Invited Speakers

Meghan Dufresne is an architectural designer and project manager at the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD) in Boston.  During her time at IHCD, she has worked with cities and towns, educational institutions, and cultural, residential and healthcare facilities to provide design recommendations and solutions based on federal, local and state accessibility requirements, as well as best practices regarding universal / inclusive design. On behalf of the New England Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Center, she has developed training course given across the six New England states on how to read architectural drawings for accessibility. Her childhood experiences using a wheelchair have driven her interest in developing inclusive environments.

Meghan holds a master’s in architecture from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, and a bachelor’s in English with a minor in visual arts from Boston University. She has established her career in the architecture industry through working at design firms in the Boston area for 15 years. Her projects have included sustainable, healthcare, commercial, institutional, educational, residential, religious, biotech and industrial facilities. She is a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Accredited Professional.

Her research into inclusive restroom design is recorded in the United States Congressional Record and published in several publications, including the book Ladies and Gents: Public Toilets and Gender. Before going into architecture, she worked in the publishing and educational industries, and built expertise in editing, medical writing, web production and graphic design.