What is Design For A Lifespan?

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What is Design For A Lifespan?

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Introducing...BEA

This is Beatrice.  She is the "Bea" in Project Bea and Pearl.  Isn't this a wonderful photo of her?  She was born in upstate New York in March of 1912.  She is going to ninety eight years old...amazing!!  She is one of six children.  Her mother died shortly after giving birth to the sixth child.  She was nine years old and was deeply sadden by her loss.  Her father remarried and gave her three more siblings.  She is the only surviving member in her family of origin.  She often questions why she remains.  In her lifetime she has lived through the Great Depression, nineteen U.S. presidents,  the explosion of the information age,  six wars and is witnessing the present one.  She is an avid movie goer and a big TV fan, can you image all she has seen in the entertainment world?  That's a lot of living.

Bea is a widow, a mother, a grandmother, a great grandmother and a great great grandmother.  She lost her husband in 2006.  She is the mother of three children.  She has a daughter, the other half of Project Bea and Pearl, and two sons.  One son lives in Derwood, Maryland and the the other is deceased.  Bea and her husband moved to Arizona in 1977 to be close to Pearl and her family and to enjoy the Arizona sunshine.  Bea is an independent woman who's mind is sharp but her body will not cooperate with her as it did in the past.  Which is totally understandable...but...try telling her that!

Be sure to check back soon...Pearl's story is next.

Project Bea and Pearl

Coming soon...the story of Bea and Pearl.  Here's a hint:  Bea is a ninety seven year old woman living alone in her own home.  Pearl is her daughter and caregiver.  My job is to provide a safe environment for Bea while giving Pearl peace of mind in regards to her mother's safety.  Am I up to the challenge??

Universal Design...What is it?

Definitions:

uni·ver·sal, (yü-nə-ˈvər-səl), adj.

1: including or covering all or a whole collectively or distributively without limit or exception; especially: available equitably to all members of a society 
2 a: present or occurring everywhere, b: existent or operative everywhere or under all conditions 
3 a: embracing a major part or the greatest portion (as of humankind), b: comprehensively broad and versatile 

4 a: affirming or denying something of all members of a class or of all values of a variable b: denoting every member of a class
5: adapted or adjustable to meet varied requirements (as of use, shape, or size) 

de·sign, (di-ˈzīn), verb

1: to create, fashion, execute, or construct according to plan 

2 a: to conceive and plan out in the mind, b: to have as a purpose, c: to devise for a specific function or end 
3: archaic: to indicate with a distinctive mark, sign, or name
4 a: to make a drawing, pattern, or sketch of  b: to draw the plans for 

Explanation:

“Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”        ~Ron Mace

The purpose of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, technologies, and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages, sizes and abilities.  Sometimes it is referred to as “design-for-all”.

Got questions or comments about universal design?

Contact me at:

jeanette@DesignForALifespan.com

480.695.1360