Our People

DESIGNABLE ENVIRONMENTS offers expertise through registered professionals in the areas of architecture, ergonomics and occupational therapy. This unique mix of backgrounds allows us to provide a thorough analysis of the functional/medical issues on any given project, as well as to provide input on the more traditional issues of project design and aesthetic.

The members of DESIGNABLE ENVIRONMENTS collectively have over sixty years of direct experience in the areas of barrier-free design and universal design.

• Carol Kelly - Occupational Therapist
• Heather Snell - Ergonomist
• Bob Topping - Architect
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• Matthew Fleet
• Thea Kurdi
• Stephen Veerasamie

Carol Kelly
B.A., B.Sc., O.T., CLCP - Occupational Therapist

Carol Kelly is an occupational therapist, who graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Science Occupational Therapy in 1981. She is registered to practise in Ontario. She is an active member of the Ontario Society of Occupational Therapists and the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. She is registered with the Ontario College of Occupational Therapists. She is a Certified Life Care Planner (CLCP) through the Commission on Health Care Certification (CHCC). She is a Designated Assessment Centre assessor for Medical and Rehabilitation, Disability, Post-104 Disability, and Attendant Care assessments. She is a private practitioner, working for over 20 years, with expertise in equipment assessment and prescription, home functional assessment, barrier-free design, functional abilities evaluation, future care assessment, past care assessment, soft tissue, spinal cord, head injury, developmental handicap, geriatric, adult and paediatric rehabilitation in community and institutional settings.

Along with her clinical work, Carol has lectured to a broad range of health professionals and others on the topics of cost of future care, barrier-free design, equipment prescription, and community based rehabilitation. She published The Source Book: Architectural Guidelines for Barrier-Free Design, Office for Disabled Persons, Government of Ontario, 1987. Carol is a recognized expert in Barrier-free Housing, Future Care Planning, and Occupational Therapy in Ontario Court.

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Heather Snell
B.A./B.Sc., M.E.S. - Ergonomist

Heather Snell combines a unique background of academic and practical work experience. She has worked directly with numerous organisations representing the needs of children, elderly and persons with disabilities. Heather was the founder of the Barrier Free Design Centre - a non profit design group offering education, information and consultation services to the community and the design profession. Heather is the author of several publications, including The Accessible Home, and Open for Business - a barrier free design manual for the Government of Ontario. Her specialized knowledge in the area of child development, and family work provides additional depth to the multidisciplinary skills of DESIGNABLE ENVIRONMENTS.

Heather holds a full time faculty appointment within the School of Community and Social Services at the Humber Institute of Technology and Learning. She teaches both in the college and post graduate program within the Child and Youth Work Program - specializing in courses in paediatric treatment, and child and adolescent development. She is a member of the Institute?s Academic Council and she is a recipient of the prestigious Humber College Distinguished Faculty Award. Heather is a registered ergonomist, and a member of the Association of Canadian Ergonomists. She holds membership in the Ontario Association of Child and Youth Counselors, and the International Expressive Arts Therapy Association.

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Bob Topping
B.Arch., O.A.A. - Architect

Bob Topping is a registered Architect actively involved in the practice and teaching of architecture with a specialisation interest in the area of barrier-free design. He is a recipient of an award of merit from the Premier of Ontario's Awards for Accessibility Program for his residential work and is author of CHANGES : Disability and the Challenge of Renovation.

Bob has over 20 years of experience practicing and teaching architecture with a specialization and interest in the fields of barrier-free design and universal design. He is president of DESIGNABLE ENVIRONMENTS - a company that specializes in providing accessibility consultation services to public and private sector clients.

Management responsibilities include: the oversight of projects from inception to completion; coordination of project teams; client liaison; project scheduling and cost control; and quality control.

Technical responsibilities include: universal design activities; project development; architectural design; graphic design and illustration; technical writing; facility auditing; and the development of accessibility standards.

Other responsibilities include the development and presentations of workshops and seminars on barrier-free and universal design, within Canada and internationally. Bob also teaches courses in universal design at both the college and university level.

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Matthew Fleet
B.A., Dip. Arch. Tech.

Matthew Fleet has over 10 years experience in applying his knowledge of barrier free design and universal design to architectural projects of varying size and complexity. His first hand experience of disability gives Matthew a true perspective on the barriers that limit participation in society for persons with disabilities.

Matthew has undertaken many facility accessibility audits including the development of audit protocols and checklists, as well as the preparation of audit reports. He is a graphics specialist, highly proficient with drawing and illustration software including AutoCAD, Photoshop, Illustrator and In Design. Matthew is also familiar in developing course materials and resource information on accessibility for students and the design community at large.

In addition to his work with Designable Environments Inc., Matthew volunteers with the Tetra Society of North America and has coordinated numerous job fairs for Employment ACCESS. Matthew frequently speaks to designers and other community groups on the impact of design on the accessibility of the built environment.

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Thea Kurdi
Dip. Arch. Tech.

Thea Kurdi has over 8 years experience in applying her knowledge of barrier free design and universal design to architectural projects of varying size and complexity. She has also taught courses in universal design and sustainable design to design students at the Sheridan Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning.

Thea has undertaken many facility accessibility audits including the development of audit protocols and checklists, as well as the preparation of audit reports. She is highly proficient with drawing and illustration software including AutoCAD, VIZ, Photoshop, Illustrator, Dreamweaver and maintains her proficiency by teaching the latest version of AutoCAD to professionals at the Sheridan CAD/CAM Institute. Thea is also familiar in developing educational materials and resource information on accessibility for students and the design community at large.

Thea has been learning American Sign Language (ASL) since 2003 for both personal use with her infant son and to better understand the design needs of the deaf, deafened, and hard of hearing community.

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Stephen Veerasamie
B.Sc., Dip. Arch. Tech.

Stephen Veerasamie’s experience in the architectural field has allowed him to work in a number architectural offices, under the supervision of senior architects and project managers, and has provided him with over 12 months of varied work experience. Prior to this, Stephen worked as an engineer in the manufacturing industry at both the corporate and localized levels, where he was responsible for management of projects through multiple North American facilities.

Since joining Designable Environments in 2008, Stephen has proven his capabilities at transitioning his strengths as an engineer into the architectural field, and has rapidly become proficient in issues of accessibility and universal design.

Stephen’s work activities have included facility audits, drawing reviews, report writing, as well as drawing and design activities.

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