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"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 | 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 | 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.
| 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
Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning
A UDL initiative is now addressing diversity in the classroom. See: http://ncsu.edu/fctl/initiatives/diversity-classrooms.php
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)
www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/home/hot-topics/ud
AHEAD: Universal Design Initiative (with list of additional resources)
www.ahead.org/resources/ud_intro.php
Approaches to UD in Educational Setting
CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology)
www.cast.org
University of Connecticut - FacultyWare
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
www.udeducation.org/teach/teaching_techniques/bowe.asp
Changing the Campus Climate
Project PACE: The Role of Disability Service Providers
www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/shift
UALR Campus Commitment
www.ualr.edu/pace/index.php/commitment/
Responding to Concerns
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
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