Universal Design (Episode 55)

Have you seen the post making the rounds on social media of the photo of a man in a wheelchair and a baby in an infant carrier in a parking lot with shopping carts blocking the sidewalk between the entrance of the store and the parked vehicles? The post also contains a link to an article on Medium entitled "The Day My Two-Month Old and Husband Blew Up the Internet," which was written by occupational therapist Sarah Pruett. Sarah is married to Scott, the man in the photo, and the couple have a baby. Together, they founded and run a nonprofit organization based in Virginia called The Universal Project Design which is dedicated to designing universally accessible homes. In their line of work and as a couple living with a disability - Scott sustained a C-6 level SCI 20 years ago - accessibility (and the lack thereof) is something they deal with regularly. "Barriers like this are everywhere and until you experience yourself or take the time to understand someone else’s perspective, you just won’t get it," says Sarah. On this episode, Sarah and Scott talk about the nonprofit they created and share their insight about the need for universal design and improved accessibility and inclusiveness in the U.S. They discuss the website they created - https://safescore.org/ - where information about home modification and home features designed to improve safety and function for individuals with disabilities can be found, and they talk about how OT students and practitioners can widen their perspective to become true advocates for people with challenges related to accessibility. The article on Medium can be accessed here: https://medium.com/@sarahpruett/the-day-my-two-month-old-and-husband-blew-up-the-internet-37915e65b9ba To access the resources mentioned in the interview and to connect with Sarah and Scott, visit the podcast website at http://www.ontheair.us/