I enjoyed producing and giving this presentation with excellent collaborators in our multicultural business resource group leadership (@BiancaRey) and our talented design professionals.
Additional inspiration received from my service on the Design & Health Leadership Group of the American Institute of Architects (@AIANational). There, I’ve learned so much more about the philosophy of building design from experts in the field, who are equally interested in the philosophy of health experts (see this post: Doctors should love architects: Design & Health Leadership Group 2016 Meeting).
There, I was introduced to the concept of Universal Design, which is very relevant here:
Just Read: “Universal Design” – Focus on Building Inclusive Bathrooms In the First Place
This presentation brought these concepts together for me in a way that impacts the way health care is designed. I am proud to say that I learned that Kaiser Permanente now has 3,000 rooms converted to all gender across its 80+ million square feet of facilities. This means that 12,000,000 members, 22,000 physicians, 54,000 nurses provide care in an environment that welcomes all humans, rather than one that requires them to “fit in.”
Beyond this work, I am working with the International Well Building Institute (@WELLCertified) to incorporate this feature into the WELL Building Standard.
Relevance of Transvisibility
Beyond the health care environment, the health professions have a higher calling, which is to promote visibility of the people we serve wherever they are. A recent ipsos poll shows that indeed, the world is learning to love better when it comes to transgender people, and part of that is ensuring that all genders are respected and represented.
Even in the home of the Father of Black History, Dr. Carter G. Woodson, this is now the case, as the slides show.
Slides below, enjoy, feel free to post questions in the comments. On some platforms, if the slides don’t show, go to this link to view them.
