Universal Design

"Universal design is 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." - Ron Mace

Universal Design (UD) is a term first conceived by Ron Mace, architect, who was the founder and program director of the Center for Universal Design at the College of Design at NC State University.

The Center for Universal Design has worked since 1989 on accessible design for environments and products. A history of the Center can be found here.

UD has seven principles as follows:
PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use
The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use
The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive Use
Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information
The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.

PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error
The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort
The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach and Use
Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.

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NC State University's Commitment
NC State University is committed to making programs and services accessible to and usable by everyone.

Diversity is a key part of the University’s vision. Chancellor James Oblinger stated the following: “Creating a campus that is both diverse and inclusive is central to the successful achievement of our vision as a research extensive land-grant university. In particular, diversity of both ideas and people is essential to new scholarship, innovation, and organizational effectiveness. Our success in realizing this vision is inextricably linked to diversity.”

This statement goes far beyond minimal access for legal compliance, shifting instead to full inclusion as indicated in the UD principles.

Universal Design and the Social Model of Disability
The concept of universal design arises out of and supports the broader philosophical framework of the
social model of disability. The medical model might be compared with the pathological view of deafness,
whereas the social model is in alignment with the cultural perspective.

Medical Model vs. Social Model
Medical Model	Social Model
Disability is a deficiency or abnormality	Disability is a difference
Being disabled is negative	Being disabled, in itself, is neutral
Disability resides in the individual	Disability derives from interaction between individual and society
The remedy for disability-related problems is cure or normalization of the individual	The remedy for disability-related problems is a change in the interaction between the individual and society
The agent of remedy is the professional who affects the arrangements between the individual and society	The agent of remedy can be the individual, an advocate, or anyone who affects the arrangements between the individual and society
Source: Gill, C. (1994) Two Models of Disability. Chicago Institute of Disability. University of Chicago.

Many disability service professionals would defend the accommodation model as a social model
approach. When we explore it closely and compare it to the universal design approach, it is clear that it is
more aligned with medical model thinking.

Accommodation Approach vs. Universal Design Approach
Accommodation Approach	Universal Design Approach
Access is a problem for the individual and should be addressed by that person and the disability service program	Access issues stem from an inaccessible, poorly designed environments and should be addressed by the designer
Access is achieved through accommodations and/or retrofitting existing requirements	The system/environment is designed, to the greatest extent possible, to be usable by all
Access is retroactive	Access is proactive
Access is often provided in a separate location or through special treatment	Access is inclusive
Access must be reconsidered each time a new individual uses the system, i.e. is consumable	Access, as part of the environmental design, is sustainable
Source: AHEAD Universal Design Initiative Team

UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING
An outgrowth of the UD model, Universal Design for Learning (UDL) uses UD principles, to design
courses “to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or
specialized design”. The table below illustrates how the UD principles relate to UDL.

Principles and Definitions
Principle	Definition
Principle 1: Equitable use	Instruction is designed to be useful to and accessible by people with diverse abilities. Provide the same means of use for all students; identical whenever possible, equivalent when not.
Principle 2: Flexibility in use	Instruction is designed to accommodate a wide range of individual abilities. Provide choice in method of use.
Principle 3: Simple and intuitive	Instruction is designed in a straightforward and predictable manner, regardless of the student’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
Principle 4: Perceptible information	Instruction is designed so that necessary information is communicated effectively to the student, regardless of ambient conditions or the student’s sensory abilities.
Principle 5: Tolerance for error	Instruction anticipates variation in individual student learning pace and prerequisite skills.
Principle 6: Low physical effort	Instruction is designed to minimize nonessential physical effort in order to allow maximum attention to learning. Note: This principle does not apply when physical effort is integral to essential requirements of a course.
Principle 7: Size and space for approach and use	Instruction is designed with consideration for appropriate size and space for approach, reach, manipulations, and use regardless of a student’s body size, posture, mobility, and communication needs.
Principle 8: A community of learners	The instructional environment promotes interaction and communication among students and between students and faculty.
Principle 9: Instructional climate	Instruction is designed to be welcoming and inclusive. High expectations are espoused for all students.

UD CAMPUS INITIATIVES
Facilities Department
UD is a guiding principle in the University’s physical master plan, “A Campus of Neighborhoods and Paths” See: http://www.ncsu.edu/facilities/physical_master_plan/index.htm

Universal Design Resources
General Resources:
Center for Universal Design NC State University College of Design
http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/index.htm

Project PACE: Overview of Universal Design (with list of additional resources)
http://www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/home/hot-topics/ud

AHEAD: Universal Design Initiative (with list of additional resources)
http://www.ahead.org/resources/universal-design

Approaches to UD in the Educational Setting
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)
http://www.cast.org

University of Connecticut - FacultyWare
http://www.facultyware.uconn.edu/home.cfm

University of Guelph, Universal Instructional Design
http://www.tss.uoguelph.ca/projects/uid/

Universal Design in Education: Teaching Non-Traditional Students
http://www.udeducation.org/teach/teaching_techniques/bowe.asp

University of Hawaii - Teaching All Students, Reaching All Learners
http://www.ist.hawaii.edu/training/

Changing the Campus Climate
Project PACE: The Role of Disability Service Providers
http://www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/shift

UALR Campus Commitment
http://www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/commitment/

Responding to Concerns
http://www.ualr.edu/pace/ahead2006/#concerns

Universal Design on Campus
Distance Education and Learning Technology Applications
http://delta.ncsu.edu/teach/web_development/accessibility/statement/

Office of Information Technology
http://www.ncsu.edu/it/access/webaccess/bestpract.php