Overview of the Conference Sessions

In Japan and the United States, the words "universal design" are generally used while in Great Britain the words "inclusive design" are used. In all areas in the rest of Europe the use of the words "design for all" is mainstream. Expressions such as "human-centered design" or "user-oriented design" are also sometimes used. In all of these expressions, however, we can detect a common recognition of an approach to design that reflects an understanding of the diversity of human beings and takes into consideration people's human rights and dignity, with only being the frame of reference differing slightly at times. Two keynote speakers representing Europe and Great Britain will start the conference sessions by addressing questions such as what we should do to promote the development of universal design worldwide through mutual cooperation and collaboration without focusing on minor differences.

• "The ground for a global approach"
  Francesc Aragall (President, Design for All Foundation: Spain)
• "Universal Design, Universal Challenges: Progressing People-centred Design in the 21st Century"
  Rama Gheerawo (Deputy Director, Helen Hamlyn Centre for Design, Royal College of Art: UK)
• Coordinator: Sean Donahue (Principal of Research Centered Design, Art Center College of Design: USA)

For this session we invited speakers who were responsible for or assisted in the recovery and rebuilding work in the aftermath of a number of serious disasters that occurred in recent years in Japan and other countries including the Great East Japan Earthquake last year. The presentations and subsequent exchanges of opinions with conference participants will examine how recovery and reconstruction activities were implemented at the time of the respective disasters, what new issues came to the fore in the course of implementing these activities, and what improvements and proposals in disaster management can we expect in the future from the perspective of universal design.

• Isoo Sasaki (Mayor of Natori: Japan)
• Tetsuharu Sugawa* (Former Executive Director, Genkaijima Reconstruction Urban Planning Development Bureau, Fukuoka City: Japan)
• "Disasters as Agents of Learning, Change, Peace and Hope"
  Srinivasa Popuri (Senior Human Settlements Officer, UN-Habitat: Japan)
• Miho Mazereeuw (Lecturer, Massachusetts Institute of Technology: USA)

We invited speakers from the Ground Self-Defense Force, Maritime Self-Defense Force, and Air Self-Defense Force who participated in rescue and relief operations as part of their natural disaster mobilization during the Great East Japan Earthquake disaster. The presentations and subsequent exchange of opinions with conference participants will take a close look at how rescue and relief missions were deployed from the perspective of the roles of the respective divisions of Japan's Self Defense Forces, what new issues came to the fore in the course of implementing these activities, and what improvements and proposals in disaster management can we expect in the future from the perspective of universal design.

• Minoru Tomii (Major General, Commanding General of 5th Engineer Brigade, and Garrison Commander of Camp Ogori, JGSDF: Japan)
• Shoichi Yonemaru (Inspector General, Headquaters Sasebo District, MSDF: Japan)
• Masaki Sugiyama* (Major General, Vice Commander Western Air Defense Force, JASDF: Japan)

For this session we invited speakers from the Japan Coast Guard, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency and the National Police Agency, who are involved in rescue operations, disaster mitigation, and public security work related to typhoons and torrential rains that hit the Kyushu area almost every year as well as other various natural disasters and accidents. The presentations and subsequent exchange of opinions with conference participants will examine how rescue and relief activities are executed from the perspective of the role of each service organization, the difficulties and problems encountered in implementing these activities, and what improvements and proposals in disaster management can we expect in the future from the perspective of universal design.

• Yoshikazu Ota* (Director, Guard and Rescue Department 7th Regional Coast Guard Headquarters, Japan Coast Guard: Japan)
• Kenji Fujiwara* (1st Assistant Chief, Director of Fire Suppression, Fukuoka City Fire Prevention Bureau: Japan)
• Kazutoshi Shibata* (Supervisor, Security Division, Security Department, Fukuoka Prefecture Police: Japan)

People realize that a serious disaster like the Great East Japan Earthquake or the Fukushima Nuclear Plant accident could occur again at any number of locations in Japan. Bearing in mind discussions in Sessions 02 to 04, speakers from various local governments will discuss what response is expected of their respective local governments when a disaster strikes and what ongoing preparatory measures should be taken as a matter of course. As presenters talk about the particular circumstances of their local areas, participants will engage in an exchange of opinions with them to consider what improvements and proposals can be expected in the future from the perspective of universal design.

• Yasushi Furukawa* (Governor of Saga: Japan)
• Yoshiko Shiotani (Ex-governor of Kumamoto / Board Chairperson, Japan College of Social Work: Japan)
• Soichiro Takashima* (Mayor of Fukuoka: Japan)
• Coordinator: Hatoko Shimizu (Counselor, SHUFUREN: Japan)

"Making a museum - experience and think together"

As "professional of inspiring space creation", Tanseisha provides solutions to all kinds of spaces, such as stores, museums or trade shows, where people come and go. At this seminar we introduce the process of making a museum that enables diversified users to share the experience and think over the Universal Design together, by describing the example of Fukuoka City Museum.

"KAO's initiatives to promote social inclusion"

Since the launch of Kao Soap in 1890, Kao has been providing the products to ensure clean, beautiful and healthy everyday life. In Japan facing the problems of super aging population, we have promoted closed captioning TV commercials and development of user friendly products. We introduce Kao’s Universal Design that aims to contribute to the promotion of social inclusion.

 

Japan has been facing the challenges of an advanced aging society ahead of its neighbors but Korea and Hong Kong are already well on their way to rapidly aging societies. Aging in China, which has a population 10-fold that of Japan, is also a serious problem in need of prompt measures. While past historical circumstances and territorial problems may have impeded smooth exchanges among governments of some countries in the East Asia region, in civilian exchanges centered on the promotion of universal design for all people, we see it as our mission to closely cooperate in the development of living environments that transcend differences in nationality and embrace human diversity. Participants in this session will examine what we must do in the future to further develop and spread universal design in the East Asia region.

• "UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN KOREA"
  Young-jun Ko (Professor of Design Dept., Seoul National University of Science and Technology(Seoultech) / Vice President, Korea Society of Science of Design(KSSD): Korea)
• Hua Dong (Professor by Special Appointment, Tongji University: China / Senior Lecturer, Brunel University: UK)
• "Hong Kong – a city for all?"
  Chan Lai Kiu (Vice Chairman of Hong Kong Architecture Centre: China)

Broad discussion from various perspectives among people hailing from diverse sectors of society is essential if we are to create what we see as a sustainable society, that is, a society comprised of diverse people, including the aged and people with disabilities, who can live comfortably while providing for preservation of the natural environment. In this session, we bring together specialists who have been involved for a long time in the three areas of design for people with disabilities, design for the aged, and sustainable design. In a frank exchange of opinions, we will explore promising measures for the future as we highlight problem areas we see at present.

• Toshiharu Arai (Professor, Kanazawa College of Art: Japan)
• "The Age of Longevity and Sustainability - Light and Shadows, Concept and Marketing Strategies "
  Masaaki Shiraishi (President, Japan Productive Ageing Research Center: Japan)
• "Sustainable Universal Design"
  Fumikazu Masuda (Design consultant / Professor, Tokyo Zokei University: Japan)

The Great East Japan Earthquake disaster clearly exposed the vulnerability of nuclear power generation in a country like Japan and there has been a review of Japan's postwar energy policies. With the understanding that ensuring safe, secure energy sources is today recognized as a pressing issue in Japan today, this session will focus on ocean wind power generation and thermal power generation as two energy sources believed to be promising in terms of both technology and availability. We will review the characteristics of the respective power generation methods and their significance from the perspective of preservation of the natural environment.

• "Utilizing Wind and Hydraulic Power Using Wind-Lens Technology — Offshore Floating Energy Farm —"
  Yuji Ohya (Director, Professor, Section of Wind Engineering, Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, Kyushu University: Japan)
• "The Development and Use of Geothermal Resources as a Promising Renewable Energy Source"
  Isao Matsunaga (Emeritus Researcher, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and President of the Geothermal Research Society of Japan: Japan)

Summing up this international conference on the theme "Safety and Security – Thinking about the Foundation of Universal Design" as a whole, we will hold a discussion with representatives of UD-related organizations and specialists from various countries on a range of topics such as results of the conference that we should particularly emphasize, new issues and points that came to light in the course of the conference, and points to pursue further in our discussions. We hope that this discussion will result in important proposals for building a sustainable world for future generations including our own children and grandchildren.

• Roger Coleman (Professor Emeritus, Royal College of Art: UK)
• Valerie Fletcher (Executive Director, Institute for Human-Centered Design: USA)
• Francesc Aragall (President, Design for All Foundation: Spain)
• Fumiyo Kojima* (Chairman of the Board of Directors, IAUD: Japan)
• Coordinator: Keiji Kawahara* (Executive Director, IAUD: Japan)