Taubman College Assistant Professor Robert Adams presented research in June on design and civic space to the China Disabled Persons’ Federation, the governmental body founded in 1988 by Deng Pufang, son of former P.R.C. leader Deng Xiaopeng. Adams also presented his work to the One-Plus-One Disabled Persons’ Cultural Center, and Handicap International, both NGOs working on disability issues in Beijing. The emphasis of the presentations promoted the role of design in disability advocacy and its impact on human rights by broadening the spectrum of architectural research within disability culture. Adams’ research initiatives in disability and design are supported by the University of Michigan, Taubman College and B.A.S.E. [Beijing Architecture Studio Enterprise] co-directed by Robert Mangurian and Mary-Ann Ray.
