Experience of a philosophy and planning approach that has been developed thanks to the collaboration with sectorial associations, at national and international level. (since 1994).

Isabella Steffan has been one of the first people to work on the theme of the elimination of architectural barriers, with her BSc dissertation on this subject (1981), and through her collaboration with the famous Associated Architects “Ornati-Cosulich”. Later on, her active participation in IIDD Italian Institute for Design and Disability since its foundation (1994) has gradually shifted her focus on a more positive concept: that of Design for All, i.e. the planning of usable environments, equipments and services - in total autonomy – by people with diversified needs and abilities.

The Master’s Degree in Ergonomics (1996) has supplied the tools and methods for a planning that is based on people’s real needs.

During her following professional activity, Isabella has always tried to put into practice what she had learnt during her Master (with a training model accredited by the IEA International Ergonomics Association), with a test conducted in the ergonomics laboratory of Don Gnocchi for her dissertation, and during the two-years internship she has followed, under the supervision of a certified ergonomist, with a particular focus on weak users.

During her term in office as Vice-president and then President of IIDD, and important initiative has been promoted, Cittàbile (“Able City”), for which some Guidelines on Design for All have been drafted and a competition has been launched (Cittàbile 2003).

The objective of the initiative was to disseminate the culture of accessibility within Universities and Design Schools, by introducing within the subjects of planning of urban environment a stronger attention on the actual needs of the whole population and not only of the average-healthy-adult. Cittàbile aimed at disseminating examples of planning of cities that are more liveable for everybody, and that Local Authorities could use for future planning.
The activities of the Project, among which the Guidelines, have been managed and coordinated by Isabella Steffan.

For the year 2003, European year of people with disabilities, IIDD has launched a competition for a scholarship, to be assigned to a project that would contribute to disseminating the Cittàbile project. The competition was open to Italian graduates whose dissertation (or PhD thesis) revolved around urban spaces and equipment. The winning thesis was “PLAYING IN THE CITY AND CHILD TRAINING” (Dr. B. Di Ministro, University of Florence); the project was then further developed, under the supervision of tutors, and led to the reinterpretation of the swing, “for All”.