Building of Sustainable Society

For a truly Sustainable Society, all peoples, all communities, and all resources must be considered, accounted for, and balanced. Marginalized peoples, whether because of their financial means, geographic location, or unforeseen circumstance must have their basic physical needs, emotional supports, and quality of life considered and supported.

When the anomalies of birth, injuries or illness, or the passage of time define our being, we are confronted with the challenge of existence in a world defined by "norms". Until we alter the thinking that some people are "less-abled" than others, none of us can rest assured that a change in situation could re-define our very existence.

The Design Challenge for this New Agenda is one that creates the means by which each of us can achieve and maintain the choice and control that is required in the day by day journey that is the pathway to a sustainable society.

Common to the new design fields of universal design, inclusive design, B.O.P. design, social design, kids' design, eco-design, sustainable design, and so forth, is that whereas many of the traditional design functions aimed to bring benefit to specific company or organization or market, the new design fields have a mission to direct society towards a better direction. In addition, while addressing today's issues, they all share a future-oriented perspective. In other words, all these design activities go towards designing the future society.

Instead of building that society upon sacrifice and exclusion arising out of discrimination, poverty, and persecution, it must be stable, long-lasting, and sustainable. Universal design will truly live up to its name when it universally takes into consideration the majority of poor people who are today enduring the pain of oppression brought by civilization, the children who are always the first to become victims, and the next generation of people who may eventually have to suffer the heavy consequence of the negative legacy we leave behind.