Please save the date for our upcoming webinar! The New England ADA Center, a project of the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD), is excited to discuss with leaders of New England municipalities about how they created successful transition plans for accessibility under the …
of people of all ages, abilities, and cultures
through excellence in design.
The Changing Reality of Disability in America: 2020
This documentary film and research project reexamines the experience of disability in America, and shines a light on the stories of those all too often left behind. Watch the documentary below and read the full research report.
Services

Education
Opportunities for learning through IHCD include a Lunch & Learn series, trainings, workshops and events. Internship and fellowship opportunities are also available all-year-round.

Consulting
Our scope for consulting includes, among others, plan reviews, assessment of accessibility in the built environment and testing of digital and web accessibility.

Design
IHCD works with entrepreneurs, designers and businesses to evaluate concepts, prototypes or existing designs to assess usability for the widest possible spectrum of people.

Research
IHCD has an established database of user/experts, chosen for each opportunity to find the best match between the person and the project.
Inclusive Design
Inclusive design is design that works for the widest sepctrum of users without the need for specialized adaptation, It centers around the user experience with a focus on social sustainability. IHCD uses the World Health Organization’s Definition of Disability as the foundation for our consulting and research work in the field and in our user/expert lab. We believe that good design must work not only for as many users as possible, but also enhance everyone’s experience.

News & Events

The disability rights community lost one of its most influential and respected advocates on March 8, 2023, with the passing of Judith “Judy” Heumann. As a civil rights activist, author, and policy maker, Judy dedicated her life to fighting for the rights of people with disabilities, both in the…

Join us for an informative session with Dr. Oce Harrison on "How the American Disabilities Act Applies to Addiction, Recovery, and Employment with SUD Diagnosis" with the National Spanish Addiction Training Center.
This session aims to educate people in recovery from addiction on their…

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx®) Tech program has released "Best Practices for the Design of Accessible COVID-19 Home Tests", a document with recommendations for developers and manufacturers of diagnostic tech to make at-…
User/Expert Lab
A user/expert is a person who has developed expertise by means of their lived experience in dealing with the challenges of the environment due to a physical, sensory or cognitive functional limitation. IHCD has an established database of user/experts who range from adolescents to people in their ‘80s. Participants help review the usability and accessibility of physical environments as well as products, services and new technologies.

New England ADA Center
IHCD is home to the New England ADA Center; the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a comprehensive federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in all aspects of life on the basis of disability. There are five Titles within the ADA that outline rights and responsibilities of employers, state and local government, businesses and non-profits, architects and designers and individuals and advocates, and IHCD strives to help customers reach standards set by these titles.

About Us

Mission
We are committed to advancing the role of design in expanding opportunity and enhancing experience for people of all ages, abilities and cultures through excellence in design.

Team
IHCD has built a large family of friends and allies over 30 years, and we are proud to say that this inner circle is characterized by both longevity of commitment and an appetite for the next frontier.

Directions
IHCD is located at 560 Harrison Ave, Unit 401, Boston, MA 02118.
Visit the directions page for more detailed directions.

Contact
Telephone:
1 (617) 695-1225 (v/tty)
Fax: 1 (617) 482-8099
Email: info@IHCDesign.org