Julie Irish started her career in interior design in Wales. The English native spent several years doing traditional design work for the capital city of Cardiff. But an opportunity to design a school for children with autism presented unique challenges that changed her focus. She realized that there wasn't much research for designing spaces for people with autism. So she consulted experts and doctors, and eventually decided to move her family to America to pursue a PhD of her own on the topic. Now, Irish has done her own research on designing spaces for people with disabilities, and has used her knowledge and real-world experience to teach future designers how to make spaces that are more inclusive.
