Greetings from @nelson_atkins where I'm looking forward to free afternoon talk on design & #disability featuring @ashleyshoo, Peter Sloan, and Anaiss A.

This event is organized in connection w/the museum's new Access+Ability exhibit which I visited last month.

#STS #sciart https://twitter.com/bhgross144/status/1185998721017896960

Further details on this afternoon's Designed With Disability discussion & speaker bios, courtesy of @nelson_atkins: https://nelson-atkins.org/events/talk-designed-disability/

Stay tuned for further updates using the hashtag #DesignedWithDisability.

As I should have anticipated, today’s #DesignedWithDisability presentations will include captions.

(In my experience, @nelson_atkins has been a leader among #KCMO cultural institutions in making this option available to presenters.)

The #DesignWithDisability panel is now @nelson_atkins's Madison Zalopany (N-A's Manager of Community and Access Programs) begins by describing efforts the museum has made to make this panel as accessible as possible.

As she notes, "we are all collaborating on access together."

Zalopany now introduces the other members of the panel, including Peter Sloan ( @HOKNetwork), Anais A. ( @makejustright) & @ashleyshoo ( @sts_vt).

#DesignWithDisability

Up first, Peter Sloan who was involved in the design of @WholePersonKC, an organization which provides services to people with disabilities. He notes that the project was a true example of universal design that embodies values of access and inclusivity.

#DesignWithDisability

“I am without sight, not without vision.”

Sloan quotes architect Chris Downey, an architect who lost his sight but remains deeply engaged in discussions about accessible design.

#DesignWithDisability

More on blind architect Chris Downey via @60minutes: https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/1084651623459246080

#DesignWithDisability

Up next, high school junior Anais A. who co-founded @makejustright, a design consultancy committed to making the world more accessible to everyone.

More on their efforts: https://www.makejustright.com/ 

#DesignWithDisability

Anais A. gives an example of an invention she created: a lift that can offer someone in a wheelchair greater independence.

#DesignWithDisability

Anaiss (apologies for previous misspelling) concludes her presentation by encouraging designers to reach out to people w/disabilities when starting new projects.

She also urges us to follow more people w/disabilities on social media.

#DesignWithDisability

. @ashleyshoo kicks off her discussion by noting that disability can inspire creativity and inspiration, but that functional designs can’t be derived via simulation or imagination.

Designers need to consult w/people who have lived w/disability for a while.

#DesignWithDisability

. @ashleyshoo calls attention to critiques of Access+Ability from #STS scholars, including @besswww & @maramills.

For example, there are few details re: collaboration w/disabled people or the challenges associated w/the using new access technologies.

#DesignWithDisability

Anaiss notes that tot a lot of people in the disability community can truly speak about their disability without being pitied.

She suggests that exhibits like Access+Ability may still serve a valuable role: a stepping stone towards normalization.

#DesignWithDisability

"Disabled people are usually really good about thinking creatively about how they can fit into a particular profession or space, but a lot of educational institutions have not given the matter as much consideration." - @ashleyshoo

#DesignWithDisability

. @ashleyshoo notes that there are buildings on many college campuses that were designed *decades* after the ADA and they suffer from all sorts of deficiencies.

Examples: Broken elevators, poorly designed curb cuts, auditoriums w/poor acoustics, etc.

#DesignWithDisability

Sloan: We are all on a spectrum of disability, but until we encounter a barrier, it isn't a barrier.

This isn't an us vs. them situation...it's a "we." And we need to be aware of these issues & willing to engage in discussions about disability & access.

#DesignWithDisability

Anaiss notes that an individual's intersectionality can further complicate debates over disability.

When one is part of more than one marginalized group, it raises further barriers to sustained conversations about access.

#DesignWithDisability

Zalopany opens the floor to audience questions, e.g. Thoughts on the use of "disability" vs. "varied ability"?

Anaiss-Choice of term=personal preference

@ashleyshoo-People who fought for her civil rights used "disability" (not handicapped)-can be positive

#DesignWithDisability

Another audience member observes @nelson_atkins has made great strides in accessibility, but there's more work to be done. How can people in the disability community get involved?

General consensus: more conversations & outreach are necessary.

#DesignWithDisability

"There is a pervasive fear about becoming disabled among the general public, but once you cross over it's not that scary." - @ashleyshoo

#DesignWithDisability

. @ashleyshoo: Debates over design & disability often focus on making disabled people into the most able-bodied citizens we can. But that betrays the vision of a world that can accommodate everyone instead of one idealized type of body.

#DesignWithDisability

And that's it for now. Thanks again to @nelson_atkins for organizing today's #DesignWithDisability panel & our speakers for their thoughtful presentations.

If you're in #KCMO, I highly recommend visiting the Access+Ability exhibition. It closes Feb. 9. https://nelson-atkins.org/events/access-ability/