BEAT Forum - Access by Design: Rethinking Accessibility in Architecture

BEA Toronto is thrilled for the next edition of our BEAT Forum Series!

Access by Design: Rethinking Accessibility in Architecture
Presentation + Panel Discussion
Saturday, Feb 7, 10:00 AM - 1:30 PM
OCAD University, 100 McCaul Street, Toronto
Room # 230

This event explores how the meanings of accessibility and disability in architecture are changing—both in the spaces we design and within the profession itself. We begin with a keynote from a leading expert in accessible, disability-informed design, offering a framing of accessibility that moves beyond code compliance to consider equity, lived experience, and belonging. A panel discussion will follow, bringing together designers, advocates, and educators to examine what accessibility looks like in practice: how we shape environments that welcome a wide range of bodies and minds, and how we build a profession that reflects diverse abilities, perspectives, and needs.

Keynote Speaker:

Dr. Wanda Katja Liebermann, Associate Professor of Architecture, Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture, University of Oklahoma

Wanda Katja Liebermann is an architectural and urban historian and Associate Professor of Architecture at the Christopher C. Gibbs College of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Liebermann’s research focuses on theories and practices of architecture and urbanism in relationship to US social justice movements, in particular, disability politics and culture. Her interdisciplinary work investigates the relationship between architecture and embodiment, across a range of spatial practices, from urban design to historic preservation, contributing new insights to discourses of identity, agency, and inclusion within and beyond conventional liberal democratic politics.

Dr. Liebermann’s book (Routledge, 2024) is the first scholarly monograph to critically analyze the relationship between disability rights and architectural practice and pedagogy. Her writing has appeared in the Journal of the Society of Architectural Historians, Future Anterior, the Journal of Architecture, the Journal of Design History, and several edited anthologies. Her work has received funding from the NSF, HUD, Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies, UC Berkeley Arcus Endowment, Arnold J. Brunner Grant, and the Graham Foundation. Liebermann received a Doctor of Design from Harvard University and a Master of Architecture and Bachelor of Arts in Architecture from UC Berkeley. She is a licensed architect who practiced for fifteen years in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Expert Panellists:

Jutta Treviranus, Director,(IDRC) and Professor, Faculty of Design, OCAD University

Jutta Treviranus is the Director of the Inclusive Design Research Centre (IDRC) and professor in the faculty of Design at OCAD University in Toronto. Jutta established the IDRC in 1993 as the nexus of a growing global community that proactively works to ensure that our digitally transformed and globally connected society is designed inclusively. Dr. Treviranus also founded an innovative graduate program in inclusive design at OCAD University. Jutta is credited with developing an inclusive co-design methodology that has been adopted by large enterprise companies, governments, and public sector organizations internationally. Jutta has coordinated many research networks with and by people with disabilities. Her latest focus is on ensuring that AI benefits and does not harm people with disabilities

Roman Romanov, Director, Accessibility Advisory Services, Rick Hansen Foundation

Roman is an internationally experienced architect, educator, and accessibility strategist, and serves as Director of Accessibility Advisory Services at the Rick Hansen Foundation, where he leads the Foundation’s social-enterprise consulting practice. In this role, he oversees the delivery of accessibility and inclusive design solutions across public, private, and non-profit sectors, advancing client success, market-driven growth, and systems-level change. Roman also acts as the Foundation’s national French-language spokesperson, representing its mission in media and public forums across Canada and internationally.

With over 15 years of international experience, Roman has worked across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East on projects spanning architecture, urban design, policy, and community development. Identifying as a person with low vision, his professional practice is deeply informed by lived experience, shaping a rigorous, user-centred approach to accessibility, inclusion, and design excellence. He serves on Waterfront Toronto’s Accessibility Advisory Committee, contributing to major city-building initiatives along one of the world’s fastest-evolving urban waterfronts.

Roman is a sessional faculty member at OCAD University and has taught architecture and accessibility courses at institutions including the University of Alberta, Laurentian University, George Brown College, and SAIT. Fluent in five languages, he brings a global, cross-cultural perspective to advisory work, education, and public engagement. He holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Design from OCAD University, and is based in Toronto.

Nicole Jacobs, Creative Director, Interior Design, smpl Design Studio

Nicole Jacobs has nearly two decades of practice in the interior design and residential construction industry and is currently the Creative Director of Interior Design at smpl Design Studio, an architectural and interior design firm based in Hamilton. Before finding her path in design, Nicole built an early career in academia as a post-secondary instructor in Sociology and Women’s Studies – an experience that continues to shape her approach to leadership, collaboration, and mentorship. She is committed to supporting women emerging in the industry and advocates for pathways that foster creativity, confidence, and belonging.

Moderator:

Maya Desai, Chair of Environmental Design, OCAD University and Senior Urban Designer & Planner, Moriyama Teshima Architects.

Maya Mahgoub Desai is Chair of Environmental Design at OCADU and a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto. Her research intersects public health, disability-inclusive design, and the built environment, examining socio-cultural practices shaping ecosystem health and climate resilience. Supported by SSHRC, Canada’s SDG Funding, and CABHI’s Spark Grant, her work links health equity, design, and climate adaptation. Maya is a Senior Urban Designer/Planner at Moriyama Teshima Architects, leading campus and community master plans in Canada and the Middle East. She serves on RAIC’s PEJ Committee, is a patient advocate/ research partner with UHN, and an executive member of BEAT.

*This event will be accredited for Continuing Education by OAA (sign-in at event required)

Please bring a reusable water bottle—in support of our sustainability goals, we will not be providing single-use bottled water. Water refill stations will be available, and a limited number of cups will be on hand if needed.

Schedule and Details

Part 1: Keynote Talk

• BEAT Welcome
• Keynote Talk by Dr. Wanda Katja Liebermann
• Audience Q&A with Keynote
• Coffee/Tea Break

Part 2: Panel Discussion & Closing

• Panellist and Moderator Introductions
• Panel Discussion
• Audience Q&A
• Wrap-up

Know what’s Happening Next — before everyone else does.

Get App

Host or Publisher BEAT Building Equality in Architecture Toronto