About Elaine Ostroff

Elaine Ostroff has lived in Westport since 1987. She is the mother of three grown children, and the grandmother of four. She was married to her childhood sweetheart and late husband Earl Ostroff for 52 years. She grew up in Fall River; graduated from Durfee High School in 1951; from Brandeis University in 1955 and from Harvard Graduate School of Education in 1972. She now lives in Central Village.

Elaine’s public service in Westport:

Westport Woman of the Year Award in 2006.

Westport Cultural Council: member 2003- 2008, Chair 2005-2008

Council on Aging: Instructor since 2002, Osteoporosis Prevention Class

Central Village Public Improvement (Sidewalk) Committee: 2005- current

Planning Board: member since 2008-current

Commission on Disability: Member and Chair 2009-current

Affordable Housing Trust Fund and Affordable Housing Partnership: member 2010-current

Elaine’s professional background:

Elaine Ostroff is an internationally recognized educator who has been involved with accessible and universally designed environments since 1971. She co-founded the Boston-based Adaptive Environments Center in 1978 and was Executive Director until 1998. The non profit organization was renamed the Institute for Human Centered Design (IHCD). Now, as a consultant, she directs Access to Design Professions, a project that encourages people with disabilities to become professional designers.

The Environmental Design Research Association honored her in 2007 with their: Achievement Award; AHEAD – an international organization for colleges and universities - honored her with their 2007 Achievement award; the American Institute of Architects presented her with an Honorary Member award in 2006. She is the 2004 recipient of the Misha Black Medal for Distinguished Services in Design Education and in 2003 was awarded the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture Honorary Award. Ostroff was the Senior Editor of the Universal Design Handbook published by McGraw-Hill in 2001.

Elaine founded the award-winning Looking Glass Theatre in Providence, RI in 1962. It was one of the first participatory theatres for children in the United States.