Designing for Our Future Selves:
The Experience of Aging as a Potential Catalyst for an Inclusive World
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Thank you to everyone who attended the live interview and discussion on February 20,2025! The recording of this conversation has been published as an At Home, On Air podcast episode.
“Every street, every town, every event, every destination has got to anticipate the ordinariness of the range of ability because our abilities change as we age.”
Valerie Fletcher
Thank You to Our Featured Guest:
Valerie Fletcher | Executive Director, Institute for Human Centered Design
Thank You to Our Podcast Host:
Susanne Stadler | Architect, Executive Director of At Home With Growing Older
About this Episode:
This At Home, On Air conversation is the second installment of our mini-series, Changemaker Interviews, where we highlight the impact of changemakers on the quality of our lives. In the episode, we welcome Valerie Fletcher, the Executive Director of the Institute for Human Centered Design and a true leader in the field of inclusive design. She inspires us as well as the next generation of changemakers by sharing insights from her years of expertise working with people to design with intention.
Join us as we dive into a powerful discussion on the challenges to creating an inclusive world, one where everyone has the opportunity to thrive — regardless of ability, age, race, gender, or income. Valerie’s energy and conviction are matched only by her deep belief in the power of design to change lives. We explore thought-provoking topics, including the value of interdependence and how people living with functional variations — whether related to mobility, neurodiversity, or aging — offer us important lessons about living with ambiguity and resilience. We also discuss how the shared experiences of the aging body and mind could motivate us all in the pursuit of an inclusive world — one that not only accommodates but empowers everyone.
We hope Valerie’s personal stories and insights will inspire you to make positive changes in your own home, life, and community!
More About Valerie Fletcher:
Valerie Fletcher has been Executive Director since 1998 of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD). Fletcher writes, lectures, and works internationally on inclusive design. She is a councilor for the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) in Japan and has created an international universal design benchmarking project for the government of Singapore. In 2024, Fletcher launched IHCD Learning: Designing Inclusively, Educating Globally; this expanded education commitment brings together seasoned practitioners and emerging leaders from across the world to share stories of best practice, research and innovation via webcasts, podcasts and interviews. The Boston Society of Architects awarded her the Women in Design award in 2005, and the Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art in London named her Inclusive Design Champion in 2022. Fletcher has a master’s degree in ethics and public policy from Harvard University.
Takeaway Resources
Learn More About Those Mentioned:
- About Selwyn Goldsmith
- About Ray Lifchez
- About Ron Mace
- Institute of Human Centered Design, (IHCD)
- Rhode Island School of Design, (RISD)
- International Standards Organization, (ISO)
- British Standards Organization, (BSI)
- Genentech
Delve Deeper:
- A Brief History of Universal Design
- Seven Principles of Universal Design
- Maslow’s Pyramid of Needs
- WHO Article from 2024 About Health Equality
- Definition of Disability by the World Health Organization
- Designing for the Disabled: The New Paradigm, by Selwyn Goldsmith
- Example of Multisensory Signage by Tactile Studio
- Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Section 504
Related Organizations:
Our Resources:
- Something to Write Home About
- Changemaker Interviews
- AHWGO selected materials
- Share recommendations/resources around the topic with us!
Thank YOU!
Thank you for participating in our programs! These conversations are possible because of your support and participation; we hope you’ll continue to discuss these topics with your neighbors, families and friends. And please join us for our next live, online conversation of At Home, On Air.
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The original, live conversation was recorded on:
Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 5:30 PM PST.