Deborah Lisi-Baker
Workshop #113
Nothing About Us Without Us
Ripening, colors, plucked, picked, Johnny appleseed, fresh, oj, orange!, florida, fresh,
Exercise: pass around apple and orange
- how if one is aware of one’s environment – one can really be a part of that environment, engaged in it
- This issue really goes into the larger concept of what it is to be human and to be living in the world
In the United States, people are living longer and so many face disability in older age à do not think that because the US has better health care than some other areas, that there is less disability
Deborah was wearing bike gloves for getting a quick grip on her wheelchair – while at an international design conference in Rio de Janiero a person came up to her and asked to take her photo – he had designed the gloves, never intending ppl in wheelchairs to use them, but was delighted to see this usage of his product
One thing that was very exciting was technology that raises lines as you create them, so you can experience a tactile understanding of the design
Deborah, via affiliation with the Institute for Human Centered Design, has interviewed architects and designers who have disabilities – how it has effected their work and their understanding of the world. The institute has published a book on these interviews, which is available at their website. http://www.adaptenv.org/
I liked this point (regarding a mentoring project between architects w/ disabilties and students w/ disabilities): The point isn’t to produce a bunch of architects that are blind – but rather to combat the notion that, ‘Oh you’re blind; you can’t become an architect!
Deborah also brought up a really great point that all of the senses are interconnected – so the loss of one sense affects how the others interrelate in order to continue to make sense of the world.
We need to take the time to learn how we learn in order to understand how to best help them
Space is experienced differently for every user of it. Highlighted through Deborah’s interviews with architects – they have greater insight into how space affects or is interpreted by the mind via the senses of touch, smell, and sound. These architects know how high the ceilings are, how the heat/ventilation systems are in buildings, without the sense of sight.
“Allowing fear and pride to help us make decisions will only keep us stagnant in our lives.” – a touching quote from a graduate of an architecture program who is losing his sight.
United Arab Emirates: even though others may see it as a backwards place – have many ppl w/ disabilities and common accommodations – ppl don’t stare at others with disabilities because they are used to it
Institute for Human Centered Design – book available from them with all of these architects and designers who have disabilities