Takuma Yamamoto
Organization committee Chairperson

We, International Conference for Universal Design in Japan 2002 Committee, have planned to hold an international conference focused on Universal Design. Universal Design is one of the concept for designing products and life space including equipments and architecture with a consideration to make them accessible for every people under every situation.

Japan, which is the most rapidly aging country of the world, is now occupied about 18% of the population by seniors beyond 65 years old. And the number of the people belonging to this generation is estimated to go over 25% in 2014. Even now, adding the post-baby boomers who are over 50 to this, the percentage to the population of the people under some physical depression on sight and muscle accompanied by aging become as great as 39%.

Though the opportunity for seniors and disabled having different disabilities to go out to town is increased with this social change, public and private spaces and transportation systems of urban cities are not fully equipped and sometimes even dangerous for these people. This is the same problem for children, pregnant women, or foreigners who have different motherlangage, manners and customs. Disadvantages and risks that may become a cause of an accident stay inside of the close place like kitchen and bathrooms, besides, remain in home appliances and commodities causally used everyday. We think that we should make an end of the design scheme targeting only the young and sound. It is important that we should be careful in designing to avoid producing any social disadvantage and exclusion from the difference of his or her age, sex, race and abilities. Of course, it goes without saying that the designed products must be safe, user friendly, and beautiful.

Universal Design is the design for everyone.

To practice the Universal Design will lead the expansion of the user group and the raise of customer's satisfaction for the enterprise, and for the administration, it will bring a chance to proceed in community building together with a lot of people from different grounds. We think this will bring a lot of benefits to all of the citizens in Japan.

In this international conference, not only taking over the idea of past conferences in 1998 and 2000 hosted by ADAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTS Center in US but focusing on presentations of excellent study cases on domestic community building and manufacturing, we indeed intend to tie into introducing them to the world.

And moreover, we aim to reach the upper level through communication of specialists gathered from home and abroad jumping over the boundary of industry, officialdom and academy by sharing information and assessing the result of the universal design ever accumulated.

Please come and join us to create a new world that the UD will accomplish! We are also expecting people of various positions will support our project.

For your information, this conference will be held on close affiliation with the ADAPTIVE ENVIRONMENTS Center in US.

Valerie Fletcher
Executive Director, Adaptive Environments Center, USA

Adaptive Environments Center enthusiastically endorses the International Conference for Universal Design in Japan 2002.

We believe that it is critically important to create international opportunities for people to come together to share experiences and perspectives and to articulate new challenges. Conferences are catalysts for collaborations connecting people and ideas in new ways. As primary sponsors of Designing for the 21st Century, An International Conference on Universal Design in 1998 and 2000, we have witnessed the power of international events to propel the field forward. We have also seen an unrivaled appetite for universal design among the Japanese people ? designers, corporations, media, government, educators, and ordinary citizens. The Planning Committee for Universal Design in Japan 2002 includes a number of the most important leaders in the international movement. We are certain that the event will add extraordinary stature to Japan's role in the international universal design movement. We look forward to building upon its success in the next Designing for the 21st Century Conference in 2004.

Satoshi Kose
Executive Committee Chairperson

Welcome to the International Conference for UD 2002 in Yokohama!

We are hosting the first International UD Conference in Japan. It will build on the accomplishments of the late Ron Mace and other distinguished colleagues. Key issues to be discussed will include Japanese achievements that have had little exposure in the past two UD Conferences in 1998 and 2000 hosted by the Adaptive Environments Center.

We have too many examples of poorly designed products, environments and services although they are assumed to be designed for use by everyone. It is most crucial for Japan to be more attuned to UD in all its aspects because it is the country that is graying the fastest. In Japan, a quarter of the population will be 65 and over by 2014. We will chart the route that all other countries will follow in the future. How can we solve the related design problems? Experts from all over the world will come together to discuss issues and explore directions for future.

Please join us to witness and participate in this landmark event.