Universal Designers & Consultants, Inc.

About UD&CUniversal Designers & Consultants Inc. is an architectural accessibility consulting firm that specializes in helping clients address their accessibility compliance and universal design needs. The firm, founded by John Salmen, FAIA in 1991, has a history of assisting large corporations, small businesses and government entities in complying with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Fair Housing Act (FHA), and other accessibility codes and regulations.  We provide consulting, consulting expert and testifying expert services.UD&C is known and respected throughout the country as an experienced team that can find compliant solutions that address both the needs of businesses and the needs of people with disabilities. Clients benefit from UD&C's experience in dealing with difficult accessibility problems and their in-depth knowledge of the ADA and related building codes.The UD&C DifferenceThe UD&C team stays up to date on accessibility trends and the intricacies of code evolution and ever-changing accessibility laws and regulations. UD&C President, John Salmen, FAIA has been a voting member of the ICC/ANSI A117 Committee for more than two decades and has served on the Editorial and Scoping Task Groups.  In addition, the firm represented the American Institute of Architects (AIA) on the ADA Accessibility Guidelines Review Federal Advisory Committee that developed the revised Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines adopted by the US Department of Justice as the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design.UD&C clients benefit from our well-considered guidance. Accessibility code compliance is complex — with sometimes vague standards and over lapping code requirements. Careful analysis is necessary to come up with sound and defensible solutions that work within an organization's business plan. We have the flexibility to tailor our services to support a wide range of business structures from individual tenants to huge corporations. We utilize management and technological systems to continuously make our work product more efficient and effective. The recommendations we offer our clients are based on over 40 years of experience in the field and are crafted to withstand challenges.What We Can Do For YouOur range of services is designed to meet the needs of individuals and companies of every shape and size. Our rates are reasonable and our deliverables reliable. We can assist  in addressing a wide range of accessibility needs. We can evaluate the accessibility of a single element or develop an entire corporate accessibility management program and ADA compliance strategy for thousands of facilities. We have a time-tested quality assurance program that ensures you are getting accurate, high quality information and solutions for your project every time.Facility Surveys – we can evaluate all types of existing facilities and properties for ADA compliance, outline steps and specific changes needed to bring a facility into compliance and/or improve overall accessibility. We are especially skilled in finding reasonable solutions to difficult, existing and historically significant sites. We can identify issues, offer alternative recommendations and priorities, as well as photos and cost estimates for remediation. We can tailor our report and deliverables to address  specific needs and technical systems. We can provide references to 1991 ADAAG, and 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. The process and criteria used in our analysis as well as report formats are standardized but can be modified for the client on a case-by-case basis.Plan Reviews – we can review architectural plans (construction documents) at any stage of a project (new construction or a renovation) and give detailed reports, identifying accessibility issues (citing the specific guidelines, codes and regulations) and suggesting practical solutions. We can meet with Clients, arbitrators  and design teams to review and assist in resolving accessibility issues.Corporate Accessibility Management Plans – maintaining an  accessible environment takes ongoing vigilance. We can craft strategies  to help keep  facilities compliant. We have developed tools that empower  employees to maintain investments in an accessible environment. We can help comply with US Department of Justice demands. We can help mobilize corporate wide facility accessibility analysis projects by developing custom survey forms, conducting training, performing technical assistance, quality assurance and post construction certification roles.Training – we can empower design or facility management teams by educating them on ADA requirements and Universal Design alternatives. We design content and training format to meet the audience's needs.Expert Witness – we can testify as an expert witness or provide technical expertise in legal accessibility matters. We can assist in negotiations with plaintiffs/defendants or their experts to come to a mutual agreement.Technical Assistance – we can provide technical guidance formally and informally. We offer consulting services on-site, over the phone, via e-mail or in writing.