About Universal Design - Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (2024)

FAQs

What is universal design Centre for Excellence in universal design? ›

The Centre for Excellence in Universal Design (CEUD) is dedicated to enabling the design of environments that can be accessed, understood and used regardless of a person's age, size, ability or disability.

Universal design means planning to build physical, learning and work environments so that they are usable by a wide range of people, regardless of age, size or disability status. While universal design promotes access for individuals with disabilities, it also benefits others.

The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

A design center of excellence (CoE) is a hub or team repository of the expertise and best practices identified by DesignOps processes.

Universal Design is: “The design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.”

The three UDL principles are engagement, representation, and action and expression. The chart below includes the three UDL principles adapted from CAST. It also gives you some questions to consider and lists some examples of the principles in action.

Examples of universal design features are step-free entries, curb ramps, levers, wide doorways and handheld adjustable showerheads. Places designed for all ages and abilities are more flexible, efficient and comfortable. Properties with universal design often have higher value and longevity.

Unlike Accessible Design, Universal Design is not required by Federal law, nor are Universal Design strategies uniformly codified by any one governing institution.

What are the key benefits of universal design? ›

Originally developed in response to the needs of the aging population and people with disabilities, UD has much broader applicability. It increases ease of access to products, places, and services for multiple, diverse populations.

Inclusive Design, also known as Universal Design, is a proactive approach to electronic accessibility. With Inclusive Design, we focus on eliminating the barriers in the environment so that fewer accommodations are needed.

December 2021) Universal design is the design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors. It emerged as a rights-based, anti-discrimination measure, which seeks to create design for all abilities.

In the United States Ron Mace an architect coined the term Universal Design, who wanted to focus on accessible housing with a universal design approach. Mace championed accessible building codes and standards in the United States.

However, renovating will be costlier than incorporating universal design into the construction of a new home. In fact, designing and building universal design homes aren't appreciably more expensive than non-universal design new homes, despite what some contractors might tell you.

Universal design for learning (UDL) is an approach to designing course instruction, materials, and content so that all students are able to access learning with a diminished need for retrofitting or accommodation.

Universal Design creates inclusive design solutions and promotes accessibility and usability, allowing people with all levels of ability to live independently. The ability of a person to remain as independent as possible can be influenced by how accessible and usable products, services and environments are.