Fostering accessibility through universal design

We're in the center for real life design. This center is actually uses a variety of kitchens that students use to source the different design techniques, ergonomics, different types of code implications are functionalities between appliances and tech knowledge of a specific class is residential technologies lab connected to the lecture course. So they basically use the information they get in the lecture course. And then here they do a series of exercises and hands-on types of activities to sort of reinforce the information they get intellectual hook. For me. The kitchen behind me here is our Universal Design Kitchen, which we use quite a lot as a teaching exercise because you can start to see all the different, the different ways from someone who's tall, such as myself, someone who's in a wheelchair and differently abled people and how they're able to use a kitchen space equally. And that's really the point of universal design is that everyone is able to comment and share space and user space in the same way. And this is a good example for our students. So when they graduate, That's normal to them. So when I hopefully when they go into the design work that we'll be able to be able to bring that background with them into their professional and design work and always have that as a focus. We do a lot of work with international kitchen and bath association and we've had a lot of our members win awards through that organization. So in terms of that residential design with a kitchen and bath focus, it's a huge market in the sense that it's really touching all residential work across the country. That is, are the components of a home where you spend the most money. We see that for people that are knowledgeable design professionals, they really do get the style, functionality, proportion, the aesthetics, and all this thing. Then they understand them in a way that makes them effective design versus someone who doesn't have that background and skills. What's also unique about our program here it's a four-year degree related to residential design, which is very unique. So students not only getting the core design components from us, but they're coming out with a fully rounded degree. So there are really valued by industry.