Universal Design is a process that aims to make products and environments accessible and easy to use for people of all abilities and needs. It involves anyone and everyone, from students with disabilities to people with different physical, emotional, or psychological characteristics. The Universal Design process identifies the target environment or product, defines the diverse user population, involves consumers in providing feedback, applies established guidelines, plans for accommodation requests, and evaluates the design through user testing and feedback. Key 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.

1. Universal Design
Catherine Ubry
EDP 279

2. What is Universal Design?
 Process that can be applied to any product or environment
 Goal is accessibility and easy usability for everyone involved
 Characteristics of environment or product meets the needs of
a wide variety

3. Who does Universal Design
involve?
 Many believe it only involves students with different disabilities---this is
not true
 Universal design can involved anyone and everyone (people of various
ethnicities, language learners, students, workers, teachers, athletes, etc.)
 Could include characteristics ranging from different physical, emotional
or psychological needs

4. Process of Universal Design
 Identify the application: what product or environment needs
UD implementation?
 Define the universe: describe the population, diverse
characteristics, etc.
 Involve consumers: involve diverse people involved & gain
different perspectives
 Adopt guidelines or standards: create or select existing UD
guidelines & integrate them

5. UD Process (continued)
 Apply guidelines or standards: apply guidelines to
environment or product as stated above
 Plan for accommodations: develop process to address
accommodation request situations for those who may need it
 Train and support: provide ongoing training and support to
all those involved
 Evaluate: include UD measures in evaluations, evaluate
users, make modifications needed, etc.

6. Principals of Universal Design
 Equitable Use: design is useful to people with diverse abilities
 Flexibility in Use: design accommodates a wide range of
abilities, preferences, needs, etc.
 Simple and intuitive: design is easy to use and understand regardless of user’s
experience, skills, etc.
 Perceptible information: design communicates necessary information effectively to
user
 Tolerance for error: design minimizes hazards and adverse consequences of accidental
or unintended actions
 Low physical effort: design can be used efficiently, comfortably, etc.
 Size and space for approach and use: size and space provided for approach, reach, etc.
is appropriate.

7. Works Cited
http://www.washington.edu/doit/Brochures/Programs/ud.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfsx3DGpv5o&feature=relm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr3ardmq0a0&feature=relmf
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http://www.washington.edu/doit/CUDE/inst_sec.html