Prospectus

October 1st, 2009

The International Association for Universal Design (IAUD, Patron HIH Prince Tomohito of Mikasa) will organize “The 3rd International Conference for Universal Design in HAMAMATSU 2010” in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture in October next year.

Japan's first international Universal Design (UD) Conference was held in Yokohama in November 2002. The declaration adopted on the last day of the enormously successful conference stated that UD signifies the building of a comprehensive social environment that respects the dignity of each individual by redefining relations between the user, the designer and the producer.

With the experience of a super-aged population ahead of other countries, Japan has the responsibility to build a model society safe and secure not just for an increasing number of seniors but for people with disabilities, children and expectant mothers, and ethnic groups who have different languages and diverse cultures. For this to happen, we absolutely must have designs that incorporate facility and diversity so as to ensure that no one due to age, gender or origin or lacking in skills and capacity will be unfairly excluded.

IAUD was established inheriting the principles adopted at the Yokohama Conference, organized “The 2nd International Conference for Universal Design in KYOTO 2006”. The ancient capital of Kyoto is where the past and the present fuse, and where new values continue to be created. It was in the very hall where the Kyoto Protocol was adopted that through a positive exchange of ideas IAUD was propelled to reaffirm that the global challenges of creating a humane and sustainable social environment were indeed those of UD.

If we are to mitigate and arrest the adverse impact on the environment and our future from the global warming that has become increasingly evident since the second half of the 20th century, a large-scale reduction in emissions of greenhouse gases is vital. The Japanese government has made a dramatic statement of its intention to reduce greenhouse gases by 25 percent from the 1990 levels by the year 2020. While this is a daunting numerical target no sound development of any society can be expected as a result of negligence. It requires businesses, governments and research organizations as well as each of us consumers to combine our wisdom. The innovation and creation born of Universal Design’s new commitment to develop a human-centered social environment, which at the same time will protect the ecosystem from an excessive anthropogenic burden, will not only benefit all of us living today, but will contribute greatly to humankind’s future and that of the global environment.

This International Conference will have for its theme “For the People and the Earth of Tomorrow - Towards a Sustainable Co-existence”. Through the constructive and active exchange of ideas and the experience of participants from far and near we will aim at realizing a better UD society with spontaneous and sustainable individual contributions. We hope that you will endorse our initiative, support it by enlisting like-minded individuals and organizations of every background and by personally joining us.