038: Olivia Asuncion: Architect, Ramp Enthusiast, and Accessibility Advocate
On today’s episode of Architectette we meet with Olivia Asuncion, AIA. Olivia is an architect, design researcher, and accessibility advocate based in Oakland, California. She was appointed to the US Access Board and recently completed a Fullbright Fellowship studying elementary school accessibility in the Philippines.
The Access Board is an independent federal agency that promotes equality for people with disabilities through leadership in accessible design and the development of accessibility guidelines and standards. The Access Board develops and maintains design criteria for the built environment, transit vehicles, public right-of-way, information and communication technology, and medical diagnostic equipment under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and other laws.
We talk about:
- Olivia's first understandings of accessibility inequality when she moved from the Philippines to the United States and encountered a higher baseline of accessibility that greatly benefitted her day to day living.
- The importance of accessible spaces in architecture and how accessibility allows folks to do tasks- both large and small- with dignity and independence.
- The research behind her Fullbright Fellowship- what legislation inspired her, what her experience was once she was in the Philippines, and what still needs to be done.
- Olivia also shares her experience surrounding architecture school and job applications: how she felt pressure to perform at a high level and how she requested accommodations.
- How advances in virtual work during the pandemic benefitted folks with disabilities.
- The US Access Board! What is it? Who is on it? What do they do?
Links:
The US Access Board - Recent Work
Centering Disability in Design Panel
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Music by AlexGrohl from Pixabay.