Born out of efforts to improve access for people with disabilities,
Universal Design incorporates concepts that improve function and access
for every household member and guest with regard for varying age, size and
abilities. Recognized leaders in the field of Universal Design, the
designers at MJP respond to the changing needs of your household over the
life-span of your home.
At a point in my career and life in general when I was asking if I
could hope to make a difference in the world, I turned the focus of my
kitchen and bath design work to people with disabilities. A past
client, now friend and advisor, encouraged me to put my love of people
and of creating these two types of spaces together. It was my grand
scheme that I would work with each client as I had been, establishing
the needs and parameters of the project, and creating a kitchen or
bathroom that more than accomplished the goals. The difference would be
that the client's needs would be non-traditional. The design team would
include medical advisors, and the results would be not only beautiful
and new, but newly open to the client.
One of my first projects was a bath remodel. The goal was to enable
the client to transfer independently and to do so into a tub, rather
than a shower. The day the job was complete, I received a call from the
client thanking me and telling me that she was celebrating her first
bath in 15 years. I was hooked. Most of us have to make a living, but
not all of us can have the joy in work that I have found.
While my clients with disabilities were growing in numbers, I
continued to work with builders, architects, and referrals from previous
clients. I learned that much was possible using the same lovely parts
and pieces that had always been a part of the package, but they had to
be used in non-traditional ways. I learned that many of the things I
designed to support or give access to a client with a disability would
also improve the space for an able-bodied client. In fact, I learned
that the question to ask clients was what they wanted of a new space,
not based on what they already knew a kitchen or bath could do, but on
what they wished it could do. Aha! My focus need not be people with
disabilities to the exclusion of others, but improved flexibility and
access for all clients. What a concept! Of course, that concept is
universal design, and so I entered, through the back door, into the
world of believers in universal design.
The Future
We still have such a long way to go, but we are building momentum.
Whether an ideal to work towards or an attainable goal, universal design
is gaining attention. It should be our objective that one day every
designer of space or product will consider universal design principles
just as integrally as the other elements and principles of design. We
will no longer need a name - we will simply acknowledge as quality only
those creations that respect the diversity in people.
Universal
Design
