About This Event
May 14, 2026 | 9:00 am-3:00 pm
ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
Access is for everyone. Absolutely Accessible Kent is evolving into Absolutely Accessible West Michigan to better reflect the regional impact of this work and the strong partnership between Disability Advocates of Kent County, Disability Network Lakeshore and Disability Network West Michigan. We have come together to offer this technical workshop because inclusive, universally designed places and spaces benefit all people in all communities across West Michigan.
This is our eighth annual technical workshop on the intersection of accessibility and the built environment, including four breakout sessions featuring architecture, community planning, real estate (new for 2026) & residential design (new for 2026).
Keynote Speaker
Valerie Fletcher
Executive Director,
Institute for Human Centered Design
Valerie Fletcher has been executive director since 1998 of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD). Fletcher writes, lectures, and works internationally. She generates opportunities for IHCD and has broad oversight of all consulting and design services. She created the IHCD User/Expert Lab which has over 500 people engaged in the evaluation of places, products, and services. Her current research focus is generating data to inform inclusive designing for the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPoC) and low-income communities.
Fletcher's career has been divided between design and public mental health and she is the former deputy commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health where she oversaw the largest participatory planning process ever undertaken in a state mental health system. She was Principal of Fletcher Studio Design from 1978-1985.
She is councilor for the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) in Japan. She has created an international universal design benchmarking project for the government of Singapore. Fletcher has a master's degree in ethics and public policy from Harvard University. The Boston Society of Architects awarded her the Women in Design award in 2005. The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art in London named her Inclusive Design Champion 2022.
Architecture Breakout
Presenter: Kate Dailey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C,
Project Architect, Inclusive Design Advisor
Perkins&Will
Kate Dailey is a licensed architect and inclusive design advisor. During her career, she married a wheelchair user - this relationship opened her eyes to the realities of inclusivity within our environments. Kate trained as an accessibility surveyor and plan reviewer for several years before returning to Perkins&Will with this enhanced expertise. She is a resource for accessible and inclusive design within the firm.
Workshop Description:
"Disability affects us all. Whether we are born with a disability, develop a disability, or age into the wisest of elders, our lives will be affected by the fascinating, overarching idea of “disability”.
With this disability inevitability, we can look at “inclusive design” as a form of “resilient design”. Inclusive design aims to consider as many potential users as possible - their needs, preferences, identities - and create a space where all users can feel comfortable. The more we consider these potential users, the more we ensure that we are creating something that will last, something that will not need to be modified in the future. Basically: we create resilient designs.
Resilient, inclusive designs are not only a boon for the environment, they are a cost-savings measure for individuals and companies alike. Creating accessible and inclusive environments from the start will help to ensure that owners do not need to spend money on costly code-compliant retrofits in the future - retrofits that would be unneeded if more users were considered in the design of the environment from the beginning.
Can we quantify these cost savings? This session will aim to answer this question. Through case studies, data, and a healthy amount of soft science, we’ll examine how cost-effective and resilient inclusive design can be."
Residential Breakout
Presenter: Judi Siegert, OTA/L, CAPS
Home Accessibility Services Manager,
Disability Advocates of Kent County
Judi Siegert is an Occupational Therapist with over 35 years of experience, she is also Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and draws upon decades of home health care experience to assess individuals in their homes and ensure that recommendations for modifications are tailored to their physical and psychosocial needs.
A graduate of WMU’s department of Occupational Therapy, Judi is fulfilled by leading a strong team of OT professionals who amaze her every day with their creative solutions to the most complex situations. She is excited about what home automation/technology will bring to aging in place. Outside of work, she is a fiber artist, gardener, and cooking enthusiast.
Workshop Description:
This workshop introduces Disability Advocates’ Zero Step Guidelines—a practical, universal design framework that goes beyond minimum code to create step-free, usable, and welcoming spaces. Participants will learn how zero-step design improves safety, accessibility, and livability for people of all ages and abilities, while adding long-term value to homes and communities. Real-world examples and actionable guidance will help attendees identify barriers and apply Zero Step principles in design, construction, and renovation projects.
Community Planning Breakout
Presenter: Michigan Association of Planning
Workshop Description: coming soon
Real Estate Breakout
Presenter: Sarah Takens
Associate Broker,
The Local Element
Sarah Takens is a licensed real estate Broker, interior designer, and emergency management responder whose work sits at the intersection of housing, design, and real-world life transitions. With a background in pre-law and 15 years as a bankruptcy paralegal, she brings a strong foundation in contracts, ethics, and distressed property work. Her professional path includes becoming a Realtor in 2017, earning her Broker’s license in 2021, an Interior Design degree in 2022, and ongoing CAD design work focused on home modifications that support aging in place and accessibility.
Through her roles with The Local Element, The City of Hudsonville Emergency Management, Ottawa County Emergency Management, and Encompass Design Solutions, Sarah has seen firsthand how quickly life circumstances can change and how often homes are unprepared to support those changes. Her work and lived experience inform her passion for more intentional housing design and client engagement, encouraging professionals to view accessibility not as a niche topic, but as a practical, human-centered approach that benefits everyone.
Workshop Description:
Coming Soon
_____________________
Contact Ashley at ashley.k@dakc.us concerning GoBus Tickets, scholarships, or other event accommodations.
Contact Michele at michele.t@dakc.us concerning a sponsorship.
Contact Courtney at Courtney.r@dakc.us concerning volunteer opportunities.
About This Event
May 14, 2026 | 9:00 am-3:00 pm
ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
Access is for everyone. Absolutely Accessible Kent is evolving into Absolutely Accessible West Michigan to better reflect the regional impact of this work and the strong partnership between Disability Advocates of Kent County, Disability Network Lakeshore and Disability Network West Michigan. We have come together to offer this technical workshop because inclusive, universally designed places and spaces benefit all people in all communities across West Michigan.
This is our eighth annual technical workshop on the intersection of accessibility and the built environment, including four breakout sessions featuring architecture, community planning, real estate (new for 2026) & residential design (new for 2026).
Keynote Speaker
Valerie Fletcher
Executive Director,
Institute for Human Centered Design
Valerie Fletcher has been executive director since 1998 of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD). Fletcher writes, lectures, and works internationally. She generates opportunities for IHCD and has broad oversight of all consulting and design services. She created the IHCD User/Expert Lab which has over 500 people engaged in the evaluation of places, products, and services. Her current research focus is generating data to inform inclusive designing for the Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPoC) and low-income communities.
Fletcher's career has been divided between design and public mental health and she is the former deputy commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health where she oversaw the largest participatory planning process ever undertaken in a state mental health system. She was Principal of Fletcher Studio Design from 1978-1985.
She is councilor for the International Association for Universal Design (IAUD) in Japan. She has created an international universal design benchmarking project for the government of Singapore. Fletcher has a master's degree in ethics and public policy from Harvard University. The Boston Society of Architects awarded her the Women in Design award in 2005. The Helen Hamlyn Research Centre at the Royal College of Art in London named her Inclusive Design Champion 2022.
Architecture Breakout
Presenter: Kate Dailey, AIA, LEED AP BD+C,
Project Architect, Inclusive Design Advisor
Perkins&Will
Kate Dailey is a licensed architect and inclusive design advisor. During her career, she married a wheelchair user - this relationship opened her eyes to the realities of inclusivity within our environments. Kate trained as an accessibility surveyor and plan reviewer for several years before returning to Perkins&Will with this enhanced expertise. She is a resource for accessible and inclusive design within the firm.
Workshop Description:
"Disability affects us all. Whether we are born with a disability, develop a disability, or age into the wisest of elders, our lives will be affected by the fascinating, overarching idea of “disability”.
With this disability inevitability, we can look at “inclusive design” as a form of “resilient design”. Inclusive design aims to consider as many potential users as possible - their needs, preferences, identities - and create a space where all users can feel comfortable. The more we consider these potential users, the more we ensure that we are creating something that will last, something that will not need to be modified in the future. Basically: we create resilient designs.
Resilient, inclusive designs are not only a boon for the environment, they are a cost-savings measure for individuals and companies alike. Creating accessible and inclusive environments from the start will help to ensure that owners do not need to spend money on costly code-compliant retrofits in the future - retrofits that would be unneeded if more users were considered in the design of the environment from the beginning.
Can we quantify these cost savings? This session will aim to answer this question. Through case studies, data, and a healthy amount of soft science, we’ll examine how cost-effective and resilient inclusive design can be."
Residential Breakout
Presenter: Judi Siegert, OTA/L, CAPS
Home Accessibility Services Manager,
Disability Advocates of Kent County
Judi Siegert is an Occupational Therapist with over 35 years of experience, she is also Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS) and draws upon decades of home health care experience to assess individuals in their homes and ensure that recommendations for modifications are tailored to their physical and psychosocial needs.
A graduate of WMU’s department of Occupational Therapy, Judi is fulfilled by leading a strong team of OT professionals who amaze her every day with their creative solutions to the most complex situations. She is excited about what home automation/technology will bring to aging in place. Outside of work, she is a fiber artist, gardener, and cooking enthusiast.
Workshop Description:
This workshop introduces Disability Advocates’ Zero Step Guidelines—a practical, universal design framework that goes beyond minimum code to create step-free, usable, and welcoming spaces. Participants will learn how zero-step design improves safety, accessibility, and livability for people of all ages and abilities, while adding long-term value to homes and communities. Real-world examples and actionable guidance will help attendees identify barriers and apply Zero Step principles in design, construction, and renovation projects.
Community Planning Breakout
Presenter: Michigan Association of Planning
Workshop Description: coming soon
Real Estate Breakout
Presenter: Sarah Takens
Associate Broker,
The Local Element
Sarah Takens is a licensed real estate Broker, interior designer, and emergency management responder whose work sits at the intersection of housing, design, and real-world life transitions. With a background in pre-law and 15 years as a bankruptcy paralegal, she brings a strong foundation in contracts, ethics, and distressed property work. Her professional path includes becoming a Realtor in 2017, earning her Broker’s license in 2021, an Interior Design degree in 2022, and ongoing CAD design work focused on home modifications that support aging in place and accessibility.
Through her roles with The Local Element, The City of Hudsonville Emergency Management, Ottawa County Emergency Management, and Encompass Design Solutions, Sarah has seen firsthand how quickly life circumstances can change and how often homes are unprepared to support those changes. Her work and lived experience inform her passion for more intentional housing design and client engagement, encouraging professionals to view accessibility not as a niche topic, but as a practical, human-centered approach that benefits everyone.
Workshop Description:
Coming Soon
_____________________
Contact Ashley at ashley.k@dakc.us concerning GoBus Tickets, scholarships, or other event accommodations.
Contact Michele at michele.t@dakc.us concerning a sponsorship.
Contact Courtney at Courtney.r@dakc.us concerning volunteer opportunities.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS!