FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — UA architecture professor Korydon Smith wants to open the door of independent living to everyone.

The key to accomplishing this task lies in a new program led by Smith called the University of Arkansas Universal Design Project. Initiated by the Governor’s Task Force on Supported Housing, the program is a pioneering attempt to develop Universal Design housing standards and design prototypes, and to implement the project through state agencies. Arkansas Rehabilitation Services, the Department of Human Services, and Partners for Inclusive Communities/UAMS will fund $350,000 to support the initiative.

“Arkansas is the first state to take this proactive approach, and we’re hoping it can become a national model,” Smith said. “Our state leads the nation with the highest poverty rate and third-highest disability rate, so it’s essential that we provide affordable, inclusive housing for everyone.”

Smith began work last summer with intensive research on Universal Design, a movement that expands upon the concept of accessibility for people with disabilities to serve as diverse a group as possible. Moving beyond ad hoc, retrofit solutions that segregate people with disabilities, Universal Design strives to develop inclusive and aesthetically pleasing designs. For example, a Universal Design approach to a courthouse entry would gracefully accommodate all patrons, from young parents pushing a stroller to elderly visitors who use a cane or a walker for support. The challenge, according to Smith, is to achieve maximum functionality without resorting to cookie cutter solutions and restrictive codes that limit creativity.

“My intention is to open up the design process to a more diverse set of issues,” he said.

The project stems from the Governor’s Task Force on Supported Housing, which was formed in response to the 1999 Supreme Court ruling in L.C. & E.W. vs. Olmstead (commonly referred to as the Olmstead Decision). In that case, the court found that the state of Georgia violated the civil rights of two individuals under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), when the state continued to confine the women in the state hospital after their physicians had determined they were ready to return to the community. The women were not able to access appropriate community-based housing and services, and the state did not have the funds to provide additional housing and services.

“The Olmstead Decision confirmed the ADA’s mandate to include people with disabilities in the mainstream of community life,” said Cynthia Stone, chief executive for The Arc Arkansas and head of the governor’s task force. “In order to offer affordable, mixed-income, mixed-ability housing to Arkansans, we must take action now. Kory Smith is a great advocate for people with disabilities, and I am confident that he and his colleagues at the UA School of Architecture will accomplish the job.”

Research on Universal Design prototypes will be fleshed out by intensive demographic and economic studies focused on specific regions of Arkansas, which Smith is conducting with the help of Esther Yang, a UA assistant professor of architecture. They also will examine regional housing types and investigate studies that compare the cost effectiveness of inclusive housing with standard housing.

Research is preliminary to development of Universal Design standards for the state. Smith plans to collaborate with a host of professionals, including architects, engineers and developers, as well as representatives from groups such as Habitat for Humanity and People with Disabilities. Once the standards are drafted, Smith will work with state officials to incorporate Universal Design standards into state programs. Eventually, he plans to construct prototypes for single- and multi-family residences in collaboration with the state.

Smith has developed an ambitious list of goals to accomplish during the multi-year project, including the publication of a state resource manual, development of inclusive design courses at the UA School of Architecture, and travel across the state to offer training workshops and presentations. And that’s just phase one of the project. For phase two, Smith hopes to establish a center for inclusive design at the University of Arkansas. Because of Arkansas’ unique needs and small population, Smith believes that the center could enact real change, at a regional scale, that hasn’t occurred in other places:

“No one else is working to implement inclusive design into state housing policy,” he said.

School of Architecture Dean Jeff Shannon said: “Kory Smith brings an inquisitive mind and excellent design skills to this project. His educational background and research interests will enrich this process and ensure that we develop a multifaceted response to the state’s need for improved housing options.”

Smith hopes to craft innovative solutions that will place Arkansas in the vanguard of the Universal Design movement.

 “My long-term hope for the prototypes is that they’re transformative, adaptable to changing site conditions, urban or rural contexts, diverse users and social contexts, and local materials,” he said.