About:
Did you see our Thea Kurdi was interviewed and quoted in an article for the New York Times? The article titled, "Make The World Better With One Of These Nine Ideas" shared how sidewalk accessibility can foster inclusion in cities.

An excerpt:
"As the pandemic shut down indoor dining, restaurants increasingly expanded outdoor options, and eager diners took over many city sidewalks. While this may have helped struggling restaurants, it was a nightmare for accessibility, often making it impossible for people who use wheelchairs, walkers or guide dogs to navigate the sidewalks.

But sidewalk inaccessibility was a problem long before the pandemic. Thea Kurdi, an accessibility specialist and vice president of DesignABLE Environments, said sidewalk impediments were a common problem for people with disabilities. Some sidewalks aren’t level or have gaps, others have obstacles like poles, mailboxes and poorly placed curb cuts, making it difficult for people with mobility impairments to get around in their own cities."

About:
Our Thea Kurdi's next session on the NOW with Dave Brown Show is coming up on June 21st at 9:25 am. Topics will include the anniversary of the Accessible Canada Act and intersectional accessibility in recognition of Pride!

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
On the eigth installment of NOW with Dave Brown, Thea and Dave talk about design and architecture for speech and hearing disabilities. The DeafSpace Design Guide for institutions is discussed along with the importance of illumination and assistive listening systems in a post-COVID world.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
DE's Thea Kurdi and Anika Abdullah collaborated on a piece for the Canadian Institute of Planners' national magazine, Plan Canada. The Spring 2021 issue focuses on social and racial equity. DE's article analyzes the impacts of universal design and accessibility in the planning concepts of the 15-Minute City and the Walkable City.

About:
DE's Bob Topping is judging the UIA's Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards. The global design competition celebrates innovation and inclusion in architecture. The top winning designs will be revealed soon.

About:
On the seventh installment of NOW with Dave Brown, Thea and Dave talk about innovation and sustainability in inclusive architecture. What are the long-term sustainability benefits of accessible design? How does accessibility integration encourage innovation? Find out and more this week.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
On the sixth installment of NOW with Dave Brown, Thea and Dave talk about universal design education. Including the impacts and dangers of liability due to oversight of accessbility in design innovation.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
DE's Velanie George was interviewed by PointA a sustainable and evolution focused transportation organization. Velanie shared DE's experience with accessibility, universal design, and equity in the built environment. The interview also provides insight into Velanie's background and her involvement with the StopGap Foundation as a volunteer and now board member. An incredible quote from the interview, “Transportation and accessibility go hand in hand. For [public] transportation to be successful, it must be accessible and usable by all people."

About:
"A friendly design is one that feels comfortable, providing users with a sense of ease, contentment, and belonging. It’s architecture that speaks to the needs of everyone in a manner that is inclusive. It does not segregate or create conditions of ‘us’ versus ‘them’." - President, Bob Topping.

DE's Bob Topping is published in UNESCO-UIA's World Capital of Architecture's e-book series intended to share knowledge and insights from architects around the globe. Bob's article is a part of the series' second edition and addresses the theme of Foresight. The article states that the built environment must be friendly and part of being friendly is ensuring that anyone and everyone is welcome everywhere.

About:
As spring break rolls in, our Thea Kurdi's fifth installment on NOW with Dave Brown discusses how to include accessibility in recreational activites. Sharing specific examples in Canada of inclusive activities for families like skiing and skating. Thea and Dave discuss the importance of safe and inclusive family activities where everyone enjoys themselves together.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
To welcome the winter season our Thea Kurdi's fourth installment on the NOW with Dave Brown addresses the impacts of winter maintenance on accessibility in parking lots, sidewalks, transit, and businesses. Including how to accommodate COVID-19 guidelines and preserve accessible outdoor space and paths.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
For the holiday season, our Thea Kurdi discussed accessibility and retail in her third episode of the monthly segment on AMI's TV and radio show NOW with Dave Brown. This episode highlights the diverse accessibility measures needed in shops, malls, and customer service. Addressing how accessibility, like automatic doors with overhead sensors, can also reduce germ transmission in a post-COVID world.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
Join our Thea Kurdi for the second free RAIC webinar about Site Plans In An Urban Landscape on December 11th, 1pm (ET). This webinar is an expansion of the Accessibility in Urban Planning webinar. It provides an overview of site plan accessibility regulations and addresses the consequences of establishing an accessibility compliance boundary between private developments and the public.

About:
If you’re interested in learning more about Accessibility in Urban Planning, be sure to join the free RAIC webinar presented by our Thea Kurdi on December 4th, 1pm (ET). The webinar will discuss common accessibility issues in urban planning and their impact on the social and economic opportunities of people. Thea will also provide an overview of disability, accessibility legislation, and the built environment.

About:
In case you missed it, our Thea Kurdi discussed accessibility and universal design in urban planning in her second episode of the monthly segment on AMI's TV and radio show NOW with Dave Brown. This episode highlights how urban centres big and small need to confront inaccessibility and where they fall short in including persons with disabilities.

Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
If you’re interested in learning more about accessible and universal design in practice and theory, be sure to join the LivABLE Environment Conference from October 28 to 30, 2020. Our Thea Kurdi will be presenting on October 28th about the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada’s Introduction to Successful Accessible Design course available for Continuing Education credits. Thea will share excerpts from the course and opportunities for professional growth and learning.

About:
On October 22, 2020, Thea Kurdi will be returning to #a11yIRL – Accessibility In Real Life, part of the #a11yTO conference! The conference will be held virtually for the week of October 19 to 23, 2020, featuring incredible speakers and experts from the accessibility community. Thea’s presentation will provide an overview of accessibility in the built environment and conduct a deep dive into accessible design considerations for multiple design features.

About:
In case you missed it, our Thea Kurdi presented to accessibility advocacy group Access 2 Accessibility about Canadian Legislative Accessibility History and the Built Environment. The webinar focused on the impacts of Canadian legislation on accessible housing and possible solutions proposed by housing advocates.

About:
We're excited to announce that Thea Kurdi is starting a new monthly segment on AMI's TV and radio show NOW with Dave Brown! Tune in on a special Monday each month live on the AMI website and on AMI TV at 9:25 am EDT.

Thea will discuss accessible design, universal design, and related current topics including the built environment and legislation for housing, education, employment, and healthcare. Let us know what other topics you’re interested in learning more about!

About:
As COVID-19 lockdown restrictions ease up, and businesses and public spaces begin to reopen, it's important that accessibility guidelines are being implemented along with physical distancing measures. Thea Kurdi was a guest speaker on the NOW with Dave Brown show to discuss how accessible patios can be created, sharing DesignABLE's design guidelines for accessible patio spaces.

About:
Earlier this week, our Thea Kurdi was very excited to take part in an interview for #AXSChat with hosts Antonio Santos, Debra Ruh and Neil Milliken. Thea shared how her interest and advocacy for accessibility began and how her role at DesignABLE Environments allows her to continue this important work in a very unique and special way. Check out and join the conversation with #AXSChat.

About:
Our Bob Topping alongside David Lepofsky, a lawyer visiting professor (part-time) at the Osgoode Hall Law School and an adjunct member of the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, will explore how persons with vision loss interact with buildings and landscapes. Through case studies and stories of lived experience, the presenters will identify successful design strategies for enhancing the accessibility of the built environment for persons who are blind or have other types of vision loss. Issues to be addressed from the user's perspective include: How do I find the front door? How do I navigate my way to a room or element within a building? How do I use illumination-, textural- and luminance-contrast to assist with wayfinding? What contributes to my enjoyment of buildings and landscapes?

Date and Time:
April 15, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST
Event Fees $ 75.00 + tax

About:
Our Thea Kurdi will be discussing how to hold an accessible meeting and get productive feedback which are new skills for many people in the architecture and design industry. This presentation that will improve outcomes and cover many details including appropriate language, accessible invitations, accessible meeting location requirements, how to find representatives from the disabled community to participate, what accessible accommodations might be requested, along with how to make your presentations as accessible as possible.This presentation covers topics that will improve outcomes and successful outcomes including appropriate language, accessible invitations, accessible meeting location requirements, how to find representatives from the disabled community to participate, what accessible accommodations might be requested, along with how to make your presentations as accessible as possible.

Date and Time:
April 8, 2020 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST
Event Fees $ 75.00 + tax

About:
***Tickets are now officially sold out***
Our Bob Topping will be kicking off the 2020 Toronto Society of Architects technical lecture series with a presentation on the changing environment of accessibility and inclusive design. This presentation will document the demise of the concept of barrier-free design and its replacement with the more progressive strategy of inclusive/universal design. The difference between the old and new systems will be explored through design examples and case studies. The presentation will also address how codes and standards are evolving to reflect the changing environment of accessibility and inclusive design. Participants will learn how to incorporate design strategies into their projects, resulting in the creation of built environments that are more inclusive for everyone.

Date and Time:
February 11, 2020 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
$20 General Admisson

About:
Thea Kurdi will be on The Agenda on TVO with Steve Paikin along with David Lepofsky from the AODA Alliance talking about Accessibility, the AODA, the OBC, education, and the Onley AODA Report.

Date and Time:
November 28, 2019 from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM

About:
Join the Older Women's Network of Ontario (OWN), Thea Kurdi, and the Toronto chapter of the Open Architecture Collaborative (OACTo) in learning about universal design in housing, living-in-place, and how we can advocate for all housing to be accessible to people of all ages and abilities.
Drop in. No registration required.

Location:
Queen/Saulter, Program Room - Ralph Thornton Centre
1 Harbour Square
Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6

Date and Time:
November 26, 2019 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM

About:
Bob Topping will be co-presenting with David Lepofsky, LLB, Lawyer, Professor and Advocate for Persons with Disabilities, at the 2019 Festival of Architecture in Toronto during a speaking Session, CE07 – Through Other Eyes: How People with Vision Loss See Your Buildings on Tuesday, October 29. The session will explore how persons with vision loss interact with buildings and landscapes. Through case studies and stories of lived experience, the presenters will identify successful design strategies for enhancing the accessibility of the built environment for persons who are blind or have other types of vision loss.

Location:
Westin Harbour Castle, Frontenac Ballroom
1 Harbour Square
Toronto, Ontario M5J 1A6

Date and Time:
October 29, 2019 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM

About:
Thea Kurdi will be speaking at the Accessibility In Real Life, Conference, a one-day event focused specifically on the built environment, hosted by #a11yTO.

Location:
TELUS Digital
25 York Street, 3rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5J 2V5

Date and Time:
October 23, 2019 from 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM

About:
Thea Kurdi will be presenting in a workshop called Why Universal Design in Housing?, discussing accessible homes, give an overview of Ontario law for housing (and how it relates to Human rights), and discuss what Universal design is and how it can be used to make the world more accessible.

Location:
International Centre, Hall 5
6900 Airport Road, Mississauga, ON L4V 1E8

Date and Time:
April 5, 2019 from 11:00 AM to 5:00 PM

About:
Thea Kurdi is heading out again! This time to Hamilton for the first #a11yHAM Meetup - Inclusive Design meetup group on Thursday January 24th at the Arnie, Hosted by Mohawk College's Accessible Media Production graduate certificate's students, alumni, and faculty.

Location:
The Arnie Mohawk College Fennell Campus Pub
135 Fennel Avenue West, Hamilton, ON L9C 0E5

Date and Time: January 24, 2019 from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

About:
Come see our Thea Kurdi who's also presenting this Thurs Jan 24th at noon Sheridan College in Mississauga, Ontario speaking to Architecture and Interior Design students about getting accessibility right for smarter design and a lifetime of changing needs and abilities.

Location:
Sheridan College - Hazel McCallion Campus Gallery
4180 Duke of York Blvd, Mississauga, ON L5B 0G5

Date and Time: January 24, 2019 from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM

About:
Our own Thea Kurdi appeared as a guest on the AMI-audio national program called The Pulse hosted by Dave Brown, discussing the future of Universal Design on January 7th. The podcast is now available on podcasts services around the globe and can be accessed directly through TuneIn below:

About:
DE Inc., Canada's leading accessibility and universal design consultants, is pleased to announce the promotion of Thea Kurdi to Vice President, supporting the firm’s continued growth across Canada and internationally. This evolution of the DE management team comes as part of the long-term planning for the future for company.

Building on her 18 years of industry experience, Thea's expanded responsibilities will include organizational management and business development, with a focus on expanding into new markets. She will continue to lead DE’s accessibility and universal design teams for project reviews, building audits, accessibility standards development and accessibility training.

For over 30 years DE has been widely respected for its thoughtful and thorough knowledge of inclusive design and its service-oriented approach, contributing to many prominent projects across Canada and around the world. DE President Bob Topping notes, “Thea's sustained commitment to this company has opened up many avenues for us as a firm. She has been a key part of our recent achievements, and her transition to Vice President gives us even greater capacity to accommodate growth, expand our operational knowledge, and amplify our firm’s strengths. This is an exciting time for our firm.”

Accessibility is our business . . .

About:
Thea Kurdi and Sarah Libera will be co-presenting as a part of the panel for Designing for the Future: Accessibility in Urban Planning on January 18th 2019 at the Metro Toronto Concention Centre. Thea will be part of a panel discussion on Accessibility and Design on January 18th 2019 at the Metro Toronto Concention Centre.

Location:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
255 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2W6

Date and Time:

Designing for the Future: Accessibility in Urban Planning
Thea Kurdi and Sarah Libera
January 18, 2019 from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM

Accessibility and Design
Thea Kurdi
January 18, 2019 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM

About:
Bob Topping will be presenting as a part of the panel for Canada’s National Housing Strategy: Leading to a New Generation of Sustainable and Accessible Housing discussing Accessible and Universal Design Housing on November 28th 2018 at the Metro Toronto Concention Centre. Gain valuable insights into the latest codes, innovative bylaws and advances across Canada and close to home.

Location:
Metro Toronto Convention Centre
255 Front St W, Toronto, ON M5V 2W6

Date and Time:
November 28, 2018 from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM

About:
Our Thea Kurdi will be speaking at the 2018 6th Seoul Universal Design International Seminar on September 14th 2018 at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Seoul, South Korea.

Location:
Seoul Dongdaemun Design Plaza
281 Eulji-ro, Euljiro 7(chil)-ga, Jung-gu, Seoul, South Korea

Date and Time:
September 14, 2018 from 1:00PM to 6:00PM

About:
Our Thea Kurdi will be speaking at the 2018 TEDxMississauga (de)mystify event on January 19th of 2019 at the Mississauga Convention Centre, Canada. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TED Talks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection.

Theme: (de)mystify
In an ever-changing world of technology, cryptocurrencies, evolving notions of human rights and equality, the limits of human understanding continue to grow. How do we take difficult or esoteric concepts, and make them clearer and easier to understand? The theme for the 2019 conference is (de)mystify, and that's what we aim to do at the next conference.

Location: Mississauga Convention Centre
75 Derry Road West, Mississauga, ON L5W1G3, Canada

Date and Time:
January 19, 2019 from 10:00AM to 4:00PM

About:
DE's Thea Kurdi will be attending the 2018 TEDxMississauga Meetup on August 11th of 2018 at the BierMarkt, Mississauga Canada (near Square One). Members of the TEDxMississauga Meetup Group receive invitations to exclusive events with the organisers, priority consideration for volunteer positions, opportunities to become a speaker and connect with current TEDx speakers. This is a casual networking and social event. Admission is free, but all guests are encouraged to support our generous hosts by ordering an item from the a la carte menu or purchasing a drink from the bar. New members are welcome.

Location: Mississauga BierMarkt (near Square One)
55 City Centre Drive, Mississauga ON, Canada

Date and Time:
August 11, 2018 from 7:00AM to 11:00PM

About:
Thea Kurdi will be speaking and presenting at the 2018 Universal Design Conference on September 6th of 2018 at the Victory Convention Centre in New Zealand. Te Ao Tangata - the 3rd Universal Design Conference is all about inclusion by design. By attending this conference you will engage in presentations and workshops around innovative practice in universal design locally and internationally, and shape the way that Aotearoa is designed and experienced into the future.

She is presenting the "Living in Place - Housing for Our Aging Populations using Universal Design Strategies" session.

Location: Victory Convention Centre (VCC)
98 Beaumont St, Freemans Bay, Auckland, New Zealand

Date and Time:
September 6, 2018 from 11:30AM to 12:30PM

About:
Thea Kurdi will be speaking and presenting at the 2018 Universal Design Conference on September 4th of 2018 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre in Australia. She is presenting the "Living in Place: Who are we designing for?" session. Getting accessibility right is often an uphill struggle in projects. The application of accessible design requirements often happens as an afterthought. It is time to challenge the design industry to reconsider the question, “Who are we designing for?”.

Location: Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre (BCEC)
Merivale Street and Glenelg Street, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia

Date and Time:
September 4, 2018 starting at 11:00AM

About:
Both Thea Kurdi and Bob Topping attended the 2018 Festival of Architecture on May 30th until June 2nd of 2018 in Saint John, New Burnswick.

Bob Topping presented the "International Union of Architects (UIA) Work Program: Architecture for All" session. This session provided an overview of the concept of Architecture for All and introduce the UIA work program on Architecture for All.

Thea Kurdi presented the "What Designing For the Future Looks Like" session and "Accessibility Bootcamp" session. The first session gave learners the opportunity to discover the recent demographic changes our society is facing, how design and policy will impact our future, and see concrete examples of visionary design from across the country. And the second session invites learners to interact with the built environment, while building awareness of architectural barriers to accessibility and inclusion.

About:
The significance and impact of colour and lighting on accessibility in building environments will be discussed from various perspectives. Thea Kurdi will be attending this seminar on Wednesday, April 11, 2018 from 5:00PM until 6:00PM at XPO Canada, 181, Bay Street, Suite 1800. TORONTO ON M5J 2T9. The event is hosted by Architect@Work.

She will be presenting along with Vivian Lo (Vice-President of the Colour Research Society of Canada), Valerie Gow (Partner and Interior Design Principal of Gow Hastings Architects), and Yvonne Felix (Ambassador of Foundation Fighting Blindness).

About:
We've made a transition from designable.net to designable.ca! Our staff at DesignABLE Environments Inc. will have updated emails from now on, such as information@designable.ca.

The transition will be smooth, and you may continue to send emails to our .net addresses. We will automatically receive all of your emails to our new .ca addresses.

Please send an email to information@designable.ca for further inquiries about our switch, or if you are having difficulties contacting us.

About:
As of September 30th, 2017 our Mississauga, Lakeshore office will now be at 918 Dundas Street East, Suite 212, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, L4Y 4H9.

Our phone number and email will remain the same, please see our contact page for further details. We will post an update to notify you in the future of any changes regarding our contact information.

About:
Thea Kurdi is hosting a Radio Show through Voices4Ability (V4ARadio), Canada’s first 24/7 radio station dedicated to persons with disabilities.

Follow DesignABLE Environmentsand V4ARadio on Twitter to find out more about the show's schedule!

About:
What event(s) are you attending? The City of Mississauga is holding a presentation called "Mississauga Promoting Awareness of Invisible Disabilities and Accessibility" on May 30, 2011!

About:
Have you seen our article in this year's Profiles 2011 OAA Member Listings Magazine yet? 

About:
Have you seen the CMHC's "Accessible by Design" series recently in their Housing Technology E-Newsletter? You may not know that DE jointly developed these with Betty Dion (BDEL).

Click here to visit CMHC's web site "Accessible Housing by Design" article which has links to all of these articles at the bottom.

We hope you find them useful! And we would be pleased to help you with your project and any additional questions that you might have.

About:
The AODA and You... Get Ready! 2 Part Lunch 'n Learn!

Are you looking for reliable, useful information about the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)? Especially what's in the Accessible Built Environments Standard (ABES) and what it's going to mean to your designs? Contact us to book a fact filled, stimulating presentation at your firm.

We bring the presentation and a delicious lunch for you and your staff to enjoy.

About:
June 8-9th in Guelph, Ontario at Rozanski Hall, University of Guelph

Meeting Standards, Making Change"

Hope to see you there!

About:
Ministry of Community and Social Services announced on July 14, 2009 that Ontario is seeking input on the initial proposed built environment accessibility standard, which was released today for public review.

Be apart of the process or at least be aware of the MASSIVE change that is about to occur in Ontario's quest to be accessible by 2025.

About:
Rick Hansen's Wheels In Motion, Scotiabank event is on this weekend at June 14th, 2009!

About:
Making way for Ontarians with Disabilities information week National Access Awareness Week from May 31st, 2009 to June 6th, 2009.

About:
Watch and support the 2009 Special Olympics World Winter Games in Boise, Idaho, USA from Feb. 7th, 2009 to Feb. 13th, 2009

About:
Look for Bob Topping as he speaks at the Creating Universally Designed Sustainable Healthy Communities Conference in Vancouver, BC, Canada

About:
Look for our DesignABLE Environments Inc. advertisements in the December issue! They are located on page 18 and page 62.

About:
Look for our DesignABLE Environments Inc. advertisements in the November issue! They are located on page 35 and page 77.

About:
Designable Environments Inc. is now based in an accessible office space in beautiful Port Credit (a small village by the lake within Mississagua).

About:
Festival of International Conferences on Caregiving, Disability, Aging and Technology (FICCDAT) June 5-8, 2011, Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel, Toronto, Canada

About:
Take part on Sunday, June 8th, 2008 in the 6th annual Rick Hansen Wheels In Motion at an event near you!

About:
Keep a look out for your Open House invitation coming to your mail box soon!

About:
As of Sept 23, 2008 our Toronto office will now be at 5418 Yonge Street, Suite 1008, Toronto, ON, M2N 6X4.

Toronto phone numbers and fax numbers remain the same. Please see our contact page.