Inclusive Design, Rationale + Practice
Emily Barna, Amenta Emma Architects
Valerie Fletcher, Institute for Human Centered Design
Ian Law, Fuss & O’Neill
Sponsored by
Inclusive design is a framework for the design of places, things, information and policy. It is born of a conviction that design has powerful potential to shape human experience and it puts people at the center of the design process. Inclusive Design anticipates the ordinary but extraordinary diversity of ability, age, culture and builds in design solutions. The presenters will provide an overview of the global movement and illustrate Inclusive Design with case studies from the built environment.
About Emily
Emily Barna, IIDA, LEED AP, WELL AP, EDAC, is an award-winning and accredited interior designer working in Amenta Emma’s Community Studio where she focuses on senior living and multi-family projects. Since joining the firm in 2012, Barna has applied an evidence-based approach to her work, helping create beautiful spaces that appeal to all the senses while paying careful attention to details that can assist seniors with varying physical, or cognitive limitations. As a WELL-accredited professional, she also focuses on key aspects of design to make a positive impact on human well-being and comfort. Barna earned her Bachelor of Science degree in interior design from Endicott College. She is a frequent contributor to the Amenta Emma insights blog, discussing the benefits of incorporating biophilia and WELL concepts into senior living projects. Barna is an active member of IIDA and the IIDA New England chapter.
“Since achieving Evidence Based Design certification, I am convinced that the EBD process can be applied to any design discipline. Design should elevate a space and improve lives using proven data to lead decision-making that will result in the best outcomes we can imagine for those who use our spaces.”
About Valerie
Valerie Fletcher has been Executive Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), an international design and education non-profit whose mission centers on the role of design in social equity, since 1998. IHCD is a deep content expert in accessibility and Inclusive Design. Fletcher oversees IHCD’s consultation, design, and education services and created the IHCD User/Expert Lab. Current participatory research focus is generating data to inform designing for people with functional limitations in the BIPoC and low-income communities with an emphasis on brain-based and other non-apparent conditions. Fletcher earned a master’s degree in ethics and public policy from Harvard University. She is on the Board of the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) and a Trustee of the Boston Architectural College. The Helen Hamlyn Centre at the Royal College of Art in London named her Inclusive Design Champion 2022.
About Ian
Ian Law is an Associate at Fuss & O’Neill, a 360+ person multi-disciplinary consulting engineering firm with offices throughout all six New England states. With more than two decades of experience, Law is a recognized leader in urban design and planning, downtown revitalization, as well as community and park master planning. He has led, and been a team member for, award-winning national and international projects. As a recognized expert in sustainable design and planning, Law has presented throughout the country on the importance of integrating planning and design and issues of scale and context when applying the principles of urbanism.