Co-hosted with the Carpenters’ Company of the City and County of Philadelphia, Art-Reach, and the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia.

As Philadelphia and the nation approach the Semiquincentennial of American independence in 2026, museums and historic sites are increasingly exploring more inclusive stories about our journey towards a “more perfect union.” It follows that these places also need to become more physically and programmatically accessible to all visitors. This engaging half-day symposium will show you how accessibility has evolved beyond ADA regulations into human-centered, universal design that can be compatible with historic-preservation and interpretive standards.

Is your firm currently in the planning or execution phase of a preservation project in which accessibility is a central contributing factor? Have you recently completed a project on a historic site in Philadelphia or in the Greater Philadelphia area where stakeholders in the disabled community were consulted or included? We invite your firm to submit a presentation on a recent project that is related to the above theme.

Please submit your proposal to Master Builders’ Dialogues committee chair Claire Donato at cdonato@mbtarchitects.com by April 30 and do not hesitate to call Emily Winters at Carpenters’ Hall at 215-925-0167 with any questions.