CAPSTONE THESIS: Inclusion of People with Disability in the Process of Planning Within the Community: Target Population: Deaf and Hard of Hearing

CAPSTONE THESIS: Inclusion of people with Disability in the process of planning within the community: Target Population: Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Melissa Manak University of North Carolina-Charlotte in Partnership with Gallaudet University August 2014

This capstone project examines the impacts of social movements through a multi-layered study of Urban Planning communities’ interaction with a disabled population, (in this case, the hearing-loss population). By examining this historically important case, I clarify the process by which movements transform social structures and the constraints movements face when they try to do so. The time period studied includes a university that has broken barriers between the city and university and its student population. It focuses on how students and city planners have changed the concept of Urban Planning, which now includes a Universal Design process and the advancement of The American Disability Act. This new concept, called ‘DeafSpace Planning’, is now gathering widespread awareness within the country.

Keywords: Universal Design, Urban Planning, Gallaudet University, Hansel Bauman, Deaf Studies, and DeafSpace

TABLE OF CONTENT: Page Number FOREWARD Acknowledgements 2

INTRODUCTION Prologue 3 Research and Problem Statement 4

LITERATURE REVIEW American Disability Act 4 Planning Process Urban Planning: Advocacy and Public Participation 5 Universal Design Planning 7 DeafSpace Planning 10 Gallaudet University 12 Deaf Identity 12

DATA AND METHODS Introduction to Methodology 14 Survey 15 Planners Interview and Community Meeting 16

DISCUSSION AND FINDINGS Result Introduction 17 Survey 17 Planners Interview and Community Meeting 23

CONCLUSION AND FURTHER DISCUSSIONS Summary 26 Works Cited 28

APPENDIX Certifications and Letters SECTION A IRB Approval Letter written by Hansel Bauman A1 IRB Agreement Letter between UNCC and Gallaudet A2

Survey Documents SECTION B Final Survey Design B1 Survey Results B2

Florida Avenue Study: SECTION C Interview-Adam and Eric C1 Florida Avenue Study #1 C2 Florida Avenue Study #2 C3 Florida Avenue Map C4 Interactive Activity C5

Interview-Hansel Bauman SECTION D

1 I want to say thank you to the following people who have been of great assistance to this thesis:

Liletha Davidson If it wasn’t for your constant reminder to Hansel, this project wouldn’t have became what it has become. Your friendly nature made all the frustration subside as the intended target of completion became near.

Hansel Bauman The project wouldn’t have succeeded if we didn’t collaborate, because of learning more about this field; more I want to continue with your assistance to bring this project around the country for the future stake of Deaf Space and Universal Design.

Robert Sirvage Even though we didn’t collaborate until the end, your guidance with the survey was deeply appreciated.

Gallaudet IRB Board Your suggestion for the survey was needed as a first time survey navigation through the IRB board.

Students and Staff of Your input will make a hopeful change for the future of American Planning Association and Gallaudet University the urban planning community.

Tyrel Moore Your guidance through this tricky and abnormal topic has been refreshing. Thank you for your honesty when I was

Janni Sorensen In my defense, your feedback led me to right track in improvements of this thesis. Jamie Strickland

Adam Vest The interview that both of you were willing to set a time for to discuss accessibility really is Eric Feldman valued. This is just simply a step one of a longer journey to help planners like you to navigate in a world that is ever changing.

Jill Aparo-Burke The statistic master who assisted me in this long and difficult survey process. If It weren’t for your simplification, I would be still working on this paper.

Julianne I needed a mentor when I was at my wits end, and you came along by advocating and Gold-Brunson empowering me to be a better person than I didn’t think I was.

Justin Haugens If I didn’t have a husband like you, who has been patient and insistent to help me get this long process going in hopes of making a difference in the world for people with disability. I hope to assist you pursuing your dreams, whatever that may be as long as we are on each other side.

2 Introduction

Imagine a life where no sound is being made except for small feet pattering around, and the only sound being made is the occasional pitch of noise caused by lively conversation between adults in a large public park that is ideally accessible. Within this existence, it is the home for many deaf individuals coming together to be part of a larger community. This is often an intriguing topic for others who are not familiar with “deaf code.” “Sound is a comfortable and familiar means of orienting oneself to the world. And its loss disrupts the way the world can be known. These images communicate the belief that deaf people cannot have access to the world because it is primarily conveyed by sound and especially by the spoken word. Instead they are locked ‘on the other side,’ behind “sound barriers,” and are condemned to a life lacking the depth of meaning that sound makes available to hearing people.”1 Throughout history in deaf communities many individuals often never were part of the larger world, which is now connected in so many ways. The community has adapted to and adopted new technologies that really impact their connection to rest of the world. “Communication and care for one another is recognized as a centerpiece of Deaf culture. Building and outdoors spaces designed to heighten sensory awareness and physical access offers both a unique aesthetic inspiration expressive of Deaf culture and a more inviting and comfortable urban experience.”2 Estimates from Gallaudet University stating people with some form of hearing loss in United States are between 22 and 33 million people, and it is important to note that as planners they are not observing those trends. They continue with other statistics as listed and are to be taken lightly since the numbers are estimates such as: • Approximately 550,000 people in the U.S. are "deaf," if deafness is defined as unable to hear and understand any speech. • Approximately 1,150,000 people in the U.S. are "deaf," if deafness is defined as able to hear, at best, words shouted into one's better ear. Located in Washington DC, Gallaudet University has been the academic center for this community for over one hundred years; however, the constant change of new social and technological forces has required the institute to adapt to include connection with the surrounding communities and neighborhoods. Due to gentrification around the university borders, the institute has begun a cutting-edge planning process called DeafSpace. “The study of DeafSpace offers valuable insights about the interrelationship among the senses, the ways we construct the built environment, and the cultural identity” of the deaf person from “whom society at large has much to learn.”3 It optimizes the use of maximum space targeted to the deaf and hard of hearing population, which means wider stairs and hallways, plenty of light, and seating areas arranged in circles or semicircles. Inclusive design planning can be effective and influential in other fields of Urban Planning focusing on the design for accessibility for underserved population. This is slightly different process incorporating people with disability with accessibility accommodations to allow those to have input in process. This process differs from collaborative planning, which allows empowering the stakeholders to make decision for their community but there are no accommodation prearranged beforehand of

1 Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture. P. 92 2 Request for qualifications regarding development of the university’s properties located along 6th street ne. Report no. Request for qualifications. P.4 3 "What Is DeafSpace?" Gallaudet University. Website.

3 meetings. Gallaudet University has paved this path by commencing collaborative accommodating planning design, which will be influential to the future of social and Urban Planning. The progression of this thesis was under a conference that was held by the National America Planning Association after a failure of accommodations for writer as undue hardship and absence of understanding of American Disability Act. This resulted an moment of awareness that envisioned a future in a world of planning that allowed planners to involve people of disability and Universal Design. It was under impression that we need to expand the word ‘diversity’ including Disability. The budding goal is to bring collaboration between Urban Planning and Universal Design beyond the requirements of the American Disabilities Act and perhaps welcome a new division within American Planning Association. Universal Design which has an impact of being effective and influential, with hopes to play significant role in future of social and urban planning as Gallaudet University have paved beginning stages of social planning design project targeting the deaf and hard of hearing population. The thesis will cover Deaf Space Planning Process by studying methods used as well eliciting feedback from deaf Individuals within the community. The question that will come up during the study, is Washington DC and Gallaudet using all their resources during their Deaf Space Process that would help the program expand during the initial stages? During the literature Review, This will be analyzed in way of understanding how Urban Planning works thus explaining benefit and disadvantage of the planning process. Additionally, Universal Access and Deaf Space Planning will be examined in attempt to understand the process. Lastly, research design of the research will be further analysis in hope of assisting the hypothesis.

Literature Review: American Disability Act

American Disability Act, 1992 Title I Prohibits both public and private employers from refusing to hire or promote an individual because of his or her impairment and requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for applicants or employees who are deaf or hard of hearing Title II Requires all state and local government agencies to make all of their services accessible to individuals with disability. This ensures people with a disability the ability to participate in services, programs, and activities who can meet the essential eligibility requirements. Such places that must make these accommodations are schools, libraries, police and fire departments, public hospitals, jails and prisons, motor vehicle departments, parks and recreation programs, food stamp offices, and welfare and social service agencies. Title III Gives equal access to public accommodations, which removes communication and physical barriers to people with disabilities from private businesses, professionals, and nonprofit organizations. These private entities may not discriminate “in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, lease, or operates a place of public accommodation.” Title IV Requires “telephone companies to provide both local and long distance telecommunications relay services across the nation” By providing an accessible telephone system, deaf and hard of hearing people are able communicate much easier and would minimize traveling to relay a message. Figure 1: Titles, http://www.ada.gov

4 To fully understand the background of Inclusive design, a review of the American Disability Act is a necessity at this stage. According to the declaration, everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedom that are set forth. When the law was first signed, new doors opened for the deaf and hard of hearing culture for better opportunities in gaining equal rights. “Congress made it clear (through legislative history) that it was their intent to protect individuals who may be negatively discriminated against because of the stigma attributed to their identity whether their disability is actual, perceived, or they are considered no longer disabled.”4 Laws and policies have been fought over in courts and implemented into new policies, which aid many people in accessing the everyday lifestyle that many take for granted. Conversely, in a court of law often the world of planning does not apply to the social model; yet, the physical model is applied and implemented, for example the development of new roads and sidewalks to assist those with physical disabilities. This is a model that many people tend to forget: people with hearing loss or other hidden disabilities also have needs. According to Hanson, “it is society’s unwillingness to devote enough resources to ensure that they do have access to their needs, which is the root cause of social exclusion. The social model points to environmental barriers, poor employment protection, inadequate civil rights legislation, and so on that prevents disabled people from enjoying the same advantages as non- disabled people. 5 ADA does an adequate job protecting the rights of deaf and hard of hearing people, but only goes so far in the law; there are loopholes that masses often use. This is the case for the Urban Planning field; the field follows the law to the T but will not allow themselves to be creative and go beyond it. Hence, the creation of Universal Design has been brought forth into the picture for the planning and architecture fields alike. According to Bauman, “The emergence of “Universal Design” has broadened the scope of environmental accommodation and Universal Design has enriched the ways designers think about access, they do so from a top down, universal approach focused on accommodation of impairment rather than sense of empowerment that comes from dwelling within a place expressive of one’s unique way of being in the world.”6

Literature Review: Urban Planning and its conflicts

Urban Planning is a discipline that offers a wide range of opportunities that cities have on what they need to grow. The field is vast, straightforward, and descriptive in terms of how community planning is done. Urban Planning has since developed to include an increasing number of subjects and fields; it now includes social activities in many areas, from land use to planning-related to education, health- and social services and cultural activities, or planning based on different groups within the population. Most specifically, Advocacy and Participatory Planning have a history of tracking multi-disciplinary populations. Glenn Contributed that planners with a heavy caseload of the planning process “often feel threatened by the thought of greater public involvement in policymaking and planning.” 7 Comprehensive rationality planning has been the predominant style of planning in local government for various reasons which are the planning field feels that it’s

4 Horejes, Thomas P. "(Re) conceptualizing Disability Policy Frameworks." Journal of Policy Practice. P.24

5 Hanson, Julienne. The Inclusive City: Delivering a More Accessible Urban Environment through Inclusive Design. P. 7 6 Bauman, Hansel. "The New Normal: Deaf Gain and the Future of Human Diversity." In DeafSpace: A New Vernacular Architecture for More Sustainable and Livable World, P.29 7 Glenn, Jerome C. "PARTICIPATORY METHODS." P.6

5 weighable advantage to other decentralized / non-rational planning process. As the process of Comprehensive planning, the details and elements in the plan often exceeds the public process since it is already is difficult to have each person agree on common goals, as every person observes issues differently and have different interests invested in the process. “If the public process sets the criteria for planning (i.e., the aspirations), then planners can use those guidelines without feeling that their territory is invaded. Plans can then be evaluated in the next round of public process, creating a partnership between the planners and those for whom the planning is done. “8 Both of the specialties has originated since 1960’s era where planners ignored the needs of poor and the minority population due to the urban renewal that had razed many of the communities. The social advocacy-planning track focuses on community organizing and community development, seeking to increase social justice, reduce poverty, and build vital and thriving under-resourced communities. Where as Participatory Planning process also known as consensus building emphasizes involves entire community in the strategic processes of urban planning whether they live in urban or rural areas. “City and educational planners in the United States who found themselves caught in contradictory situations between the mayor's office and the public would bring them together in charrettes to forge agreements about the future.” 9 Numerous planners had to self-reflect on the Urban Planning discipline and consult with the people who live and work in communities by to assisting the community in achieving its goals; thus poor and exploited people were able to analyze their own reality became a fundamental inspiration for the participatory planning movement. In a typical participatory planning process, the initial stages demonstrate ‘by educating participants instead of learning from them. During the middle stages, the progress allows ‘symbolic effort’ that establishes vocal opportunities for participants, yet paralleling the first two levels, when implemented by those in positions of power, citizens are indeed heard. In the final stages are levels of citizen power with an increasing degree of influence in the decision making process-allowing opportunity for citizens to negotiate and participate in trade-offs with traditional power holders. “Once people genuinely and actively participate, the process is seldom neat and tidy, especially if important and controversial issues are raised”10 However, Public Policy and Urban Planning during that period did not reflect of the disabled, as many were hidden due to the local unsightly beggar ordinances. The goal of these laws during this time period was seemingly to preserve the quality of life for the community. According to Julienne Hanson of The Inclusive City, “Design for general needs assumed that the client or end-user of the building or product was a young, physically fit, educated, middle class (usually) male adult who embodied the anthropometric stereotype. Design for special needs then addressed the requirements of all those groups who did not fit the previous definition of the client, such as children, older people, those with mental health problems and women.”11 The standard person does not apply anymore as current times have identified that there is a new “Normal.” Hanson continues, “It is society’s unwillingness to devote enough resources to ensure that they do, which is the root cause of social exclusion. The social model points to environmental barriers, poor employment protection, inadequate civil rights legislation, and so on, that prevent disabled people from enjoying the same advantages as non- disabled people.”12 It is a general understanding that

8 Glenn, Jerome C. "PARTICIPATORY METHODS." P.6 9 Glenn, Jerome C. "PARTICIPATORY METHODS." P.3 10 Glenn, Jerome C. "PARTICIPATORY METHODS." P.5 11 Hanson, Julienne. The Inclusive City: Delivering a More Accessible Urban Environment through Inclusive Design. P.12 12 Hanson, Julienne. The Inclusive City: Delivering a More Accessible Urban Environment through Inclusive Design. P.7

6 many of the plans made by the local authorities, for example in zoning and town planning, do not further or adhere to the aim of adaption for the individual, implying every individual in society. Disabled people are one of the groups not taken into account within the long-term planning process. The American Planning Association has had the least concerns, and they are supposedly exempt from this even though some of the disabled population is part of their “new normal” population. According to college Professors Nubia Bernardi and Doris Kowaltowski, on involving and educating student planners, “The active participation of users with disabilities ensured that future professionals gained a deeper understanding of user needs and were able to create appropriate and quality environment.”13 This is especially true as AARP is now focusing on including the elderly population alongside the disabled population, as was shared at the Universal Design conference. The goal of this was to emphasize the need of adding more a diverse population to the planning process.

Literature Review: Universal Design

To fully describe the issues of planning really goes back to decisions of politicians. In the time of planning, law has historically been used to justify the process. For instance, how do planners regulate the roads and property lines, which are following what the laws and amendments require? However, the American Disability Act is followed and interpreted very loosely, often not in accordance with the rules. The ADA has changed the landscape of our environment to accommodate for the needs of people with disabilities, but the line stops at how it is interpreted. Bauman explains the top town Universal Design method focusing on accommodation being in a proactive mode rather than a reactive mode. Julienne also agrees with this, stating, “The distinctions between general needs, special needs and Inclusive design are examined, and the impact of these different approaches is considered in respect of built environment legislation and architectural practice.”14

13 Bernardi, Nubia, and Doris C.C.K. Kowaltowski. "When Role Playing Is Not Enough: Improved Universal Design Education." P.376 14 Hanson, Julienne. The Inclusive City: Delivering a More Accessible Urban Environment through Inclusive Design. P.1

7 Inclusive design (Universal Design) Non-Inclusive design • Concern with meaning and context • Concern with style and ornament • Participatory • Non-participatory • Orientated to people • Orientated to organizations or institutions • User-centered design • Owner as exclusive client • Low cost • High cost • Bottom-up design approach • Top-down design approach • Democratic • Authoritarian • Seeking to change design attitudes • Conforming to prevailing attitudes to design • Use of appropriate technology • Use of high technology • Use of alternative models of the • Development process controlled by corporate development process interests • Heterogeneity • Homogeneity Figure 2: Inclusive Design vs. Non-Inclusive Design

The idea of a top-down approach is similar to other types of the planning process, for instance the rational planning process. The model of the process is the process of realizing a problem, establishing and evaluating planning criteria, creating alternatives, implementing alternatives, and monitoring progress of the alternatives. This is similar to the process of Universal Design, as the process “depends primarily on in depth presence of the social science, with a real need to instill sensitivities towards the relation of human behavior and elements of the built environment.”15 The ideal process is to start finding representation (or an issue that needs to be solved), then find different solutions (actions and expressions), and finally share with the population (i.e. engagement) which reflects the ideals of rational planning – all stages that are necessary to smoothly transition the process by incorporating all different solutions towards the end.

Rational Planning Process Universal Design Process

Intelligence Representation 1. Organizational objectives 1. Provide options for perception Phase 1 2. Data collection 2. Provide options for language, mathematical 3. Problem identification expressions and symbols 4. Problem statement 3. Provide options for comprehension

15 Bernardi, Nubia, and Doris C.C.K. Kowaltowski. "When Role Playing Is Not Enough: Improved Universal Design Education." p. 378

Design Action and expression 5. Formulate a model 4. Provide options for physical action Phase 2 6. Set criteria for choice 5. Provide options for expression and 7. Search for alternatives communication 8. Predict and measure outcome 6. Provide options for executive functions

Choice Engagement 9. Solution to model 7. Provide options for recruiting interest Phase 3 10. Section to best alternatives 8. Provide options for sustaining efforts and 11. Plan for implementation persistence 9. Provide options for self regulation

Figure 3: Rational Planning Process Universal Design Process

“A more empathetic approach would enable architects to enhance their awareness of and sensitivity to the physical aspects of their work and the people they work with. Furthering society's pervasive desire for connection to place, architects can apply DeafSpace lessons learned across the scale of the design problems they encounter--from Universal Design's focus on the way the body touches architecture to Sustainability's systemic considerations of ecosystems.”16 As it states here, empathic nature is needed to work with deaf people as their culture is much different from the general hearing population’s, and planners could learn from the community as well implement this to other populations, which could also get a boost of visual improvements in their communities. The philosophy and values of Universal Design have so far have not been applied within planning. It is, therefore, necessary to increase our knowledge of what exactly excludes certain groups of the population in different areas of society, and approach is needed to show consequences for different groups of the population during the whole planning process. “Claims for linguistic and participatory parity on the civic stage are distinct from calls for space in the city and require a critical type of understanding that rejects notions of ‘access’ and ‘the city’ as being purely infrastructural phenomena.”17 To achieve more universal solutions, it is necessary that these groups genuinely participate throughout the whole process from an early stage. When consideration of different groups is a part of the planning process only at a later stage, there is an increase in the probability of having to choose additional or compensatory specialized solutions, rather than solutions usable by all. Participation at an early stage increases the possibility of achieving a Universal Design. The goal in furthering Universal Design is to “create environments and products that are usable by all, without the need for specialist adaptation or design.”18 Therefore, the relationship between both physical and social planning into a new form of planning marriage reflects the needs of underserved populations into Universal Design. McCann believes that an ideal city would be one of “centrality, access to information, truly broad participation and

16 I Bauman, Hansel. "DeafSpace Interview with Hansel Bauman." E-mail interview by author 17 Harold, Gill. "Reconsidering Sound and the City: Asserting the Right to the Deaf-friendly City." P.852 18 Hanson, Julienne. The Inclusive City: Delivering a More Accessible Urban Environment through Inclusive Design. P.13

9 enfranchisement, of alienated labor, and offering the opportunity to live life to the fullest”. 19 Professionals in town planning, architecture and landscape, and product designer, for example, should acquire a wider understanding of the relation to which their designs and products form a part. If the aim is equal opportunities for everybody, all products should be seen as part of a chain, and, as we know, a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

Literature Review: DeafSpace Planning

Another movement has emerged within the Universal Design specialty termed DeafSpace Planning process, which targets a different type of disability that is often hidden – hearing loss or most commonly known as deafness. Harold pinpoints that everyday life in city has been constructed for the hearing population that we should allow the deaf space ingrate within the public hearing space and in return we can begin to consider our the deaf population participate in the space be cooperated.20 If we were to incorporate the ideas and the vision of what DeafSpace requires that all types of people will begin to enjoy the interaction, instead of avoiding the issue. For many years, literature on deaf community and planning has been minimal as “Geographers have largely ignored Deaf cultural theorizing, which supports understandings of Deafness as cultural and linguistic diversity, whereby “sensory lack becomes phenomenological plenitude, where the peripheral becomes central, where Deaf becomes desirable.” 21 However, due to Universal Design and DeafSpace design, the research has proven that we should be thinking of how we interact with each other from different background the, possibilities can be never endless. Gallaudet University approach that idea that we can find other means of how we interrelate by analyzing the process of development and where they can correct miscalculations in the initial stages. This movement was instigated by the university board’s desire to seek long-term planning for the campus. The method is to ensure that the school’s strategic program facility needs are met efficiently and effectively, sustainability goals are advanced, and Gallaudet’s campus community and local citizens are engaged in a transparent planning process.”22 In the initial stage, committee members, deaf faculty, students, administrators, and community representation were recruited to identifying what comprises DeafSpace, which lead to their quest for a definition. Bauman recognized during this initial stages that “...deaf people possess an acute architectural awareness and a sensitivity of the connection between personhood and the spaces they inhabit. These aptitudes--honed by daily experiences of isolation and physical barriers to communication and orientation--form a unique sensibility that stands to enhance the way architecture is conceived and constructed for deaf people and society at large. This is deaf gain for architecture.”23 The first workshops led everyone out across campus, and then they later congregated to begin the brainstorming process. Because of the overwhelming positive feedback from those initial workshops, the university’s administration decided to continue the project, which by then had changed to the DeafSpace project by offering an

19 McCann E, 2002, “Space, citizenship, and the right to the city” P. 78

20 Harold, Gill. "Reconsidering Sound and the City: Asserting the Right to the Deaf-friendly City." P. 851 21 Harold, Gill. "Reconsidering Sound and the City: Asserting the Right to the Deaf-friendly City." P. 860 22 "What Is DeafSpace?" Gallaudet University 23 Bauman, Hansel. "The New Normal: Deaf Gain and the Future of Human Diversity." P. 2

10 extended educational experience for graduate students in a special three-year design and research program offered by the Deaf Studies department. “During this time students were guided through environmental behavior research and architectural design project addressing actual design problem on or around Gallaudet campus. Using the campus as a laboratory allowed for valuable real time research to take place and for students to directly influence campus improvement and design project.”24 During this time, the work of the DeafSpace Guidelines catalogue compiled over one hundred and fifty distinct DeafSpace architectural design elements that addressed the five major touch points, including deaf experiences and the built environment: space and proximity, sensory reach, mobility and proximity, light and color, and acoustic. Both Ben Bahan and Dirksen Bauman led it, and they partnered with Hansel Bauman (who was there to get feedback on the visual studies). This guideline, although still a work in progress, has inspired many of the students to envision beyond the project to a larger scale. Ryan Commerson, a graduate student at Gallaudet University who enrolled in a course on 'DeafSpace', stated, “For me, 'DeafSpace' is just one more validation that being deaf is truly a great thing; that being a visual-tactile oriented member of a collectivist culture has something of value that can be shared with the world.”25 These processes have been ongoing since the first session in 2005, and more sessions have taken place, from development of the new Sorenson Learning Community Center to the new dorms. The program has come up with alternative ways from the normal outreach that most planners stick with, to reach out to the deaf community using person-to-person announcements (as most deaf people rely on personal relationships). For instance, Hansel shared during an interview that classes have been set up in a room adjacent to the campus café with display interactions with faculty to recruit the best and brightest students interested in DeafSpace, and also planning events are often advertised via door-to-door advertisements in many neighborhoods adjacent to the university. They also argue this with announcements in the local list-serv and blogs and the university’s Facebook page. The response has been overwhelmingly positive, as the university only serves some 1,600 students. Hansel’s office relies on consultants or students to retrieve feedback, while Hansel Bauman, he, can stay independently neutral while working toward design and planning solutions. He also states, “The most important aspect to me is to build a relationship based on curiosity, respect and empathy—on both sides. Finding ways to build closer ties through increased interaction in workshops or internships goes a long way to enhance interaction and mutual understanding.”26 Bauman added a new specialty, which is powerful in its simplicity and basic nature: designers and planners need to conduct their work in a much more sensitive and curious way. Being open to the wisdom of people of different ways of being has a great deal to offer and teaches us all to be more aware of our environment – its like putting on a new set of eyes. Through DeafSpace, architects and planners are able to better understand the very particular relationship between one’s sensory experience and the built environment – a level of awareness and sensitivity often overlooked by traditionally trained designers who typically gravitate to the abstract approach. “There is a critical irony in that we have a scenario in which the visual elements of urban design, as well as attitudes towards visual awareness, are actually given too little rather than too much consideration in urban design, thus delaying the

24 Bauman, Hansel. "The New Normal: Deaf Gain and the Future of Human Diversity." P.10 25 Byrd, Todd. "Deaf Space." Gallaudet University. 26 Bauman, Hansel. "DeafSpace Interview with Hansel Bauman." E-mail interview by author

11 project of the Deaf-friendly city.” 27

Literature Review: Gallaudet University

Gallaudet is what one stakeholder declared, “The capital of the deaf community.”28 The community surrounds itself with it as an important center for deaf culture and a place that hosts many deaf events yearly. It was the first school in the world to have advanced education of the deaf and hard of hearing, and it is still the only higher education institution in which all programs and services are specifically designed to accommodate deaf and hard of hearing students. Most importantly, since this research is based at Gallaudet University, the statistics are taken from the university’s census information. They have stated that they have 1,821 students enrolled in Undergraduate and Graduate programs as well with 985 employees working on campus, including 236 faculty members and teachers, and 21,436 alumni living and working around the world. 29 One of the most significant events that narrate the story of the university to what it is today was during the second half of the 20th century, where security issues played a substantial role by its isolation and separation from the rest of the city. Urban Land Institute recently reflected, “The campus has a distinctly different fabric from the surrounding neighborhoods, and walls and fences totally encircle the campus, with few entrances. Many of these entrances are not always open, giving students, teachers, and employees a feeling of being trapped. In fact one interviewee said, “Students are not living in D.C.; they’re attending Gallaudet.” In addition, these narrow and sometimes closed entrances make visitors feel unwelcome or disoriented.”30 Hence, this gave a message to students that staying inside the campus bubble would be a safe world for them, while the outside neighborhood was an impoverished, dangerous place that never fully recovered from the 1968 riots. In the past ten years Washington DC has turned around with the neighborhoods around the school have slowly gentrified, the school now wants to reach out to the community by establishing partnerships between the city planning department and community groups. The university has been exploring different ways to integrate within the larger hearing community, with one way of establishing “DeafSpace Guidelines” being implemented in the outside community around the borders of the school. The common agreement is to allow both worlds to interact rather than clash as they had done so for many decades.

Literature Review: Deaf Identity

Deaf people are members of a small and close-knit community. The shared sense of community brings deaf people together in ways that are enriching and rewarding. “This has led to the concept of a `Deaf Nation' (gang terminology) (Ladd, 2002), which is not, in fact, a nationalistic concept so much as a global Deaf Nation with

27 Harold, Gill. "Reconsidering Sound and the City: Asserting the Right to the Deaf-friendly City." P.858 28 Gallaudet University Washington, D.C. Repositioning the Institution, Renewing the Community. Report. 29 "Fast Facts 2013." Fast Facts. Web. Spring 2013. 30 Gallaudet University Washington, D.C. Repositioning the Institution, Renewing the Community. Report.

12 communities in each country of the world. This has its own parallels with First Nation movements.”31 Just like other cultures, the community gathers together often on a weekly or monthly basis to interact, as stories and word of mouth is their form way of learning about the world. Even in this age of technology and new scientific discoveries, the community is so often behind the times that when they gather together, the communication and education among each other overlaps bringing them in to somewhat better understanding. Often, individuals live near each other in larger metropolitan cities to give them a better chance of interaction. Washington DC and other major metropolitan cities boast a large percentage of deaf residents. Another example of this includes Martha’s Vineyard, a town in Massachusetts, which over the course of 250 years has seen deaf and hearing residents use both verbal and sign language in their everyday lives. There are other examples of a deaf community that reflect deaf culture, such as an unfortunate Urban Planning project that never came to fruition in Laurent, South Dakota; unfortunately what failed was its location and proximity to cities; thus, it is important to note that location and size matter for the community. The developer’s vision was “to have a town where the Deaf community is fully engaged in everyday life. Everyone from postal workers and waitresses to police and city officials would communicate with sign language. The town design would reflect current trends in Smart Growth planning and be modeled after European communities with high density, mixed-use developments that are also created with the needs of the Deaf community in mind.”32 Thus the town symbolic location would have been an iconic identity for the deaf residents to rest of the world. Identity plays a huge role of how the community interacts with the rest of the world. For them, their relationship to the word being ‘Disabled,’ is foreign to them. The issue is not as obvious as it is with other people with a disability, such as a blind person relying on a cane or service dog to get around; it is a symbol relating to the blind population and other “normal” people who see it. What makes an individual that is deaf or hard of hearing stand out the most is sign language. Sign language is a distinctive language that not only uses hand gestures but also “Movements of facial features like eyebrows and lips, and use of space around the signer are also important.”33 The sign language culture has been around for many years, and individuals who communicate via sign language have pride in it just as if they are in another country, and this language represents who they are. “They are simply a linguistic minority (speaking American Sign Language) and are no more in need of cure for their conditions than are Haitians or Hispanics.”34 A hearing person would not figure out the deafness of the individual by looking at their appearance in a normal crowd setting. “The diversity of multiple identities within the deaf community across racial, ethnic, gender, class, educational grounds (to be named but a few), mean that there is no singular deaf identity that can be inscribed on DeafSpaces that will accommodate the myriad forms of deafness that are lived and experienced in the community.”35 In order for the hearing population to relate to deaf people lies within the realm of the modern language of “access” and “civil rights”, and as unfamiliar as it is to deaf people, it has been used by deaf leaders

31 Batterbury, Sarah C E., Paddy Ladd, and Mike Gulliver. "Sign Language Peoples as Indigenous Minorities: Implications for Research and Policy." P.2910-2911 32 Butler, Lisa. "Marvin Miller and the Town of Laurent." 33 Padden, Carol, and Tom Humphries. Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture P.3 34 Dolnick, Edward. "Deafness as Culture." The Atlantic Monthly. P. 37 35 Mathews, Elizabeth S. "Place, Space, and Identity- Using Geography in Deaf Studies." Deaf Studies Today! 2 (2006): P.220

13 because the public understands these concerns more readily than ones specific to deaf community.36 Therefore, if there were no representation, the community would become the silent and under-represented group. Since deaf and hard of hearing people have problems communicating and socializing, as a disabled person, it is only fair to accommodate for their loss. Presently the battle of discrimination lies on we interrelate with each other, as Bauman shared Audism has been “Audism” appears in the form of people who continually judge Deaf people’s intelligence and success on the basis of their ability in the language of the hearing culture. 37The one mutual agreement that is often spoken with passion is “The problem of personal communication between the Deaf and the hearing could be solved by all members of the community, both hearing and Deaf, by learning sign language.”38 There are numerous things that these people can do and can do well – they just cannot hear. If deaf and hard of hearing people were assisted in their loss, most would generously reconcile within society, boosting their self-esteem levels. In addition more positive deeds would occur, such as the present effort to make American Sign Language a standardized language next to Spanish and French in the American public schools, thereby allowing the younger generation to be open to deaf culture. However, this only alleviates some of the problems between both the hearing and the deaf community. To bring both worlds together, “Deaf spaces can be created in the middle of `hearing world spaces'.” 39 This is the case in understanding how Gallaudet functions in the middle of a large metro area of Washington DC. While it has been largely successful, there are several issues that have arisen. When Elizabeth Mathews, the author of "Place, Space, and Identity- Using Geography in Deaf Studies,” was asked about these issues, she stated, “Where deaf and hearing spaces collide, where the battle for govern mentality ensues, where territorial markings from different groups are visible in the same area, where particular identities are struggling to emerge as the dominant meta- narrative, that is a contact zone. Those areas are often regarded as negative space, areas of tension and disharmony.”40 This situation is comparable to other functions such as urban planner-led community meeting or also public and/or private functions. But, how do we as human beings eliminate that conflict and become harmonious? It is up to each individual’s background and hearing levels to determine how they want to or even can integrate with rest of the world.

Data and Methods: Introduction to Methodology

In the planning field, people with disabilities are often overlooked within the planning outreach process. Many community meetings often have people with disabilities never attending due to several reasons, from accessibility to communication breakdown or other significant justifications. In the past, Urban Planning field has been unobserved using Universal Design process which we hope to introduce the theory as being a forefront of the future in planning.

36 Padden, Carol, and Tom Humphries. Deaf in America: Voices from a Culture. P.45 37 Bauman, H-D. L. "Audism: Exploring the Metaphysics of Oppression." P. 240 38 Sparrow, Robert. "Defending Deaf Culture: The Case of Cochlear Implants*." Journal of Political Philosophy 13. P.137 39 Batterbury, Sarah C E., Paddy Ladd, and Mike Gulliver. "Sign Language Peoples as Indigenous Minorities: Implications for Research and Policy." P. 2911 40 Mathews, Elizabeth S. "Place, Space, and Identity- Using Geography in Deaf Studies." P.224

14 Gallaudet University is leading a new planning process with the disabled community, particularly the deaf population as a focus since it is a deaf university. The formal process has been instigated within the university for the past seven years due to overpowering feedback on improvement of quality of life for the deaf community. Setting a strategic direction towards social integration of people with numerous of types of disabilities into the larger society and closing the door on isolation are establishing this goal. This will bring on empowerment by developing greater independence and social perspectives in the larger community, by encouraging planners to start the engagement process and the rest of population following suit. Therefore, the quality of accessible communication becomes a vital key in the development of modern society. This evaluation can become a constructive tool in the improvement of the human engagement within quality of life. The goal of this research to obtain the necessary information on the execution of DeafSpace Planning within Universal Design at Gallaudet University and determine what needs to improve. The Research will cover Deaf Space Planning Process by studying methods used as well eliciting feedback from deaf Individuals within the community. The question that will come up during the study, is Washington DC and Gallaudet using all their resources during their Deaf Space Process that would help the program expand during the initial stages? The survey and interviews will questions asked of the success of the project and the response of the current relationship with existing deaf people to the city planners of Washington DC as a model city for this project. In total 132 deaf adults participated in the research, ranging from students to professors. All of the participants self-identified as being culturally Deaf and live in or close to urban centers, and were asked about their everyday knowledge about DeafSpace and Urban Planning. Their responses prompted reflections on social geography and utilization, Universal Access and mobilities. “Research involving Deaf participants has tended to be informed by understandings of D/deafness-as-impairment, without regard for the visuogestural ontological premise by which Deaf culture is informed.”41

Data and Methods: Survey

The research design of this research assignment has been qualitative due to the nature of the subjects being surveyed and interviewed for results. This was chosen because there has been no prior work surveying the deaf population on a topic such as DeafSpace. It will be concentrating on several objectives such as observations of the individuals on the DeafSpace process as well feedback if the outreach has been successful. The first portion will be based on survey design as a main tool to comprehend the structures of DeafSpace planning by determining its effective nature and if there are any changes that need to be made. It will be intercept survey covering a wide scope of questions with total of twenty-three questions, covering: • General information, which covered demographics such as gender, age and hearing loss. • Educational status, which covered highest, earned education and current status within Gallaudet University. • Language that covered communication questions such as need for interpreters and case scenarios that required spectrums responses. • Technology questions covered technology that the community uses and specific case scenarios for community workshop meetings.

15 • DeafSpace Planning covered ranges of topics from planning to Universal Design to DeafSpace to get a sense of feedback from individuals. • Lastly, filling your own comments to record feedback into written quotes. This will be executed preferably around students’ schedules, in planned areas such as dorm cafeterias and coffee centers as well the library to meet a wide range of the deaf population. We will also be engaging them with whatever means of communication, whether it is signing, verbal, or other methods (sim-communications). Anyone who is hearing will be excluded from this survey due to exclusive target toward people with hearing loss, from mild loss to severe. With that being said, language comprehension is a concern here due to an abundance of varying reading levels. According to Atlantic monthly, “The average deaf sixteen-year-old reads at the level of a hearing eight-year-old. When deaf students eventually leave school, three in four are unable to read a newspaper. Only two deaf children in a hundred (compared to forty in a hundred among the general population) go on to college. Many deaf write English as if it were a foreign language.”42 The survey design addresses this by including written objects that have a representation for the deaf community. This is done within the scope of: • Sign language icons are displayed in certain parts of survey. • Symbolic images reflecting certain vocabulary. • Types of hearing loss indicated. • Survey to last around 20 minutes and should be understandable for a sixth-grade reading level. It will be given anonymously and confidential, which is preferred, using only initials to protect individuals’ identities. The individuals will also be handed an informed consent, as the survey is anonymous, a number on each survey will be identified for each person. The surveys will be locked in a filing cabinet as well as online storage when analyzing results in a locked password-protected computer database using both Google survey instrument to document every question as well excel to interpret results feedback. There will be no risk to the individuals who are doing the survey, as it is anonymous and confidential. There will be no identifiers to the participants except for their initials on the survey. We feel the lack of compensation is appropriate because it does not take up much of the participants’ time as well it will be located where they live and study. The survey will be introduced to them using the following procedures: 1. Introduce and explain project and have them sign an informed consent form. 2. Handle the survey, which will take 20 minutes to do and return the test with the number indicated after turning in. It will be simplified in explanation; as well clarification will also be answered during this period of surveying. This survey will gather as much of the survey as possible with hopes of getting at least 10% of the school’s population, including stuff and professors.

Data and Methods: Planners Interview and Community Meeting

The second portion of the study is to determine if the Florida Avenue Community meetings was effective in getting more deaf individuals to participate in their community workshop. The road is at the southwest section and it runs from northwest to southeast of the university. The corridor serves as the main street for the Gallaudet University campus and residents of fifth and sixth Wards, as well as an increasingly popular regional destination following the

42 Dolnick, Edward. "Deafness as Culture." P. 40

16 development of Union Market and the NoMa business district. The study process will incorporate three public meetings at key stages in the planning process as well Community Outreach Advisors group offering guidance to the DDOT team throughout the planning process. During this portion, the interviews conducted with the planners regarding their feedback within the project and determine the needs of the planners for the future of communication with the deaf population. Additionally, observations during one of the meetings with residents who reside outside of Gallaudet University boundaries as well interpreters and deaf participants are noted during this process.

Discussion and Findings: Result Introduction

The research that we wanted to find out was Washington DC and Gallaudet using all their resources during their Deaf Space Process that would help the program expand during the initial stages? Our theory was that Gallaudet University was using Universal Design methods to get the deaf community involved by using their specific methods that would benefit the expansion of the DeafSpace Discipline with hopes of playing a significant role of assisting the Urban Planning field to accommodate the disabled community. Other planning practices rarely cover people with disabilities, which in the survey we wanted to see if people within the deaf community were getting the message from the campus design office. We also anticipated that the planners who shared their feedback would help the transformation of assisting future young planners who are leaving universities with necessary tools to help the diverse community around not just our country but also around the world.

Discussion and Findings: Survey

The outcomes from the survey have been finalized and interpreted in ways that could be both advantageous and disadvantageous for DeafSpace Planning. This portion will be done in two sections. First, it will be completed with the actual survey that was handed out during a two-day trip to Gallaudet University. About 138 people participated in this survey from students to staff to professors. However, due to the target population, six surveys were omitted and shredded due to checking the box stating they have no hearing loss; the remaining 132 people completed the survey and results were counted. Also during the survey, individuals were allowed to choose more than one answer for some questions, and many chose up to four answers for questions. If the “other” option was selected, respondents were asked to describe. According to the general information of the survey, the gender question returned information, which disclosed that there were more females (52%) than males, and only seven percent did not disclose their information. Also noted was the fact that of the data recorded, there was a large amount of females between the 18-25 year old ranges as opposed to the majority of males being between the 21-25 year old range. (Figure 1)

Figure 1 Gender Population Pyramids Source: Participant Survey

The response also describes the results of the hearing loss (Figure 2) from the individuals who completed the survey. The majority responded with severe and profound losses of hearing. This is important because the paper concentrates on the hearing loss population, and majority of these people with this loss can indicate how planners will respond by outreaching to the community. This will greatly assist the office of Planning at Gallaudet as they continue with their outreaching work by noting the significance in how to outreach to suit different levels of hearing loss. This will be further explained in the rest of the questions of the survey. Figure 2 Levels of Hearing Loss In the education portion (Figure 3) it was noted that a Source: Student Survey higher percentage of the survey responses were students. Out of those respondents, the highest education completed was high school. It also was discovered that the older the respondent is, the higher the degree obtained and/or higher level of professional work career. There were less than 10 responses for community representatives and homeowners. During the language portion (Figure 4) of the survey, the respondents were asked of their preferences on how they wanted to communicate with others. Most people responded with the high levels of American Sign Language. This is important as schools are now recognizing the need to teach it as a second language. If the education system included sign language for future generations, it can help break down Figure 3 Current Status Source: Participant Survey barriers during the communication outreach process. It was also recorded that the communication process of being at a meeting, workshop, or city hall meeting was the average response. This indicates that most people find smaller meetings easier compared to large meetings, such as a city hall meeting. As a deaf individual, this can be very intimidating as communication breaks down or quick coverage during the meetings often brings the deaf individual lagging behind. The survey also addressed the needs of how often people use an interpreter (Figure 5) and it was found that the results varied between seldom and often, therefore indicating that many participants are OPEN to other options such as pen Figure 3 Language: Usage vs. Preference and paper as a fall back. Although Cart and Video Remote Source: Participant Survey

Interpreting (VRI) showed as distant second and third options, they will gain popularity in the coming years, especially since these are newer technologies. VRI, in particular, will greatly become an asset for the deaf community to communicate with rest of the world. One hope is that it will become accessible with newer smartphones/tablets that can be brought to public meetings in hopes of deferring situations where interpreters do not show up for scheduled appointments or meetings. The survey also asked what would be the best method to reach the city (Figure 6). Hence, the most popular results were texting/cell phone, email, and Video Relay. Figure 5 Usages of Interpreters Planners should take note of this, as actual phone calls would Source: Participant Survey not be sufficient in this situation. The desire to use modern and convenient technology is becoming increasingly popular as more and more smartphones allow the transition from Telecommunication Devices for the Deaf (TDD). TDD is still being used by many government agencies, including city planners, because the slow response to changes is evident in the public sector. The public sector employees are not trained in how to communicate with deaf individuals. Therefore, training cannot be conducted with a partnership with agencies or organizations that serve the population. It was also noted that higher usages (Figure 7) are through visual technology, Internet services, and cellular phones. They are broken down further to texting/cell phone, Videophone, email, and social Figure 4 Contacting City media as the most preferred technology usages for public Source: Participant Survey outreach in the deaf community. It was also discovered during the surveying process from the deaf community that partnering with the city on Urban Planning has proven to be difficult (Figure 8). The relationship is average at best in communication between both parties, which is interpreted in the barriers of understanding each other’s side. During the second part of survey, when asked if individuals worked with the planners on each subject, astonishingly the answer was “No.” This will be explained later in the question, “Do you know how to get involved within the process,” and it returns interesting feedback. In this figure, the ranges from Medium to Hard Figure 7 Preferred Technology Usage are much higher compared to Easy to Medium. This is Source: Participant Survey

significant to share as the last portion of the survey focuses on DeafSpace planning, with the focus on familiarity of the topics of: • Deaf Studies • Architecture • Urban Planning • Universal Design • DeafSpace Planning

For most deaf individuals, it was found that Deaf Studies are where they recognize the most of all five choices. Figure 8 Working with Planners on: Source: Participant Survey (Figure 9) It was found that most of them were not familiar with DeafSpace planning, which indicates that the campus planning and design office has not been outreaching to as many students as they should have. The deaf community is also mostly unaware of Urban Planning, which is something that should be instilled during students’ educational careers. There should be a requirement of understanding how to be empowered or involved with a community. This could be done with Deaf Studies courses as a project. Currently there is only one class per semester that offers this, but it would be beneficial for the school to add on more classes to gain more awareness in the process. It also should be suggested that each semester at the beginning of the class and at the end of class a survey should be provided to pull data from to improve the class for students’ own accord. This fact is also evident in the second part of the survey, where students were asked what classes have they taken. The school has limited majors, but it would be a great asset for the to add another degree program in urban design or a planning track under the public administration program to target Universal Design and/or DeafSpace planning. This would be essential for the future of Urban Planning by providing a diverse community by allowing people with disabilities into this profession. The data states (Figure 10) that people are almost 50/50 when it comes to acknowledging the existing projects Figure 9 Familiarities new dorm as a model of what to come for the future, which Source: Participant Survey the Office of Campus Planning should use to their advantage and use that model for the improvement of planning for the

university. This leads back to the original question of whether or not the university is successful in getting the students’ involvement; the answer is both yes and no. It is yes because the University has a physical model that it can use as an advantage, but the real question is how can the University improve upon this to other parts of the project? The answer is also no because the response is not 100% “Most likely to recommend DeafSpace Planning,” (Figure 11) which states there is more work to do to get that final third of the population Figure 10 Gallaudet University Existing Planning Projects convinced that this project would make a difference in the long Source: Participant Survey run. Even so, this survey can be beneficial for the long-term in

the expansion of the program by correcting where the program has errors. This leads to the final question, “Is the outreach program working?” The results are saying are negative, as people state that they want to be involved but they do not know where to go to become involved within the whole process. The office is doing a disservice by not taking advantage of using word-of-mouth along with other technology (such as the Internet and social media) as great tools. Questions were asked to convey feedback of what medium the individuals had received if they knew how to get involved. It was discovered that many individuals misinterpreted the questions as if it was another platform to reach out to them through different means. It was a question that could have been better worded to get the point across. It Figure 11 Likely of Recommending Deaf Space Planning Source: Participant Survey has been omitted for research purposes. In the last session, comment feedback was asked for three questions. Out of 132 respondents, only 73 responded in the comments section. Out of the 73 respondents, only fifty percent understood the questions and gave valid responses. One deaf individual pointed out “It would be nice if any one of you create the website where we can see the process of DeafSpace Planning without any one being out of the loop,” with many similar responses from others. It is imperative to note that many of these individuals are finding it a great asset but again would like to know more about how it would benefit their lives. (Figure 13)

Figure 12 Participation Projector Source: Participant Survey

Comment Section Do you have anything that you would What do you feel YOU will gain Do you have any suggestions for like to share with future Urban Planning from DeafSpace Planning? improvement? community when this gets published so they can be aware of the deaf community? • Involve deaf people in planning (not • Friendlier, more comfy, • Should have a panel review before just white deaf straight men) usable spaces executing decisions/plans. For • Main important is sustainability! • Learning different example, the new energy efficient lights Creating an environmental friendly perspectives of Deaf cut visibility down by 40% to 60% for space will make improvement on its accommodations than reality people with vision problems and community. Using the space well and of the hearing world. We do eyestrain for those who are deaf. throughout thoughtful plans for others. things differently and most • It will be nice if anyone of you create • Please keep in mind deaf people truly times our differences helps the website where we can see the need deaf space to be able to open the world more. process of DeafSpace Planning without communicate effectively. • It will give good/fair access anyone being out of the loop. • That deaf people could be a great for everyone. • I would like to overview or give more asset and contribute just as much as • Open access to knowledge 2022 plan because we are anyone else. communication part of present will guarantee impact on • Whenever a meeting with Department • I would feel like I can future. of Transportation, Office of Planning contribute more if they're • Provide more access to information and other development, a meeting with advertising well needed. students, staff and faculty of Gallaudet • I feel that we will gain more • More open-mindedness for the is a must! insight and more comfortable environment *inclusion of concepts of • How are the students involved with the spaces for deaf. environmental psychology into process? How will businesses-- • More visual space DeafSpace specifically local businesses-- accessibility • The Office of Design / Planning incorporate deaf employees and • Much more tactile and visual probably should have someone to be customers? Cost of living-- friendly aggressive involved with DC Op/Dept. Georgetown = expensive = rich • Beautiful space--not of transportation to ensure Gallaudet students; Gallaudet = expensive = congested and constrictive University's concerns / needs are being deaf students able to access? Deaf like some rapidly developing heard in their meetings. people don't have better options than areas! • ULI gave us great ideas--time to to go to Gallaudet (only University for translate to DeafSpace & Universal Deaf). How does this identity merge Design with our urban planning? • Involve students, reach out and make a unique identity for us. Do not follow the typical model of urban planning because we are not a typical urban district.

Figure 13 Comment Section

Discussion and Findings: Planners Interview and Community Meeting

In the second portion of this qualitative research, the interaction between individuals in large group settings was studied and the urban planners who led the Florida study meeting in October 2013 were interviewed. This section will be broken down into the planner’s interview and the public meeting, which includes their survey. So as to not lose information, the interview was audio recorded then transcribed into a text file to preserve the dialog between the two parties. The Florida Avenue study project is contracted out to both Adam Vest of Kittleson & Associates and Eric Shaw of Rhodeside & Hartwell, which both agreed to be interviewed where the meeting was being held on campus at Gallaudet University. 43 This project is a partnership between Gallaudet University and the District of Columbia to recruit more deaf individuals from the surrounding community as well as within the university. This project grabbed the writer's interest to see the relationship between the deaf and the mainstream community, further verifying that there is something that needs to be worked on for the sake of DeafSpace Planning as well Inclusive Planning. The whole intention of the interview was to engage both planners’ perspectives within the planning process, including the said deaf population. Both Adam and Eric agreed that during the process of outreach, their concerns were enough if interpreters were available for the participants. From what was said, there was no notification of how many deaf individuals were showing up. In the first meeting, they estimated about 14 were deaf individuals out of the 80 attendees, and they felt that there were not enough interpreters due to the first meeting being a verbal interaction within the group outbreak. For most of their public meetings, the Urban Planners require formal request, which it is still unclear of how the process works, especially for deaf individuals who would not know where or when to contact the city. According to Eric, the process in DC for an individual who would like to attend to the meeting would be to contact the city’s Office of Civil Rights as well as the Office of Disability Rights to coordinate the request.44 If given, the District Department of Transportation, by using an outside contractor who provides interpretation services, will send as many interpreters as the request is asked for. The process seems unclear from an outsider perspective, and the planners themselves were not confident explaining the process during the interview. However for this project, they knew of this ahead of time and contracted out for interpreters due to title six regulation (Prohibition against National Origin Discrimination Affecting Limited English Proficient Persons). This topic alone needs to be further studied on how to make a compliance guide for individuals with hearing loss. What stood out during the interview was how both Planners expressed hesitation of how to interact with people with hearing loss, especially around interpreters and in their own words, “knowing what the protocols were, such as where to look during conversations and how long to pause.”45 This could be fixed by a simple education workshop for planners who would normally never work with this subgroup of the hearing loss population; including continuing education credit hours, which would meet the AICP’s requirements. Both agree this could be beneficial for them as well as other planning professionals within this career. This also could be a great asset for the American Planning Association by using national and local conferences as a base of how to communicate with the community and raise awareness on Universal Design planning.

43 Vest, Adam, and Eric Shaw. "Florida Avenue Study." Interview by Author. Transcript/Audio 44 Vest, Adam, and Eric Shaw. "Florida Avenue Study." Interview by Author. Transcript/Audio 45 Vest, Adam, and Eric Shaw. "Florida Avenue Study." Interview by Author. Transcript/Audio

The interview also covered technology based on outreach to the community, which they felt during the original meeting that they touched all bases during the announcement period. This included websites, flyers, email blasts, blog posts, and their own websites. They did also feel that with assistance from the Community Outreach Advisors Group, of which Hansel Bauman is part of, local advisory neighborhood commissioners and other key stakeholders could help by getting the word out.46 With a gain of 14 individuals attending the meeting, the advisory group has been a great asset for the future purpose of the state of the community. According to Adam, roles are to facilitate or to reach out to people in the community because they’re generally people that are well-versed in community issues and to advise the planners on the feedback from the community, which later gets incorporated within the larger project. Both planners were handed a survey of what their acknowledgement of technology within the deaf community uses, a list similar to the DeafSpace survey. They added that they were not aware of the newer technologies and how they worked, also expressing financial concerns (which could be covered via government grants for accessibility usage). Adam also expressed that, “Our budget is also not infinite but we also want the meeting to be completely accessible and I think for the last meeting we maybe did not have enough interpreters but we added some additional ones at the last minute and it ended up being a very wise decision so we had just the right amount for the turnout. I guess the juggling of knowing what to expect.47” For the future in case of no interpreters, using iPads for Video Remote Interpreting could be used in replacement of using the old reliable pen and paper, which would be proven to be slow for workshop meetings. They also felt that learning how to call a person with hearing loss is proven to be difficult as they are not familiar with the procedures on making a phone call. Finally, the interview was completed as they both agreed that DC’s been better than other jurisdictions that they worked with, but just how to make the deaf community know that they’re welcome and will not be left out of the process is difficult. After this interview ended, the community meeting commenced with 58 people attending, and of those 58 nine were deaf individuals. After learning of the errors from the first meeting, they shifted the format of the meeting into a hands-on workshop using visual exercises. (Figure 14)48 This would be beneficial for deaf individuals, as it does not require a lot of interaction between them and other people at their tables. It also was noted that each table was seated Figure 14 Group Discussions Source: Melissa Manak with one interpreter, as many of the deaf individuals did not want to be in same group within their community, hence fostering a relationship with other hearing individuals. However, during the exercise, one of the participant, Robert Sirvage whose deaf noted that there was no representation for people with a disability using the existing images that

46 Vest, Adam, and Eric Shaw. "Florida Avenue Study." Interview by Author. Transcript/Audio 47 Vest, Adam, and Eric Shaw. "Florida Avenue Study." Interview by Author. Transcript/Audio 48 Workshop Exercise. October 17, 2013. Road study figures. Florida Avenue Study Workshop #2. Gallaudet University, Washington DC.

were to be in the exercise – for instance, someone with a wheel chair or a sign language person for human figure cut outs. (Appendix C5) When it came to the time to share their work, everyone participated in a large group discussion; which during this time small numbers of hearing individuals who were scoffing whenever a deaf person took a turn at the stand. (Figure 15) This included with some comments were made of cutting into the land of the school as if the school was a burden to the neighborhood for those who view in that way. However, for the rest of the audience agreed and in some cases even sponsored ideas of deaf individuals. What was taken from this meeting was equilibrium between both Figure 15 Robert Sirvage signing Source: Melissa Manak parties, and, for most part, it was a healthy dosage of success within this process. Lastly, the participants also had a choice to do a survey at the conclusion of the meeting. What was noted between the first meeting and the second meeting survey were differentiation of which technology was used to get the information about the meeting to if you were a participant with hearing loss targeting questions about the interpreters to language used at home. • Survey #1: The key component of this survey was to collect information for transportation purpose, focusing on the issues on hand of Florida Avenue, giving everyone the opportunity to share their feelings if they hadn’t shared during the meeting. What was important for them was to include outreach questions, however they did not include important communication modes for the deaf community such as social media (Facebook), they did make an effort for the important internet tools like, list-serv, or other related Gallaudet connections. In hopes for the future of the meeting, they fully utilize what is available for the deaf community and try those modes including what is already listed. They also paid attention to the needs for the deaf individuals on last two questions asking about the interpreting being effective and specific interpreters that did above and beyond. What they should have asked was any thing else we could do to improve our communication towards to your community and if so how can we do it most efficiently. (Appendix C2). • Survey #2. This meeting survey was prepared differently to focus on the population demographics and determine if the location was effective choice for the future meetings. Demographic section was well prepared except for question regarding to language spoken at home, by not adding American Sign Language into the fold giving a better diversity than what was already given. (Appendix C3)

Conclusion and Further Discussions:

In conclusion of this capstone research project, there are several recommendations and concluding statements that will be addressed. During this research project, the questions asked was how successful the project has been within the university and if it is something that can be shared within the rest of the country, if not world. The answer is that the project is still in its growing stage of a great start-up idea that needs small fine-tuning. What is beneficial during this whole research is the documentation of all work and meetings that have been done between the writer and the campus design in hopes of eventually sharing this with the rest of the planning community. The deaf community is welcoming this process with open arms and is eager to know more about the work that is being done. The recommendations that are listed should be used as advice for the future of the project but do not need to be followed stringently. 1. Public outreach and relations could be better improved. This is an example of a logo or an icon that represents DeafSpace that most deaf individuals could recognize. The university should capitalize on this by offering workshops or classes in logo design by surveying what makes DeafSpace. The survey that was conducted is a good place to start by understanding the comments section, for instance that the use of light, space, and design could all come into a solid program. This emblem will be displayed not just within the university but everywhere else within city. This concept would be a textbook example of Universal Design, as well as a founding father of DeafSpace. 2. There is a need for a push for a program expansion. Currently there is a small amount of students and facility that are aware and have taken classes on DeafSpace and Universal Design. Why not thrust the idea into a spotlight by offering a specialty track on this program, partnering with outside agencies such as Department of Transportation and city officials alike? This would get its momentum, spreading the idea across the country faster, hence pushing for a division within the APA targeting the practice. Other schools could also pursue partnership programs in return for expansion of their own Universal Design study track within Urban Planning or Public Administration programs. 3. Exploring and finding the niche of what makes the project successful and expand on those ideals is recommended. This capstone project was only able to touch the surface and explore from the outside perspective, but what could be ideal for the future of this conceptual project is to push farther into the actual issues and find out what makes it work. For instance, the stages of the project are blurry and undefined which could be finely tuned into something of a comprehensive planning project or process. 4. Expand the Program Office to include interns within the university. Currently, the Campus office is overwhelmingly busy due to the interest of the project, but there is not enough staff to go around engaging the project more than what they currently offers. This could be done, again, with a public administration graduate program. 5. Current data needs to be further verified. Requiring all students upon entering the first day of class to be surveyed and surveyed again after the class is completed would be an example of this. This would be helpful to know where they can improve or track issues that came up during the planning process. 6. The Florida Avenue study could be integrated within the classroom. Robert Sirvage, who is currently the professor of Deaf Studies and Campus Design, is a perfect candidate to negotiate and teach classes on

this subject. If the university can afford to add a class on Florida Avenue study, it could improve the numbers of students in the general meeting. A concept such as this project has to start somewhere. These results can be incorporated within DeafSpace planning. 7. Further education on the Urban Planning industry on Universal Design is recommended. This would be a perfect candidate project for a Ph.D. program in partnering departments within any school that offers Urban Planning and its counterparts. This will be done as the program grows, and it reaches out beyond the borders of the university. One place to start is by creating guidelines of deafness, what it stands for, and individuals communicate with the rest of the society. Another suggestion is a workshop led by educated staff that is deaf to general city officials, perhaps in assisting educates on the title six regulations along with the ADA. 8. Technology has a vast role. As one participant in the survey said, “The planning community has to adapt.” This survey only breaks the surface, but if the staff of the campus design can find what really works, take advantage of it, and modify it to make it work to their advantage. This could be an existing project or something new and never used before.

The planning community could greatly take this project to their advantage during the times they work with the deaf community as well other disabled communities. This only scratches the surface of what could be a boundless venture into a better world that what offered today. Understandably, things are improving, but it cannot be delayed as the future is already here and cost-cutting methods could be essential during these stages. This study has offered a sense of accomplishment between interrelationships between us deaf individuals to the rest of society in ways we construct our buildings and cultural identities. In a sense, many individuals have been pushed behind as our lifestyles are constantly evolving; yet, we are just now becoming connected in so many ways. The project enhances the space around us by adding wider stairs, lighting, and social relationships. It makes Inclusive design planning to become effective and influential in other fields of Urban Planning by allowing Gallaudet University to pave a path in inauguration of social planning design. The expectation of this thesis was under vengeance due to a confusion of the American planning association evolving into the idea of a great conjugal between Urban Planning and Universal Design beyond the requirements of the American Disability Act. Lastly, this project has been a pleasure to work on studying how the community works. Even as a deaf individual, learning new techniques that further my comprehension of how the deaf community works and how rest of the world could adopt the ideals has been great. I have never been happier than now, in that I get to share a budding mission in hopes for it to grow and be shared between the Urban Planning community and the deaf population.

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Workshop Exercise. October 17, 2013. Road study figures. Florida Avenue Study Workshop #2. Gallaudet University, Washington DC.

31 A1 A2

Respondent ID #______

Joint Survey of UNCC and Gallaudet University for Deaf Community Outreach: Florida Study

You are being asked to participate in a survey research project entitled “Deaf Community Outreach within Universal Design,” which is being conducted by Melissa Manak, a Graduate student at University of North Carolina-Charlotte. This survey is confidential and anonymous. No one, including the researcher, will be able to associate your responses with your identity. You must be at least 18 years of age and have a hearing loss to participate in this study. Questions regarding the purpose or procedures of the research should be directed Melissa Manak at [email protected].

RESEARCH CONSENT FORM

By signing this form you acknowledge that you are at least 18 years of age and freely consent to take part in a study being conducted by Melissa Manak. If you have any questions about this study please contact me by:

Mail: 1212 W Lunt Ave #1 Chicago IL 60626 Email: [email protected] Phone: 312.623.6164

You will be completing a survey that takes approximately 20 minutes to complete. This study will run for a week and there will be different locations being surveyed.

I do not anticipate any foreseeable risks or discomfort other than the inconvenience to you in completing the interview. Although this study may not directly benefit you, it potentially may benefit others in the future.

The disclosures of the interview will be treated in strict confidence and you will remain anonymous. Within these restrictions, only general information of the study will be made available to you at your request.

Your participation is completely voluntary. You may choose to withdraw from the study at any time without penalty. In the case of your withdrawal the information gathered at that point would be destroyed.

If you have any complaints about your treatment as a participant in this study, please call or write to the chair of the Gallaudet Institutional Review Board: Contact: Carlene Thumann-Prezioso VP : (202) 250-2753

Thank you very much for participating in this study.

Initial your name: ______Date: ______

TTexB1 Please use the images as a guideline to answer few questions within the survey.

Cellular Phones/tablets Wireless Pagers

Texting/cellphone

IPads/tablet Relay Relay Service: Typing

Video Phone/ Video Relay Services (VRS) (Sorenson, purple, etc)

Telecommunication Device for the Deaf TDD

VCO (Voice Carry Over) Visual CART

FM System

Closed Captioning

Video Remote Interpreting (VRI)

Pen and Paper

PSA- Public service announcement Internet Instant messaging

Video chats (FaceTime/Skype

The local list-serv

Gallaudet VLOG

Social network (university Facebook page/Twitter/Blogs) Audio Hearing aids

Digital ALD’s (boots for hearing aids and FM)

Cochlear implants

General Information Please indicate your gender. ____Female ____Male Please indicate your hearing loss: ____None ____Severe ____Mild ____Profound ____Moderate ____ If don’t know: ____d.b. ____d.b

Which range includes your age?

____18-20 ____21-25 ____26-30 ____31-35 ____36-40

____41-45 ____46-50 ____51-55 ____56-60 ____61+

Educational Status What is your highest earned education? (Check one) ____G.E.D ____Certificate ____Masters ____High School ____Associates ____Ph.D. ____Some College Classes ____Bachelors ____None ! Are you: (Check one) ____Student at Gallaudet U. ____Staff at Gallaudet U. ____Professor at Gallaudet U. ____Continuing Education Student ____Community Representative ____Homeowner/renter

Language 1. Can you communicate? (Check all that apply) ____Writing ____American Sign Language Other: (write below) ____Verbal ____Other Sign Language (PSE/SEE) ______! 2. Which do you prefer? (Check all that apply) ____Writing ____American Sign Language Other: (write below) ____Verbal ____Other Sign Language (PSE/SEE) ______! 3. How often, if ever, do YOU use an interpreter? (Check one) ____Never ____Seldom ____Often ____Always ! 4. What do YOU request if they do not have an interpreter available? (Check all that apply) ____CART ____Pen and Paper ____FM Systems ____Conference Mate ____Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) ____Others:______

5. How difficult is it for YOU to follow conversations:? One being easy and 5 being hard EASY MEDIUM HARD In meetings of several people (such as an office meeting) 1 2 3 4 5 In community planning workshop meeting 1 2 3 4 5 In City Hall meeting 1 2 3 4 5

Technology 6. What technologies do YOU use? (Check all that apply) Cellular ____Wireless Pagers Phones/tablets ____Texting/cellphone ____iPads Relay ____Relay Service: Typing ____Video Phone/ Video Relay Services (VRS) (Sorenson, purple, etc) ____Telecommunication Device for the Deaf TDD ____VCO (Voice Carry Over) Visual ____CART ____FM System ____Captioning ____Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) ____Pen and Paper ____PSA- Public service announcement Internet ____Instant messaging ____Email ____Video chats (FaceTime/Skype ____The local list-serv ____Gallaudet VLOG ____Social network (university Facebook page/Twitter/Blogs) Audio ____Hearing aids ____Digital ALD’s (boots for hearing aids and FM) ____Cochlear implants ! 7. Which one would be most useful for you to communicate with others in public meetings? (Check all that apply) ____CART ____Interpreter Voiceover ____FM Systems ____Pen and Paper ____Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) ____Others:______! 8.Which are the following best methods for you to contact city? (Check all that apply) ____Wireless Pager ____Relay Service: Typing ____Texting/ Cell phone ____Video Phone/ Video Relay Services (VRS) (Sorenson, purple, etc.) ____Instant messaging ____TDD Ð Telecommunication Device for the Deaf ____Email ____VCO (Voice Carry Over) ____Social network (university Facebook ____Others: ______page/Twitter)

Deaf Space Planning 9.How familiar are you with (one as familiar and 5 as unfamiliar) FAMILIAR UNFAMILIAR Deaf Studies 1 2 3 4 5 Architecture 1 2 3 4 5 Urban Planning 1 2 3 4 5 Universal Design (AKA Inclusive Design) 1 2 3 4 5 Deaf Space Planning 1 2 3 4 5

10. Have you ever taken classes on:

Deaf Studies Yes No Architecture Yes No Urban Planning Yes No Universal Design Yes No Deaf Space Planning Yes No

11. Have you experienced working with the city/planners on: Architecture? Yes No Planning Yes No Universal Design Yes No

12. Have you heard about Gallaudet University’s: 10 Year Campus plan Yes No The new dorms Yes No 6Th avenue study Yes No Florida Avenue study Yes No

13. Do YOU know how to get involved in the process? Yes No 14. If no, do you want to get involved? Yes No

15. If Yes, How have you heard about it: (Check all that apply) ____Texting/ Cell phone ____Word of Mouth ____Instant messaging ____The local list-serv ____Email ____Gallaudet VLOG ____Social network (university Facebook page / Twitter / ____Others: ______Blogs) ! 16. Please rate with one being easy and 5 being hard EASY MEDIUM HARD Working with the city in general: 1 2 3 4 5 Working with planners specifically 1 2 3 4 5 Working with Gallaudet’s office of planning 1 2 3 4 5 How likely is it that you would recommend Deaf space 1 2 3 4 5 planning to a friend/colleague?

Comment Section: Do you have anything that you would like to share with future Urban Planning community when this gets published so they can be aware of the deaf community?

What do you feel YOU will gain from DeafSpace Planning?

Do you have any suggestions for improvement?

Thank you for your participation! Survey Results Source: Participant Survey, Gallaudet University

SURVEY QUESTION: Please indicate your gender Gender # Percentage F 69 52% M 56 42% Unknown 7 5%

Figure 1 GENDER

SURVEY QUESTION: Which range includes your age? Age: # Percentage 18-20 42 32% 21-25 47 36% 26-30 20 15% 31-35 6 5% 36-40 4 3% 41-45 6 5% 46-50 3 2% 51-55 1 1% 56-60 1 1% 61+ 2 2% Figure 2 AGE ANALYSIS

SURVEY QUESTION: Are you: Are you: # Percentage Student 7 89% Staff 3 2% Professor 5 4% Continuing 2 2% Education Community Rep 0 0% Homeowner/renter 1 1% No Response 4 3%

Figure 3 CURRENT STATUS

B2Te

SURVEY QUESTION: What is your highest earned education? (Check one) Educational Status # % G.E.D 1 1% High School 40 30% Some College Classes 48 36% Certificate 1 1% Associates 5 4% Bachelors 22 17% Masters 11 8% Ph.D. 2 2% Figure 4 HIGHEST EDUCATION None 2 2%

SURVEY QUESTION: Please indicate your hearing loss Hearing loss # % Mild 7 5% Moderate 16 12% Severe 31 23% Profound 89 67% No Response 5 4% don’t know 5 4%

Figure 5 LEVELS OF HEARING LOSS

SURVEY QUESTION: How often, if ever, do YOU use an interpreter? Interpreter # Percentage Never 8 6% Seldom 66 50% Often 48 36% Always 10 8%

Figure 6 USAGE OF INTERPRETER

SURVEY QUESTION: What do YOU request if they do not have an interpreter available? No interpreter? # % CART 44 33% FM Systems 5 4% Video Remote Interpreting (VRI) 27 20% Pen and Paper 79 60% Conference Mate 4 3% Others 15 11% No Response 11 8%

Figure 7 OTHER OPTIONS

SURVEY QUESTION: Which one would be most useful for you to communicate with others in public meetings? Most useful # Percentage CART 41 31% FM Systems 2 2% VRI 26 20% Interpreter 76 58% Pen and Paper 48 36% Others: 4 3% No Response 4 3%

Figure 8 PUBLIC MEETINGS

SURVEY QUESTION: Which are the following best methods for you to contact city? Best methods # Percentage Wireless Pager 20 15% Texting/ Cell phone 84 64% Instant messaging 28 21% Email 107 81% Social network 57 43% Relay Service: Typing 18 14% VRS 89 67% TDD 3 2% Figure 9 CONTACTING CITY VCO 3 2% Others 3 2%

SURVEY QUESTION: How difficult is it for YOU to follow conversations? One being easy and 5 being hard Office Meeting Workshop City Hall Easy 12% 16 9% 12 7% 9 12% 16 9% 12 8% 10 Medium 41% 54 36% 47 33% 43 17% 22 25% 32 22% 28 Hard 18% 23 21% 27 31% 40

Figure 10 CONVERSATIONS

SURVEY QUESTION: Can you communicate? Which do you prefer? (Check all that apply)

Communicate Prefer Other 8 2% 3 1% PSE/SEE 29 8% 15 7% ASL 131 37% 124 55% Verbal 70 20% 35 16% Writing 118 33% 48 21%

Figure 11 USAGE VS. PREFERENCES

SURVEY QUESTION: Have you experienced working with the city/planners on: Architecture Urban Planning Universal Design

1 4 3% 6 5% 6 5% 2 10 8% 10 8% 22 18%

3 58 48% 55 45% 49 40% 4 33 27% 33 27% 33 27%

5 16 13% 18 15% 12 10%

Figure'12'Working'with'City'planners'on:

Figure 13 Familiarity

SURVEY QUESTION: How familiar are you with (one as familiar and 5 as unfamiliar) Deaf Studies Architecture Urban Planning Universal Planning Deaf Space Planning Easy 57 46% 17 14% 13 10% 13 11% 19 15% 24 19% 18 15% 14 11% 11 9% 17 14% Med 26 21% 31 25% 25 20% 20 16% 30 24% 8 6% 21 17% 26 21% 23 19% 21 17% Hard 10 8% 36 29% 46 37% 55 45% 37 30%

SURVEY QUESTION: Have you heard about Gallaudet University’s: 10 yr. Plan Dorms 6th Ave. FL Ave. YES 80 63% 90 71% 58 83% 40 45% NO 48 38% 36 29% 70 55% 88 69%

Figure'14'Gallaudet'University'Existing'Planning' Projects

SURVEY QUESTION: Do YOU know how to get involved in

the process?

If no, do you want to get involved?

Rating Recommend Most Likely 24 20%

25 20% 47 39% Figure'15'Participation'Projectors 12 10%

Least likely 14 11%

SURVEY QUESTION: How likely is it that you would recommend Deaf space planning to a friend/colleague?

Yes No

Want to 66 73% 40 29% Know How 25 27% 100 71%

Figure 16 How likely reccomend Deaf Space Planning SURVEY QUESTION: What technologies do YOU use?

Technology Wireless Pagers 44 33% Texting/cellphone 128 97% iPads 74 56% Relay Service: Typing 24 18% (VRS) 110 83% TDD 6 5% VCO (Voice Carry Over) 7 5% CART 25 19% FM System 4 3% Figure 17 Technology Knowledge Section Captioning 107 81% (VRI) 19 14% Pen and Paper 96 73% PSA 6 5% Instant messaging 87 66% Email 129 98% Video chats 121 92% The local list-serv 2 2% Gallaudet VLOG 25 19% Social network 95 72% Hearing aids 55 42% Digital ALD’s 2 2% Cochlear implants 12 9% SURVEY QUESTION: Do you have anything that you would What do you feel YOU will gain Do you have any suggestions for like to share with future Urban Planning from DeafSpace Planning? improvement? community when this gets published so they can be aware of the deaf community? • Involve deaf people in planning (not • Friendlier, more comfy, • Should have a panel review before just white deaf straight men) usable spaces executing decisions/plans. For • Main important is sustainability! • Learning different example, the new energy efficient lights Creating an environmental friendly perspectives of Deaf cut visibility down by 40% to 60% for space will make improvement on its accommodations than reality people with vision problems and community. Using the space well and of the hearing world. We do eyestrain for those who are deaf. throughout thoughtful plans for others. things differently and most • It will be nice if anyone of you create • Please keep in mind deaf people truly times our differences helps the website where we can see the need deaf space to be able to open the world more. process of DeafSpace Planning without communicate effectively. • It will give good/fair access anyone being out of the loop. • That deaf people could be a great for everyone. • I would like to overview or give more asset and contribute just as much as • Open access to knowledge 2022 plan because we are anyone else. communication part of present will guarantee impact on • Whenever a meeting with Department • I would feel like I can future. of Transportation, Office of Planning contribute more if they're • Provide more access to information and other development, a meeting with advertising well needed. students, staff and faculty of Gallaudet • I feel that we will gain more • More open-mindedness for the is a must! insight and more comfortable environment *inclusion of concepts of • How are the students involved with the spaces for deaf. environmental psychology into process? How will businesses-- • More visual space DeafSpace specifically local businesses-- accessibility • The Office of Design / Planning incorporate deaf employees and • Much more tactile and visual probably should have someone to be customers? Cost of living-- friendly aggressive involved with DC Op/Dept. Georgetown = expensive = rich • Beautiful space--not of transportation to ensure Gallaudet students; Gallaudet = expensive = congested and constrictive University's concerns / needs are being deaf students able to access? Deaf like some rapidly developing heard in their meetings. people don't have better options than areas! • ULI gave us great ideas--time to to go to Gallaudet (only University for translate to DeafSpace & Universal Deaf). How does this identity merge Design with our urban planning? • Involve students, reach out and make a unique identity for us. Do not follow the typical model of urban planning because we are not a typical urban district.

Interview: Adam Vest and Eric Feldman. Source: Adam Vest, Kittleson & Associates and Eric Feldman, Rhodeside & Hartwell

Melissa: Okay, can you indicate your professional background? Basically right now what do you guys do in your role in your current job?

Adam Vest: Okay, I can start. Adam Vest with Kittleson & Associates. We do transportation, engineering and planning. I have an engineering background. I’ve been doing this for ten years or so kind of different places around the country but some of it’s more involved in traffic engineering like signal operations and things but lately it’s been more planning-based engineering I would say, more multimodel, more bicycles, pedestrians, transit, autos, more the balancing of all of those modes.

Eric: And I work for Rhodeside & Hartwell which is a planning urban design (unintelligible) 0:55 (lecture) firm and we do a lot of meetings like this, a lot of public outreach. We do venues, urban design plans, mostly for public sector clients. We work with all sorts of communities and there’s also – a lot of our offices are landscape architects so my background is in planning and I’ve been doing this for – since I graduated from grad school about ten years ago.

Melissa: (Where did you go)?

Adam Vest: I went to the University of Kentucky.

Melissa: (What about you)?

Adam Vest: And I went to MIT.

Melissa: Before working with the (unintelligible) 1:50 but, have you worked with people with disabilities in terms of the deaf community and if so wheat were the challenges (at the panel)?

Adam Vest: So for some of our meetings, and this one is unique in its location and, of course, where we’re having the meeting it means that we have more individuals but for outreach opportunities you generally try to provide one interpreter assuming someone requests one.

If no one – we wouldn’t make a point to actually have an interpreter beforehand unless there was some kind of formal request beforehand. That’s why this one’s a little unique. We didn’t really need a formal request we just knew that we would need interpreters.

Adam Vest: So anytime we do these public meetings as well other disabilities, whether people are in wheelchairs or something like that, they…

Adam Vest: We make sure there are elevators and there are ramps and those types of things to ensure that they’re able to actually get into the facility as well. Eric: And we do a lot of public meetings. I’ve never had interpreters at a meeting before or we’ve had situations where we’ve had, we knew we would need simultaneous translation, just the closest that we could come.

C1 2

Melissa: Do you feel that could (distract) your meeting sometimes because you have them maybe coming at the last minute if they are on (track) and did that tend to be something that you – obviously they wanted (unintelligible) 3:32 to let them know?

Adam Vest: Well, I’ll let maybe you speak to that because you’re the one that actually pulled in the interpreters but it takes some time it sounds like?

Eric: For…

Adam Vest: To actually request interpretation.

Eric: Yeah, because I mean, actually the DC process is that, I mean, generally what they want to do is have people request it specifically if they need it and they have a disclaimer on all of their public outreach materials and there’s an Office of Civil Rights that coordinates, DDOT, the District Department of Transportation, who’s the client for this project and that person fields any requests for interpretation or translation and the district has an office of disability rights as well and they have a contractor who provides interpretation services and they will send as many interpreters as needed.

In this case we’ve – since we knew we would have high demand we’ve contracted some interpreters through the district as part of their Title 6 regulations process and, in addition, we have additional interpreters from Gallaudet and by in large everybody is from the campus community and knows the area and the issues.

Eric: But it does require some planning and you don’t always know immediately how many interpreters you’re going to have or how many people are coming, that’s an issue.

Adam Vest: Yeah, even tonight we don’t know.

Adam Vest: We don’t know how many people are coming so we, I think, have five interpreters coming. We had four at the last meeting and we had roughly 80 people attend the meeting.

Eric: We also had at the last meeting after school, had finished the semester, there were students on campus who did come and we had, I don’t know, what 14 to 20 participants for Gallaudet who attended. In this case, school is in session, it was posted on the Web site but we just don’t know how many people will come and whether…

Melissa: Yeah, and if you’re planning you don’t really know, like another question is, do you ever feel that at the time, because most people don’t feel comfortable with an interpreter. Is that bothersome for you or is that something that you’re okay with?

Adam Vest: I was going to say the first meeting the interpreter was standing right next to me as I was presenting and that was a first for me.

Adam Vest: So it didn’t – when I first saw it I thought, oh, this could be odd but actually I didn’t even think – at some point you didn’t even think about it anymore. 3

Melissa: Okay, some people can get nervous so I just had to ask the question.

Eric: Yeah, in my case I wasn’t presenting but I was a facilitator for a breakout group that was, with the exception of one person, entirely deaf and had an interpreter at my table as well and, again, that was a first experience and I guess I didn’t know some of the protocol as far as where I should be looking and, you know, how long to pause. So I had to understand that as I went along.

Melissa: Now with protocol, let me ask you, do you think it would be helpful (to plan) if you know the protocol beforehand (unintelligible) 7:27?

Adam Vest: Yes, absolutely.

Melissa: That’s good. Hold on, let me get the question. Are you a member of the American Planning Association?

Eric: I am.

Melissa: You are, okay. Have you ever been through the (unintelligible) 7:47?

Eric: Yes.

Melissa: Okay. Have you ever taken the ADA workshop in the past?

Eric: No, I haven’t taken any ADA related…

Adam Vest: I’ve actually been in ADA trainings before but it’s more related to a sidewalk and ramp construction.

Adam Vest: So more for blind individuals or people that are just disabled in terms of wheelchairs or those types of things. So I have been in some of those but it’s more based on like, well, design and construction of sidewalk ramps and appropriate slopes and the angles and things to ensure that they can go up the ramps or there’s the detectable warning devices on the ground and those types of things.

Melissa: Let me ask you, where did you get the training from? Did you get it from school, did you get from…

Adam Vest: It’s from conferences. It wasn’t an ADA conference but as part of, you know, ITE which is the Institute of Transportation Engineers or APA or any of those types of conferences, they almost always have sessions that will be a discussion.

Melissa: Like a continuing education?

Melissa: Okay. Let me ask, we are trying to work with American Planning Association to start a division on the Americans with Disability Act as part of (unintelligible) 9:15 do you think that would be 4

beneficial (for the plan) and if (unintelligible) 9:23, planning, but everybody not just (general) population, do you think that will be beneficial for the American Planning Association to be part of?

Adam Vest: I do.

Eric: One thing that I want to mention is that I work in an office where we do a lot of landscape architecture. There numbers both were very well versed in ADA as it applies to physical disabilities but the understanding, you know, people with hearing or visual impairments, that’s not always on the forefront of what we think of when we think of ADA.

Melissa: And that – do you have anything? All right, and that is something that we are trying to do especially with schools. (In my question) when you were in grad school or undergrad did you wish you had classes in this that would help you to do it (unintelligible) 10:22 what you do for a living? Do you think that could have helped you do the job in a different way or help you work with people with disabilities, taking classes on these when you were in school?

Adam Vest: Yeah, I don’t – it definitely wouldn’t hurt. I think it would be a good thing, yeah.

Melissa: Okay, like a specialty, do you think that would be something because they’re trying to make it as one of the specialties (unintelligible) 10:47.

Eric: Again, yeah, I think it could be helpful.

Adam Vest: I think just having an awareness of it, I think I’ve learned most about what I know about ADA on the job not as part of my education.

Melissa: Okay, so you feel there should be more awareness then?

Eric: There could be more early on.

Melissa: Now we’re going to talk about the (Florida) studies. Your current role in the (planning practice), obviously you’re contracting with DDOT. What is your current role, like, do you do a lot of (unintelligible) 11:30?

Eric: Well, I can start. So the firm I work for we’re the prime contractor for it and we have a number of sub-consultants that we’ve contracted with and Eric is one of those so I’m currently the project manager for this study and, again, my background is in engineering and planning so more kind of the multimodel transportation aspect of it.

Adam Vest: And we’re the sub-contractor to Kittleson. We’re working on both coordinating the community outreach process and also in this case urban design and low-impact development, public space issues.

Melissa: Okay. Did you guys do the survey? We’ll just do that, the survey.

Melissa: Yeah, I was reading it and I’m curious when you were – obviously with (unintelligible) 12:40 right? When you got the surveys, did you have people’s names on it?

Eric: Some people put their names on it but we didn’t ask for it.

Melissa: Okay. Well, let me ask you, the last part with the (interpreter) my question was did you ever do the comparison between the general population and the other population when it came to answering the question, the difference?

Eric: No, I guess we didn’t.

Adam Vest: I’m not sure I am even aware…

Eric: I don’t know how many people responded but I’m assuming that the people that – well, I don’t know I guess both sides could probably have responded to that question, but, no, I don’t think we – that’s a good point though.

Melissa: Okay, so they were similar to both (sides)? Okay.

Eric: Yeah.

Melissa: Do you think there could be more ways to outreach to the community like have you got an innovative way to bring them to the meeting (unintelligible) 13:36? Do you think there would be other ways that you could think of that would help with having outreach?

Adam Vest: Well, I don’t know. I feel like most that we’ve done we’ve done kind of a broad range, and Eric, can probably speak to this more clearly, but we’ve done Web sites, we’ve done flyers, we’ve done email, we’ve done blog posts, we have a Web site, so I feel like the last time that we actually posted in a newspaper, were there other…

Eric: Well, I think what we relied to a great degree, and what I think was the key to our good turnout the last time was the Community Outreach Advisors Group of which Sam and (Hansel) are part of and they are people from the community and also local advisory neighborhood commissioners and other key stakeholders and they have helped us get the word out and so they’ve posted on Web sites, they’ve emailed it around, they’ve used Twitter, put it on neighborhood LISTSERV’s and it ended up on blogs so that’s been helpful and now we’ve also received a lot of comments and email addresses submitted on the Web sites so we now have a network of people that we know are interested and so we’ve reached out to that group as well.

Melissa: So that (unintelligible) 15:12 really helped you with the (unintelligible) 15:15? What (unintelligible) advising but what else do they do?

Adam Vest: So their primary role, I guess it’s a couple of things, one is to facilitate or to reach out to people in the community because they’re generally people that are well versed in community issues and kind of really know what’s going on in the community.

But they also kind of just advise us in general, oh, these are our current issues so they reach out for us but they also kind of give us a lot of good information about what’s going on and some of the issues and to some extent they’re just an extension of us in terms of the outreach.

Melissa: Okay, the advisory group that you were with, what were their names again, the title for them? Did they have a title?

Eric: It’s the Community Outreach Advisors or the COA’s.

Adam Vest: And they’re people from the community who have shown an interest or are very involved or have a property ownership in the area and so they were people that were recommended to us and we invited 20 some odd people to participate and then that group has grown a little bit since then.

Melissa: Were there anybody in the advisory group?

Adam Vest: Sam and…

Eric: Yeah, I guess Sam and of course (Hansel) actually came to use as you interpreter as well.

Adam Vest: Yeah. But no…

Eric: (Aletha) but, yeah, as far as I know I guess Sam is the only one with a…

Melissa: Okay. Are you aware of other ways, in case an interpreter doesn’t show up, do you have any backup plan in a meeting if it doesn’t…

Adam Vest: I guess it depends on the nature of the meeting. In this meeting I think it’s a very visual exercise so I think it could flow, it could be done without a lot of interpretation.

Adam Vest: Most of the instructions are written and it’s something that people can do. The last meeting was more difficult because there was conversation and written, you know, comments.

Melissa: All right, isn’t it different though? Every meeting can have it now and the next couple of meetings it’s going to be more of a (handout) right?

Adam Vest: Yeah, so that would be the backup plan in this case. I guess we could also

Adam Vest: You know how people write comments and I think that’s sort of – that ended up being the backup plan when I didn’t have an interpreter available and I was conversing with people it would be (important).

Melissa: Okay, are you aware of the technology if you want to do handwriting like other technology; there’s an iPad (and stuff like that), would that be beneficial in your meeting in case they have to write stuff down, you can use iPads to show stuff?

Adam Vest: It would be. I guess the big challenge is having the budget to…

Adam Vest: Have that equipment on hand. I mean, it may be more the norm in the future when everybody has a tablet but…

Melissa: I asked if you were aware of the technology that (unintelligible) 19:06 interpreter, and an interpreter doesn’t show up. There are occasions that an interpreter doesn’t show up at a meeting, so, like do you have a backup plan, do you have the technology that will help you on hand?

Eric: I’m pretty sure there is other technology. I’m guessing there are probably a lot of things out there. They probably even have phones, apps on your phone at this point, I don’t know. But I’m actually not aware of any but I know I could probably just do some research and probably find that information if I needed to.

Melissa: Do you think maybe in the future, in the future of planning, in terms of (unintelligible) 19:44 in outreach, maybe (clients) should know of other technology that you can communicate with those people, that would be beneficial to you guys?

Adam Vest: Yeah, I think that would be good, yeah.

Melissa: Yeah, just making sure. What has been like your top concern, the top concern that you have working with (unintelligible) 20:08? It’s kind of a (unintelligible) think about.

Adam Vest: I think for this project it’s mainly been knowing that there is a large deaf community where we’re not only working but holding the meetings and not knowing how many interpreters we’re going to need and weighing that against the cost. Our budget is also not infinite but we also are, you know, want the meeting to be completely accessible and also just, you know, I think for the last meeting we maybe did not have enough interpreters but we originally did not have enough interpreters but we added some additional ones at the last minute and that was – it ended up being a very wise decision so we had just the right amount for the turnout but, yeah, I guess the juggling of knowing what to expect.

Eric: Yeah, I agree.

Melissa: Okay. Can I ask you to answer this if you can like check on things that you know that you are well aware of then in the future there’s been like a guideline, you can get it with images (unintelligible) 21:27. If you can like check and – you can do this side and you can do this side and tell me which ones you know of and then they will help me like figure out (the plan of education) in terms… That would be very helpful.

Adam Vest: The ones that I left blank are the ones I don’t know what it is.

Melissa: Perfect. Do you have anything else that you want to add in this conversation that will be very beneficial in terms of my paper? Do you have anything that you feel will be helpful for the future of planning or anything else that you can think of right now?

Adam Vest: I guess maybe strategies for, I think, DC’s been better than other jurisdictions I’ve worked in in this regard but just how to make the deaf community know that they’re welcome and will not be left out of the process.

Melissa: That’s good.

Melissa: Do you think there should be like an education in terms of the deaf community side so they know what’s going on with the public meetings and stuff?

Adam Vest: Yeah, particularly in communities where there aren’t that many deaf participants. I mean, this is a unique case because we know there are stakeholders out there that who are deaf and we’re making an effort to make the meetings open and accessible but in communities where the deaf community is not as prominent and you don’t know who they are.

Melissa: More of like an open-door policy saying here we are, you know, we need to let them know there’s an open door. So let me ask you this one question, do you think maybe – when someone calls you like a deaf person, do you (unintelligible) 25:39 do you think you understand using the relay?

Eric: I’ve never used it, no.

Melissa: So maybe that could be (available) if a deaf person wants to call you and say, hey, I want this to be done or, you know, suggestions or something.

Eric: And also I’m communicating mostly by email with people at Gallaudet. I see the videophone number and I honestly would not know how to call.

Melissa: Okay. You need like a phone call for that but (unintelligible) 26:10. Okay, that would be good. Do you have anything to add to?

Adam Vest: I guess I’m in the same boat. I haven’t used that technology before and, in fact, when you had sent your email saying that was an option I think Eric and I were both like, we’ve never used this before, we don’t know how well it would work so that’s why we figured, well, we could – meeting in person seems to be the best option.

Melissa: Right, there was kind of an intimidation because it’s technology that you don’t know about. It could be like educational…

Adam Vest: I think so. And you mentioned that it may not work that well, so…

Melissa: Right, yeah. Technology – it has gone from TDY to (unintelligible) 26:53 TDY little boxed phones that we used to have. That was our main communication. Now we have videophones so it’s a different – so, I really appreciate you guys having time. Hopefully with this paper it will be – you can use it as your guide for the future and I will definitely send it to you when I’m done with it so…

Adam Vest: Yeah. 9

Eric: That would be great! Are you staying for the meeting?

Melissa: I am staying for the meeting so…

Eric: Okay, good.

Melissa: I’m going to observe you guys. And my question for the meeting, do you mind if I record you during the presentation? I know it will be a few minutes because you probably do a lot of breakout groups and I’ll probably write those but in the beginning I want to hear what you have to say.

Adam Vest: That’s fine! It’s probably going to be 20 to 30 minutes if that’s okay?

Melissa: That’s fine.

Adam Vest: And the rest will be, you’re right, in breakout groups and then at the end we’ll come back and probably present a little more.

Technology Knowledge Survey Source: Adam Vest and Eric Fieldman Adam Vest Eric Fieldman Wireless Pagers Texting/cellphone Announcement Announcement iPads Announcement Meeting Relay Service: Typing Announcement (VRS) Announcement TDD Announcement VCO (Voice Carry Over) CART FM System Captioning (VRI) Meeting Pen and Paper Meeting Meeting PSA Announcement Instant messaging Announcement Announcement Email Announcement Announcement Video chats Meeting A/M The local list-serv Announcement Announcement Gallaudet VLOG Announcement Social network Announcement Announcement Hearing aids Meeting Digital ALD’s Cochlear implants

FLORIDA AVENUE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION STUDY PARTICIPANT SURVEY: SUMMARY OF RESULTS

Public Meeting #1 June 19, 2013 – 7:00 to 9:00 PM

Please take a few minutes to answer the questions below and hand in your completed survey at the Sign-In Table before you leave.

1. How did you learn about tonight’s meeting? A. Online/Email Communications – General (9) Email (3) Online (5) Listserv (1) B. Blog (7) Frozen Tropics (3) WABA (1) Neighborhood (1) Other (2) C. Flyer (8) D. DDOT (5) Press Release (1) DDOT email (2) DDOT website (2) E. Twitter (4) F. ANC (4) ANC – Tony Goodman (2) ANC G. WABA (4) H. Gallaudet Daily Digest and/or Web Site (3) I. Other(7) Friends (2) I am a community outreach advisor/ANC commissioner (3)

Company owns property within study area BicycleSPACE

2. Do you live and/or work along or near the Florida Avenue study area?

a. Yes, I live nearby on (43) Florida Ave NE – I Gallaudet Morse Street work at home University Gallaudet 8th street 832 Florida Ave University campus Maryland Ave, NE Holbrook Terrace M street and Morse NE Florida Ave L Street Oates Street NE in Florida and M 19th and D NE Trinidad Street NE 6th & M Florida Ave (1200 6th and M Street Florida Ave Block) NE th Florida Ave, NE Oates Street 6 Street NE th 709 15th Street, Morse Street Florida & 13 NE Florida Ave Florida ave NE 15th & H 13th Street NE 1200 Block 6th & 15th Street Florida Ave Florida (13th) NE Florida Ave 12th – 10th Street NE 1200 15th Street 13th 6th street NE NE 4th NE Florida Ave NE Orlesus Placene 1st and M street Trinidad Ave NE 8th Ave NE Montello

b. Yes, I work nearby on (10) 6th & M 14th & H street Downtown American Art museum 9 & G NW Florida Ave Gallaudet University on Florida Ave Gallaudet University NOMA (1st St NE) 7th Street NW / Mt Vernon Square 1st Street NE Union Station

c. No, I live/work outside this area, but am interested in it because (4) I travel to Columbia Heights for church and would bike there more often. Would also patronize U street NW more and Union Market Property Owner/Developer Company owns and has property in Union Market Commute on MBT, Route through corridor frequency

3. How do you typically move around the Florida Avenue corridor? (circle all that apply) a. Walk (42) b. Bike (33) c. Drive my own car (28) d. Metro (20) e. Bus (25) f. Other (please specify) (2) Car 2 Go Zipcar

4. What are your concerns about safety and mobility on Florida Avenue? Traffic speed; no parking; long walks late at night from car to home because no parking out front. Fast traffic, and (it) isn’t bike or pedestrian friendly. Bike access, safety and mobility. Pedestrian safety (especially hearing impaired). Traffic calming. Removing traffic from residential streets. Too many fast cars. It is very dangerous to bike on Florida Ave. There should be a designated bike line in both directions on Florida. Perhaps more regulation, and pedestrians also should be considered. Sidewalks are very narrow, especially on the other side of the street. Biking, wider sidewalks. Traffic volume, condition of pavement, timing of lights. Slow traffic speeds on Florida – speeding trucks shake the house, more walkable sidewalks, reduce traffic lanes from 6 to 4 for traffic calming. Traffic, speed of cars, walk across Florida Ave. Traffic calming on Florida Ave. The road conditions are horrible for biking; the pavement is almost un-bike-able in some parts. Bike Safety – potential for bike lanes. Better lighting and increased number of crosswalks with pedestrian signals – particularly around Gallaudet; Better signage and safer crossing for school children/ students, around Two Rivers, McKinley & Wilson. Better signage and painted road guides at Starburst intersection and virtual circle. Slow traffic at east end of Florida Avenue, where it turns in to 4th (signed crosswalk here), light before intersection. Stop right (turns) on reds at Eckington and Florida. 3

Bike safety – enough space to commute to and from work because it is most direct, there is always construction that makes it even harder to bike – by NY Ave. People can’t comfortably walk on the sidewalk. Ped and bike facilities, lack of street parking and trees for safety, comfort, and convenience, high speeds, lack of continuous accessible routes, infrequent pedestrian crossing, lack of sidewalks or adequate width to support mixed use development. The sidewalks are too narrow for safety, especially with deaf pedestrians. There are not enough signs for caution of bikers. It needs to be more “green” with the addition of trees and sitting areas. Eastbound sidewalk is too narrow, and no bike lanes forces bikers onto sidewalks. Speed is not checked. Excessive speeders; crossing patterns. As confirmed now, the road is designed solely for the automobile throughout. We have more and more multimodal users, and we have a great opportunity to create a complete, green street that connects multiple neighborhoods, businesses, and assets. High speeds, many drivers running lights. This is especially a problem on 6th Street. Wider sidewalks on south side of Florida. It needs to work will for all modes; it does not do that today. Not pedestrian friendly, sidewalks too narrow, traffic speeds too high, need better access to Metro Station, need better access to Union Market. Being able to ride a bike on Florida Ave and K Street. Street parking on Florida Ave east of West Virginia will slow down traffic. Improve bike lanes and create incentives to get bikes off Florida Ave sidewalks. Too many bikes ride too fast on sidewalks, threatening pedestrians. Need traffic calming measures all along the avenue. Also need beautification, pocket or triangle parks. Heavy traffic. Houses shake when trucks come through. It doesn’t feel safe to bike at all. The sidewalks are really narrow and bad. Beautification. We need sidewalks!!! Road is far too wide for cars, and extremely ugly. Primary concern is access to Union Market, mainly for pedestrians, cyclists, and people coming from Metro. Also, how to connect H Street with Florida Ave. corridor. I would love to see a dedicated bike lane on Florida Ave. Speed of traffic. Need wider sidewalks and bike paths so we can feel safe. Sidewalk is (too) narrow for increasing pedestrian and bicycling traffic. Too much dangerous car traffic – have witnessed a car hit a pedestrian twice. Florida Ave. – High traffic and lots of pedestrians. Many fast cars that wouldn’t have enough time to slow down for pedestrians. Widen sidewalk, especially by Gallaudet University. Deaf people don’t know that (there is a) bicyclist behind us. The pedestrian issue, as I walk every day to/ from work. Some of the cars go by quickly and (are) not too friendly to stop for the pedestrians. Cars going by too fast; not enough lamp posts for lighting.

FL Ave NE is awful. Traffic goes too fast; bike infrastructure is nonexistent; pedestrian infrastructure sub- standard w/ poor crossings. Biking – I would like to be able to bike to work (Metro Center) or social area(s) of the city, but it is hard to travel east to west in a continuous manner. Speed and density of traffic, crosswalks still not safe, too many lanes. Narrow sidewalks, not pedestrian friendly – shared with street lighting. Sidewalks are not safe – too narrow. Bike lanes are needed. The street needs beautification specifically at the NW end. Bike and pedestrian friendly access to Metro. Speed, red light running, cars not yielding to pedestrians, narrowness on sidewalks. Width of the sidewalk in many portions; vehicle speed and driver awareness of peds/bikes; appearance / lack of placemaking identity. Narrow sidewalks; no bike facilities; speeding motor vehicles Main concern is speed and streetscaping along Florida Ave. and 6th Street. Majority of cars speed down Brentwood parkway heading south, trying to time the lights. There is no ability to park on Florida between West Virginia and 13th. Better pedestrian access to Metro on Florida Ave. side. I want Florida Ave to appear less commercial and more residential. Commuters are prioritized over residents. The high speed between 8th and 12th Streets. Bike and pedestrian safety between M and West Virginia on Florida Ave. Bike Access on West Virginia north of Florida.

5. Do you have ideas for transportation improvements on Florida Avenue that you would like us to consider, or would you like to elaborate on ideas that you already shared today? Fewer lanes, so sidewalk can be enlarged and bike lane added. On-street bike lanes, wider sidewalks and improved crosswalks. MBT access from the east side of tracks. Expand the sidewalk (opposite Gallaudet – very narrow), create a bike lane, enforce speed limits, longer walk times. Request for bike lanes (both directions). I have used saving of distance and safety as my main reasons. However, Florida Avenue also offers a more gradual incline from H Street rather than the numbered streets, which rise more steeply. The intersection at M & Florida is difficult for both cars and pedestrians. Lights that will slow traffic during non rush hours, wider sidewalks, parking far for residents. Bike Lanes, better lighting at night. Bike lanes. Narrow road, widen sidewalks, add bike lanes, improve signage. Wayfinding, improve gateways, and improve access to Metro from east side of N and 2nd Streets.

Dedicated bike track; enhanced pedestrian facilities; pedestrian friendly timing on streetlights; street trees; street parking and traffic calming; streetcar facilities; speed and red light cameras. Add bike lanes! Narrow down to 2 lanes each way. Bikers can stay away from pedestrians; therefore, fewer problems. Parking. Add more parking past WV towards Benning Road NE. Do not add parking on Florida going towards New York Ave. Traffic picks up the closer cars get to NY Ave. Have provided input in my group and online. Also east/west access through Gallaudet campus (after 6 pm and on weekends) would be great for connectivity. Wider sidewalk on south side of Florida, traffic calming on 6th street north of Florida. Better signage in Florida Market. Drivers confused; one was block on 4th. Street parking “resident zone” would slow traffic down. Sidewalk improvements; a bike lane would be nice. Beautification so people stop littering. Florida Ave. should be recognized as a pedestrian road with homeowners as opposed to a thruway to get people out of NE fast. Make use of federal reservations and narrowed Florida Ave. width to create great new public space. Narrow Florida Ave.; slow down traffic to help out pedestrians; bike access is not safe right now just about anywhere - there must be some dedicated bike lanes. Dedicated bike lane; bike share in front of Union Market. If the speed limit is 25 or 35, why is the street so wide and designed for much higher speeds? If you are going to add on-street parking, why not change the order of the bike lane, parking, and car lanes? This could be an opportunity to put the bike lane next to the sidewalk and to the right of the parking lane to shield bikers from car traffic - similar to Amsterdam or Copenhagen. Lighted (flashing/audio) speed bumps where pedestrian crossings are; pedestrian activated. Adding green area/planting between sidewalk and road. Improve lighting and clean up Florida Ave. under tracks. Signal control for better traffic flow and safer pedestrian crossings. Yes – M Street to Florida Ave: Almost impossible to cross the street for pedestrians so I suggest to put a stop sign that says to stop for pedestrian only, and every time. Add bumps, add more flashing lights, reduce speed, fix the speed camera on Florida and 9th. Add seating to bus stops. Reduce street lanes/size. Increase sidewalk size. Add street trees. Add protected bike lanes. Cater to residents, not commuters. Complete street with neighborhood focus. Big changes to improve bike/ pedestrian transit, not incrementalism. Bike lanes that go from Starburst to NoMa. Parking on Florida 13th-11th (zoning). Best, most organic solution. Parking – Slows traffic, business friendly, helps residents without off street parking, improves safety. Beautification – Makes it feel more like a

neighborhood, less like an interstate. Wider sidewalks and better lighting – pedestrian safety. Bike lanes – encourage non-vehicular transport. Would like to see fewer lanes for cars. Bike lanes from 14th street all the way to the New York Metro stop. Beautification of the vacant triangles along Florida Ave, as well as streetscaping with an emphasis on lighting. Finally, allow 24-hour parking on Florida Ave.; 1200 block is not zoned. Wider sidewalks; red light/speed camera; bike lane; more parking on Florida. Widen sidewalks, install bike lanes, allow parking full time in portions to reduce lanes and slow traffic. Streetscape beautification. Improve grass in triangle on south side of street at West Virginia. Connectivity for bikes and pedestrians between NoMa, Florida Market and surrounding neighborhoods, possibly using a connection to the Metropolitan Branch Trail. Protected bike facilities; ensure compatibility with future streetcar line. 6th Street could be one-way until Florida; currently, it is one-way from Capitol Hill until K. It should continue northbound. Change signal at M and 6th to a 4-way stop. Eliminate large truck traffic between 6th and Bladensburg. Reconfigure light timing on K Street. Reduce speeds on Florida. New York Ave. circle. Pedestrian access through Gallaudet would reduce foot traffic on Florida and make Trinidad less secluded. An M St bike lane dumps onto an unbikeable Florida. Better signage at West Virginia and 9th and L. No crossing signal at M and Florida. Narrow sidewalks on south side of Florida. Better bike access on West Virginia north of Florida. I like HAWKS. I drive within the limit but still often cannot stop safely for pedestrians waiting at a crosswalk. Would be able to do so with a HAWK. A lot! Email me at: [email protected]

If you utilized the SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION provided at tonight’s meeting, please answer the following questions:

6. Did you find the interpretation effective? Do you have any suggestions for how to make interpretation more effective at future meetings? How about speaking at the mike? Of the first 4 speakers (Sam, Vest, Yolanda, Gabe) Yolanda was the clearest speaker by a factor of 10! Talk like her! Or the petite gray- haired woman. Yes, they were effective. Great job! Number of terps were sufficient. Spread them out to different tables if group discussion. Perfect – They are experienced and fluent in ASL/English interpreting. Awesome, I thought that I couldn’t have one. Yes, interpretation is great. They were great and very helpful for us deaf people. Yes – Wonderful. 7

Maybe intentionally spread deaf people out so we can get other perspectives and share our own. Yes, it was great to be able to communicate with everyone at the table.

7. Were their specific interpreters you found to be particularly effective or not effective? No specifics, all were great. Effective. I thought the ones I worked with were quite effective – no complaints. Table four was awesome.

TITLE VI PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT QUESTIONNAIRE RESULTS

Public Meeting #2 October 17, 2013 Gallaudet University Jordan Student Academic Center, Sprint Multipurpose Room

How did you travel to this meeting? Car: 11 Bus: Metrorail: 1 Bicycle: 8 Walked: 20 Other: Carpool

How did you find out about this meeting? DDOT Website: 5 Project Website: 3 Listserv / Email Announcement: 13 Flier: Newspaper: 1 Other: Friend / Neighbor / Word of Mouth (4) Neighborhood Blog (3) - Frozen Tropics Casey Trees (2) DCist.com COA member Twitter Invited Work

Did you find the meeting location accessible? Yes: 30 No: 5 If no, explain: Poor signage / poorly labeled (3) - Gallaudet = Great; better on-campus directions Got a ride in car here, but tough to walk to Metro AT NIGHT from here. Yes (accessible), but location is sort of deep inside Gallaudet campus Yes (accessible), but difficult to bike to

1 C3

General Race/Ethnic Identification Categories: African American: 5 American Indian/Alaskan Native: Asian/Pacific Islander: 2 Caucasian: 26 Hispanic: Other: Appalachian White (counted under “Caucasian” above)

Gender: Male: 18 Female: 19

Age: Below 18 years: 0 18-25: 2 26-35: 18 36-50: 8 Above 50: 8

What is your primary language spoken at home? English: 35 Spanish: 0 French: 1 (Kreole) Amharic: 0 Chinese: 0 Vietnamese: Korean: Other:

Comments/Concerns regarding the meeting or the project:

Meeting Comments Good meeting; like interactiveness. Thanks, awesome meeting. Interesting.

Project Comments Please fix Florida & 6th NE. 6th NE is a nightmare to live on. The truck traffic severely impacts our quality of life. More trees, please. Lack of bike lanes and buses on Florida Ave. – it’s only 2-3 miles to Shaw, U Street or Dupont, but it’s almost completely inaccessible. Please move this project along quickly. Thank you! Suggestion: We need a Metrorail access entryway at or near Florida Avenue Market (north side of Florida). In the alternative, a pedestrian bridge or safer crosswalk.

Take land from Gallaudet University for sidewalks/bike lanes for Florida Ave and West Virginia Ave (12 feet for sidewalk and two-way bike lane on both streets) These options ignore New Best Practices and are not innovative. Please try to plant more trees and maintain the ones that are already planted. The Union Market area is like a bombed out area.

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Outreach What data study have you drawn for deaf space? Students through DeafSpace class projects in which students designed their own research methodology have preformed all data gathering. Mostly using observations coupled with interviews.

How are you announcing meetings/classes/forums? Please list them (online, social media, word of mouth, etc.) All campus-planning meetings are advertised in the university’s web-site newsletter named the Daily Digest. Classes are advertised in the course schedule and we have at times set up the room adjacent to the campus café to with displays and interactions with faculty to recruit the best and brightest students interested in DeafSpace … also planning events are often advertised via door- to-door advertisements as many in our neighborhood are older and do not use computers –we augment this with announcements in the local list-serv and blogs and the university Facebook page.

Which announcements have been the most effective and why? (Potential model for future use in Inclusive Design Planning) Even though we advertise in the university web site the best communication is from person-to- person recommendation.

Has “Office of Campus Design and Planning” communicated the ongoing process with the community? If yes, what methods. During the campus planning process we held 4 community-based workshops. one on campus and two in the community. The last one was once again held on campus to report back what we had learned in the previous meetings – these are more process than “for information sessions”

How have been your feedbacks from: (tally of responses; positive, negative?) Announcements of meetings? Surveys? Social media? Attendance at planning meetings was not very strong. We attribute this to the fact that we have a good relationship with our community—if they had complaints we believe there would be a much larger attendance. We have conducted surveys and we tend to get roughly 10% of the students to respond.

Planning Model What type of planning model are you using? (i.e. rationality, strategic, advocacy and/or progressive) Our planning model tends to be very inclusive therefore I would say “advocacy” is our model.

Your role in this process has been hands-on, how do you stay neutral during the feedback review process? Consultants or students so as to try to provide a somewhat independent point of view typically synthesize feedback. I typically try to have an independent party do the synthesis from which I will work toward design and planning solutions.

D Who are the important stakeholders in the model? The campus community: students, faculty, staff, alumni…. and the surrounding community— neighbors both deaf and hearing, local business owners, civic organizations city planning and development agencies

City Relationship You mentioned you have worked with the city, has it been an inclusive, shared project between Gallaudet and Washington DC? Gallaudet has worked very closely with the DC Office of Planning since 2007 on all major planning efforts surrounding the campus. We host meetings here and often have a university member serve on task-force assignment. Currently I serve on the advisory board for the transportation study for Florida Av for example. We also work closely with them as required by DC law in the preparation of our campus plan in preparation for the zoning board approval. ALSO we have partnered with the DC Office of Planning to develop the “Live Near Your Work” program where Gallaudet and the Office of Planning matched funds for first time homebuyers who work for Gallaudet so they could purchase homes around the campus – an effort to reduce transportation demand and strengthen the community. We are now working with them to develop a culinary arts program on campus during the summer

From your perspective, have you seen any (positive or negative) communication between students, professors and other deaf individuals attending meetings with city officials? I have not seen any negative interactions—but occasionally city agencies do forget to secure interpreters—that’s a problem. I do see many positive interactions as the community around Gallaudet are excited to see students and deaf residents participate in meetings.

Do you have any other ideas or suggestions that would be essential between deaf individuals and city planning? The most important aspect to me is to build a relationship based on curiosity, respect and empathy—on both sides. Finding ways to build closer ties through increased interaction in workshops or internships goes a long way to enhance interaction and mutual understanding

Extra: What are the next steps in this deaf space planning development process? Expansion to other cities and states? We are currently expanding our scope of consideration to other areas of sensory and physical abilities such as blind and deaf blind and to wheeled mobility. We are also active in sharing the DeafSpace principles around the country and internationally.

This is a new planning and inclusive design strategy for many individuals in the field, what do you want to share for the future planners who will be studying this? The lesson DeafSpace has to offer the design profession is powerful in its simplicity and basic nature: Designers and planners need to conduct their work in a much more sensitive and curious way. Being open to the wisdom of people of different ways of being has a great deal to offer and teaches us all to be more aware of our environment – its like putting on new eyes. Through DeafSpace architects and planners are able to better understand the very particular relationship between one’s sensory experience and the built environment – a level of awareness and sensitivity often overlooked by traditionally trained designers who typically gravitate to the abstract approach.