Is Universal Design Really Universal? - 23 May 2008

Read this article in Chinese (translated by Christina Li)

In 1988, Ron Mace, Ruth Lusher, and I authored an article that I believe was the first published reference to the concept of Universal Design. Our purpose was to promote the positive side of a design concept that had previously been associated with eliminating poor design (barrier-free) for a limited population (handicap accessibility) and to emphasize the positive aspects of designing for all people. In 1992 when the first issue of Universal Design Newsletter was published, we conducted a search of the internet to identify potential copyright infringement. We found no (0) references to the term Universal Design.  Today, as I write this article, my Google search found “about 13,200,000” references. There is no denying that the concept of Universal Design has gained widespread use. But what does it really mean?

At the February 2008 International Conference on Aging, Disability and Independence (ICADI) in St. Petersburg, FL, one track investigated the meaning and future of Universal Design. While international gathering of attendees generally agreed that Universal Design incorporates designs that are inclusive and provide choice, there are many definitions. My currently favorite definition emphasizes the process rather than the end product:  

Universal Design: The process of imbedding choice for all people in the things we design.

Each of the italicized terms in this simple statement has important meaning.

• Process implies a methodology rather than a product
• Choice involves flexibility, and multiple alternative means of use and/or interface
• All People includes the full range of people regardless of age, ability, gender, economic status, etc.
• Things include spaces, products, information systems and any other things that humans manipulate or create.

I have watched an evolution in the thinking of what is Universal Design over the last 20 years. My involvement in this area has taught me that as we learn more and more about the people for whom we are designing (best provided though user input and involvement in the design process) our designs change and improve. This brings me to the inevitable conclusion that Universal Design is not static. Universal Design changes, mimicking the needs of the users as they differ over time and in different places. Universal Design in Chicago in 1990 was and should be different from Universal Design in Nairobi in 2008. The key is understanding what is the best fit of the environment to the users.

A good friend and colleague of mine, Harold D. Kiewel, AIA, suggested to me many years ago that the mis-match between human abilities and the demands of the environment can be overcome with four methods or tools. Since that time I have added a fifth method, based on recent technological and legal developments.  The methods are illustrated on our website Universal Design and can be thought of as the fingers of a hand, the most basic of tools that humans use to modify the environment to match their needs.  The five methods present a spectrum that range from inanimate objects to animate services:  

• Architecture - This includes the built-in features that make up the buildings and man-made environments around us, including  ramps, elevators and lifts, wide doors, grab bars, counters with knee and toe clearance, lever hardware, etc.  By constructing large toilet stalls that have clear floor space adjacent to the toilet, we can ensure that people who use wheelchairs have adequate space to independently transfer (slide over) from their wheelchair to the toilet seat.  Without the additional space, the transfer is difficult, if not impossible for many people, unless they have assistance, and even then, the standard toilet stall doesn’t provide enough room for an assistant to be in the stall with the user and their wheelchair.
• Equipment, Appliances and Assistive Devices - This includes the equipment we associate with the built environment and can include what we consider “normal residential appliances” such as clothes washers and toaster ovens but also includes mobility aids and even vehicles, along with other devices such as step stools, reaching devices, and even text/cell phones and other devices that make life easier for people. Our environments are becoming increasingly modular, allowing us to provide, change and swap out appliances or equipment, as new models become available, or our abilities change.  For instance, we know that knob handles are very difficult for people who have poor hand dexterity to grip, turn and operate.  But, it is now easy to replace a knob handled lavatory faucet with a lever handled (or automatic sensor) faucet, allowing people with arthritis, or other hand disabilities to easily control the water.
• Medical Methodologies  - This the newest method and can include glasses, prescription drugs, prosthetics, surgical implants, hearing aids and any other way that we enhance the capabilities of the user’s body.  Digital hearing aids, and cochlear implants now allow people with profound hearing loss to participate in almost every aspect of social interaction, where these people were previously isolated or limited to interactions only with people who knew sign language or were willing to communicate with paper and pencil.
• Program Changes – This includes changing the way that we do things, such as checking in for a flight from your laptop or at a kiosk rather than standing in line to talk to an agent, or checking out a book at a book mobile rather than going to a library.   It is possible to work around inaccessibility when you “think outside the box.”  Instead of replacing (or attaching an historically inappropriate ramp) at an historic entrance with steps, change the guided tour to enter a rear door that is at grade or can be ramped without affecting the historic significance of the facility.
• Personal Assistance – This includes such things as room service or valet service in a hotel, but can also include meals on wheels, holding the door open for someone, separating currency into discernable denominations for a customer who is blind, or any other service where we assist each other.  While independence is typically the goal,  it may be more important to provide choice.  It is far more acceptable for individuals to have the ability chose to be assisted rather than having to use a limited or segregated though accessible element.  Banks that offer both ATM’s and live teller service give everyone a choice between quick and personal assistance.

When we limit ourselves to the use of only one or two of these methods, our solutions often are ill-suited to some users and are often expensive. By “thinking outside the box” and mixing these methodologies we can create universal designs that are both cost effective and meet the needs of a wide range of users.

It is my opinion that Universal Design is (and should be) an evolving methodology that changes from place to place and time to time to meet the actual needs of the users.  

So the answer to the question posed at the beginning of this article is an emphatic NO.  

Authentic Universal Design changes just as society and culture changes. That is one of the most beautiful and marvelous aspects of being human and the amazing potential of Universal Design.

John P. S. Salmen, AIA is a licensed architect who has specialized in barrier free and Universal Design for more than 30 years. He is president of Universal Designers & Consultants Inc., an architectural firm he founded in 1991 that specializes in the field of designing products and environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.

Salmen is one of the leading experts in the technical aspects of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and an international leader in the field of Universal Design. Publisher of Universal Design Newsletter, Salmen has authored several books including: Accessible Architecture, The Do-Able Renewable Home, Accommodating All Guests and Everyone’s Welcome. He has presented hundreds of Universal Design and accessibility seminars and keynote addresses throughout North America and the Pacific Rim.

More information about John P. S. Salmen, AIA can be found on Universal Design 

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