Universal Design Leads to a Better Design Solution

Many people as well as design students in their first years of school ask themselves: what is universal design and how is it different from the American for Disabilities Act?

Well, the two concepts are different in many things but at the same time they have things in common that sometimes can cause the terms to be thought of being the same thing. Universal Design is defined by the ASID as “the concept that ideally all design (products, technologies and the built environment) should serve the broadest range of people, regardless of levels of ability or mobility, age, gender or physical stature without the need for adaptation or specialized design”. In other words, it is an orientation to focus the design on the user.  On the other hand, the American for Disabilities Act or ADA “gives civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, State and local government services, and telecommunications”, as stated by the U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. The ADA is the right to people with disabilities to be treated equally and not be discriminated against. Considering the latter, Universal Design and the ADA are connected to create that equality. Universal Design is the solution to create objects or spaces where everybody can use them without any limitations. Universal Design also includes children, which are also people, because mainly heights are a problem to them. For instance, a bathroom sink or toilet cannot be used by a child because they are too high for them.  Again, Universal Design helps designers to think and create solutions for this problem so that every person is accommodated and is able to use anything.

I think that as Interior Designers we should always think about creating design solutions that incorporate Universal Design because the spaces will be more functional and there will be no barriers to the user. In addition, in order to remain competitive in the field, Universal Design has to be included in the design solution to the client in order for him to live better.