Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 14

BULLETIN
Edited by Anne DiNardo

Do you think there's enough research
on this subject?
Not enough. A lot of it is in the scientific
realm, with researchers doing it, not designers. I've tried to take that research and apply
it to architecture, but I think doing postoccupancy evaluation surveys helps to zero
in on what's working in these environments
for seniors experiencing age-related visual
impairment. We need to dial into what's successful and what's not.
What's one takeaway you want the
audience to go home with from your
presentation at the EFA Expo?

PREVIEW: EFA EXPO & CONFERENCE

Conversation starters

Keynote speakers at the 2016 Environments for Aging Expo
& Conference (April 9-12, Austin, Texas) will bring their diverse
experiences to the stage to tackle two very different but important
topics: empathy in designing for residents' visual needs and brand
positioning for today's reluctant senior living prospects
Opening keynote
Chris Downey,
founder, Architecture
for the Blind
Environments for
Aging: How did losing
your sight make you a
more empathetic architect?
Chris Downey: It really brought home the
reality that our abilities aren't forever. At a
conference about accessible technology,
someone was saying there are two kinds of
people in the world: those with disabilities
and those who haven't found theirs yet. In a
humorous way, it really pointed out the fragility of life. We all go through a normal course
of a living experience that we're young, we
grow older, we age. Along the way, we might
have temporary disabilities, new permanent
disabilities, or we might have been born with
a disability. But the notion that I'm fully healthy
14

EFAmagazine.com * Spring 2016

and able today and I'm going to stay this way
for the rest of my life is a complete fallacy.
Through my firm, I consult on projects
that are targeted specifically to the blind and
visually impaired and, within that, age-related
visual impairment.
What are some of the issues that should
be addressed in senior living communities to make them visually accessible?
It's hard to have fun, be at ease, and enjoy
a place if you're struggling to understand it.
We need to think about incorporating visual
contrast-whether it's size or color-for key
elements so you can more easily see the
door or flooring, or controlling glare coming in
through a window. Research has shown that
you can take someone with good vision and in
the wrong environmental conditions-whether
it's a lack of contrast, glare, or insufficient
lighting-their visual ability is legally blind. It's
something we don't really think about.

When we think about empathy, we think
about walking in a client's shoes. In this
case, just walking in a client's shoes isn't
necessarily getting to the point of things, so
I'd like people to think about walking behind
their client's eye and trying to see, understand, and appreciate how people see with
visual impairment. It's a hard thing to do, but
that's where the value of research comes
through to help us to be aware, to anticipate
those situations as we're designing.

Closing keynote
Harry Moody,
distinguished visiting
professor, Creative
Longevity and Wisdom
Program, Fielding
Graduate University
Environments for Aging: Your career
has been spent largely in academia,
as vice president for academic affairs
with AARP, and before that, as executive director of the Brookdale Center on
Aging at Hunter College. What will your
message be to our audience of designers, architects, and operators?
Harry Moody: My message to the group
is twofold: The good news is that you're in
the best possible business to be in today
because we have 10,000 people turning 65
and 10,000 turning 70 every single day in
America. The bad news is they don't want
your product because they don't want to
grow old. For example, when you're talking
about senior living facilities, the standard


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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Environments for Aging - Spring 2015

Environments for Aging - Spring 2015
Contents
EFAmagazine.com
Editorial
Show Talk
Bulletin
Operations
Construction
Pushing Boundaries
Bathroom Design Beyond ADA
Welcome
2016 Jury
Inside and Out
Town Center
Elements of Surprise
Project Directory
EFA Design Showcase
Product Gallery
Buyers Guide
Obituary
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Environments for Aging - Spring 2015
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Cover2
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 1
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 2
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 3
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Contents
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 5
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - EFAmagazine.com
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 7
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 8
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 9
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Editorial
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 11
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Show Talk
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 13
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Bulletin
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 15
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 16
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 18
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 19
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Operations
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 21
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Construction
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 23
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Pushing Boundaries
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 25
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 26
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 27
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 28
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 29
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Bathroom Design Beyond ADA
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 32
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 33
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Welcome
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 35
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 2016 Jury
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 37
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Inside and Out
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 39
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 40
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 41
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Town Center
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 43
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Elements of Surprise
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - 46
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Project Directory
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - EFA Design Showcase
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Product Gallery
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Buyers Guide
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Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Obituary
Environments for Aging - Spring 2015 - Cover3
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