Universal Design is an approach to designing products and environments to be usable by all people to the greatest extent possible without needing adaptation or specialized design. It aims to make designs accessible, flexible, simple and intuitive for people of all abilities and backgrounds. The seven principles of Universal Design include equitable use, flexibility in use, simple and intuitive use, perceptible information, tolerance for error, low physical effort, and appropriate size and space for approach and use. Adhering to these principles in design ensures usability for people of diverse abilities.

1. Universal Design is the design of products & environments to be usable by
all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation
or specialized design
- Ronald Lawrence Mace
U N I V E R S A L D E S I G N
GUWAHATI COLLEGE OF ARCHITECTURE & PLANNING
MAKING
DESIGN
ACCESSIBLE
TO
ALL
IN
SOCIETY
AR. BISWAJIT SHARMA
M.ARCH(UD), MBA(HR,IT)
সা ৰ্বজ নী ন প ৰি ক ল্প না

2. Universal design means that the products which designers design are universally accommodating, that they
cater conveniently for all their users.
WHAT
IS
UNIVERSAL
DESIGN
Some people define universal design as simply “good” design. This only replaces one word with an equally
imprecise term. In the broadest terms, universal design is “design for all people.”
Universal design, also known as life span design, seeks to create environments and products that are usable
by children, young adults, and the elderly. They can be used by people with “normal” abilities and those with
disabilities, including temporary ones.
Ronald Lawrence Mace, the architect who coined the term universal design, said that one of the most
important changes brought about by the use of this term was the elimination of the label “special needs” from
segments of the population who are working to maintain or gain their independence.
Universal design includes facilities for,
SAP
It means –
o Handicapped person
o Mute, dumb, deaf, blind person
o Palsied, CP, or spastic
o Mongoloid
o Cripple
o Retarded, crazy, mental, defective
o Epileptic
• Person with a disability
• Person who cannot speak, with hearing impairment, visual impairment, etc.
• Person with cerebral palsy
• Person with Down syndrome
• Person who has a physical disability
• Person who has a mental disability
• Person who has epilepsy
- Specially Abled Persons (বিশেষভাশে সক্ষম িযবি)

3. P
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P
L
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S • Equitable use – The design does not disadvantage or stigmatize any group of users.
• Flexibility in use – The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
• Simple, intuitive use – Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience,
knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
• Perceptible information – The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user,
regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities
• Tolerance for error – The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or
unintended action.
• Low physical effort – The design can be used efficiently and comfortably, with a minimum of fatigue
• Size and space for approach and use – Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach,
manipulation, and use, regardless of the user’s body size, posture, or mobility

4. P
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S 1. Equitable use
Design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.
• Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not.
• Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users.
• Provisions for privacy, security, and safety should be equally available to all users.
• Make the design appealing to all users.
Design applications
• Rocker light switch
• Motion sensor lighting, ventilation, or faucets
• Side-by-side refrigerator.
Life span design features for equitable use
• A 1200mm-wide walkway from sidewalk or driveway
• No step entries
• 900mm-wide doors throughout
• Minimum 1100mm-wide hallways
• Electrical outlets and telephone jack 450mm from the floor
• Switches at 1050mm from the floor
• Environmental controls 1200mm from the floor
• Access to the circuit breaker panel; topmost breaker at maximum reach of 1200mm

5. P
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S 2. Flexibility in use
Design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
• Provide choice in methods of use.
• Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use.
• Facilitate the user’s accuracy and precision.
• Provide adaptability to the user’s pace.
Design applications
• Knee spaces with door and storage options, allowing for seated or standing use
• 1200mm work aisles, ensuring either a perpendicular or parallel approach to appliances
• Multiple counter heights
• Movable (portable) storage
• Deep drawers with or without divider pegs
• Storage for an optional stool
Life span design features for flexibility use
• Blocking for grab bars and shower-seat installations
• Roll-in showers offering adequate maneuvering room for wheelchairs
• Shower system including temperature set/pressure balance single-handle control, diverter valve, and
handheld shower
• Side or front transfer access space to commodes
• Single-lever kitchen and bathroom faucets

6. P
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S 3. Simple, intuitive use
Design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current
concentration level.
• Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
• Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.
• Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.
• Arrange information consistent with its importance.
• Provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion.
Design applications
• Operation of single-lever faucet that moves left for hot and right for cold
• Use of red to indicate hot and blue to indicate cold
• One-step controls on a microwave for preprogrammed recipes
Life span design features for simple and intuitive use
• Thermostats with intuitive features and directive notations or symbols large enough to read and with
sufficient color contrast

7. P
R
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S 4. Perceptible information
Design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the
user’s sensory abilities.
• Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.
• Provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings.
• Maximize “legibility” of essential information.
• Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).
• Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.
Design applications
• Digital temperature control on faucets or ovens that sound and blink when limits are reached
• Lighting controls that light up in the off position and go dark when on
• Smoke detectors with sound and light alarms
• Cooking controls that use numbers and pictures to indicate cooking mode/process
• Use of color contrast
Life span design features for perceptible information
• Contrasting colors of floor materials delineating traffic passages
• Energy-saving illumination
• Various floor materials, all of which comply with the Federal Housing Accessibility Design Guidelines, and
colors to different areas

8. P
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S 5. Tolerance for error
Design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended
actions.
• Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors. Most-used elements, most-accessible; hazardous
elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded.
• Provide warnings of hazards and errors.
• Provide failsafe features.
• Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.
Design applications
• GFCI outlets that reduce risk of shock
• Temperature-limiting faucets that prevent accidental scalding
• Timed automatic shutoff on faucets or ventilation
• Induction cooktops
Life span design features for error tolerance
• Low volatile organic compound materials and finishes
• Fire extinguisher mounted on base cabinet next to the range/cooktop

9. P
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S 6. Low physical effort
Design can be used efficiently, comfortably, and with minimum fatigue.
• Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.
• Reasonable operating forces used.
• Minimize repetitive actions.
• Minimize sustained physical effort.
Design applications
• Lever handles
• Remote window controls
• Remote controls for cooktop ventilation
• Motion-activated appliances and controls
• D-pulls on cabinetry
• Conveniently located storage and appliances (raised dishwashers, counter height microwaves and ovens)
Life span design features for low physical effort
• Lever handles on all swinging doors
• Handles that accommodate grasp on all sliding or folding doors
• Kitchen, bathrooms, and other cabinet doors fitted with D-shaped or other styles of handle that facilitate
grasp and are ergonomic
• Garage door opener

10. P
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S 7. Size and space for approach and use
Appropriate size and space are provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s
body size, posture, or mobility.
• Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user.
• Make the reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user.
• Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.
• Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance.
Design applications
• Split double ovens at comfort height
• Storage accessories installed within the universal reach range (375 to 1200mm above finished floor)
• Movable (portable) storage
• The 750mm × 1200mm clear floor space in front of all appliances
• Knee space at a sink, cooktop, work counters or adjacent to tall appliances
Life span design features for size and space
• 1500mm turning radius in bathrooms and kitchen
• Lazy Susan cabinets in kitchen where indicated
• Pull-out shelves in kitchen base cabinets
• Front controls on the range or cooktop
• Switches for garbage disposal installed in the front apron of the sink’s base and range/cooktop exhaust
fan/light switch installed in the base cabinet next to the range