Edward Henry Steinfeld

Ed Steinfeld is a passionate thought leader who believes design should, first and foremost, make a positive contribution to the community. He’s been a trailblazer in the field of inclusive design since the 1970’s when he led a transformational research project that established the first evidence base for accessibility standards.

In his 50 year career, he has done award winning research, taught thousands of students, designed many buildings, served as an expert consultant, and mentored numerous colleagues who are very successful in their own right. When he founded the IDeA Center in 1984, he believed that inclusive design was a critical component of a socially sustainable community and thus committed his career to building a leading center for research and practice in this field.

Far from being complacent, he continues to generate new ideas for extending the frontier of knowledge in this field. Although he is sometimes consumed by his work, he finds the time to be a devoted husband, father and grandfather. He is the epitome of high energy. When he is not working, you will find Ed swimming, biking, kayaking, and strumming his guitar. Sometimes even his grandchildren and colleagues struggle to keep up with him.