation offers three case studies illustrating best practices built around inclusion and accessibility. The first looks at the Killebrew District in Tennessee, an inclusive community designed to cater to a wide variety of needs in a single space. The second examines how the Circle of Friends provides socialization and affordable housing. The third considers Fulton County Arts and how they planned for new opportunities in public arts for people with disabilities. All three are considered through the lens of maximum inclusivity and its social and economic benefits.

Learning Outcomes

• Identify the social and economic benefits of inclusive communities.
• Apply actionable techniques in building inclusive communities.
• Compare strategies for going beyond the Americans With Disabilities Act to design for people along the full spectrum of disability.