Exterior of greiner hall showing roadway and sidewalk

About

Mission

Our mission is to ensure inclusivity by enabling organizations to create spaces that eliminate barriers for all; transforming the way buildings and communities are designed and maintained; and elevating the user experience by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation: Universal Design.

person in wheelchair at a playground

Vision

The isUD embodies the future of Universal Design’s success. Our vision is for the public to recognize the value of Universal Design and isUD Certification and call on their communities to implement innovative solutions for Universal Design in order to make our world healthier, friendlier, and safer.

Values

Inclusivity & Equality: We are all in this world together for better or worse: Let’s make it better for all.

Innovation & Creativity: Building a better world requires action and new ideas. Creating change and improving the world around us requires bold new ideas.

Science & Experience: Bold new ideas proven effective by science and coupled with the wisdom learned from centuries of building tradition are a recipe for the solutions we need.

Blind person walking

isUD Team

The isUD program is a development project maintained by the Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access (IDEA Center), a research unit of the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo, State University of New York. The IDEA Center [link] engages in research and design focused on advancing equity and inclusion by creating person-centered tools, programs, and environments, and sharing these practices with change-makers in universities, organizations, and communities.

Services offered through the isUD program are provided by The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF SUNY). RF SUNY is a not-for-profit corporation that provides talent, services, and technology empowering the University at Buffalo and other SUNY universities to research, innovate, and transfer discoveries that transform the world’s knowledge economy through creative problem solving, continuous improvement, and technological advancement.

Sponsor

isUD was developed with funding from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR, 90RE5022-01-00). NIDILRR is a Center with the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, or HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.