BOSTON -- A new design institute in Boston is showcasing new ideas to make buildings more accessible to people with disabilities.

NewsCenter 5's David Brown reported that the Institute for Human Centered Design at Adaptive Environments is a place where designers can get products and ideas.

"It's not just focusing on somebody who might use a wheelchair or who is blind. It's really incorporating things that work for them and making those things work for everybody," designer Gabriela Sims said.

The focus of for Human Centered Design at Adaptive Environments is on products and ideas that aren't easily available geared to people of all abilities. The institute has retail space that offers products like easy-to-grip milk cartons. The institute also includes an exhibit hall that shows unique and not yet available products.

Whether it's designed for someone in a wheelchair or an aging parent, universal design tries to combine function with flair.

"You can care desperately about design and make that design inclusive. We want people to have the 'aha!' moment that this is cool stuff," said Valerie Fletcher of Adaptive Environments.

The institute also has a one-of-a-kind library devoted to design and architecture.

Robert Taylor is the architect making Concord's First Parish Church accessible. With a team from the institute, he is getting ideas from the people he is redesigning for.

"(It's) wanting to include everybody in their project. Not having access just be an after thought, but something that's part of the whole project," said Karen Murray, an information specialist at Adaptive Environments.