Author: Jane Bringolf

Universal design and terminology

Researchers like to have a set of defined terms for their field of work. It makes communicating with each other clearer and easier and for comparing studies. But when similar concepts begin from different origins, different terms are coined depending on the context. 

Lots of different coloured words reading define. Designing inclusively.Universal design is a concept that falls within the field of social science. As such we can expect different terms for the same and similar concepts. Regardless, the participation of all is the ultimate goal.

Societies are not fixed in time and consequently, terminology moves with it. So rather than debate the terms, we should accept and group the different terms as seeking the same outcomes. The concepts have been around for more than thirty years, but there is still significant confusion in how to apply them.

Three Swedish researchers propose a harmonised model and the synergies they create. In their paper, the researchers explore how the concepts of accessibility, usability, and universal design have developed. They explore how these concepts relate to and complement each other to create a 21st century view.

Accessibility: person-environment interaction 

This approach implies that problems should be expressed and solved from a person-environment relationship. It is based on norms aspiring to meet the needs of most and underpins standards. As such, accessibility is measurable in terms of dimensions and specifications. It has roots in human rights legislation.

Usability: user perspectives on interactions

This term has found its way into policy documents, legislation and regulations. This definition highlights the importance of functionality and user experience. Practitioners in the field of of digital technologies often use the term user experience. In the case of people with vision impairments this has been a key driver of digital designs.

A smartphone with graphics depicting a design problem being fixed.The International Standard ISO 9241-11 describes usability as the “extent to which a product, a service and the built environment can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use” (2018).

Usability cannot be measured in the same way as accessibility because it relates to personal experience. It is expressed by how the design enables people use the product or service.

Universal design – value based vision

Universal design is gaining global prominence as more people are taking on board the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

Front cover of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitie. CRPD.The concept is presented as the overarching principle in the CRPD. It provides a basis for a national commitment regarding everything new that is created in society. In the English-speaking world the concept is used both as a verb (to design) and a noun (a design).

Universal design is a value-based concept that takes a broad view of society. It is both a vision and a process. It is most often understood as being about people with disability. But this is misleading. 

The definition in the CRPD makes it clear that the concept concerns all people. It is about a diversity of thought and all human functions fall under this concept. Universal design is not a sub-category of design or special process. It is intended to be an integral part of ordinary design. 

The concept of universal design has been confused with the definition of accessibility in policy documents. Hence the hybrid term “universal access”. Citing universal design as a standard or regulation is against the original intent. Accessibility and usability are tools for translating universal design into practice at individual, and societal levels. 

What does this all mean?

The researchers offer a thoughtful way forward by merging the concepts of accessibility, usability and universal design. While they come from different origins, they have evolved. Universal design must have accessibility and usability as a minimum for people with disability. However, these concepts alone are insufficient for full participation. 

The title of the paper is, Accessibility, usability and universal design – still confusing? Harmonisation of key concepts describing person-environment interaction to create conditions for participation. A really useful discussion that should help readers understand how and why we keep getting in a terminology muddle. And also, why we must integrate the concepts and focus on process rather than product. 

From the abstract

We describe recent developments, how the concepts relate to and complement each other, and the synergies they create. We argue that definitions are crucial and that the concepts can be combined and harmonised in a synergistic entity. The participation of all is the ultimate goal of society.

Universal Design is the value-based vision and approach to design grounded in human rights that, through intersectionality and involvement, should permeate all aspects of society to create the best possible conditions for participation for all citizens. We propose a harmonised model where the concepts are explicitly defined and closely connected, with each other. 

Humans in human-centred design

Where are the humans in Human-Centred Design? Well, they are rarely in the design drawings. So what would happen if designers were asked to put drawings of people in their designs? That’s what an interdisciplinary group of researchers from the University of Michigan wanted to find out.

“The simple intention to include representations of people interacting with design ideas can assist designers in centring humans in design processes.”

Four young woman sit on steps in front of a large building. A young man wearing a headset stands behind them.

Human centred design approaches aim to generate better solutions through understanding people’s social, emotional, and physical needs.

All designs begin with basic line drawings and idea sketches. This study showed that if you include people in those drawings, the designs change. This simple change made designers think more about users. Such a simple technique could make a significant difference to creating more inclusive designs.

The image below is from the research paper and shows that designers don’t have to be good a drawing people – stick figures will do. It’s about making designers think beyond their design to the impact it has on people.

Student human centred design sketches showing stick figures interacting with various designs.

Image from the research paper

Just add people

The advantage of the simple instruction of ‘represent people’ avoids specifying how the process of mental visualisation is to take place. This simple instruction produced design outcomes with a deeper consideration of putting people at the centre.

The researchers found that with the instruction to draw people, students focused more on people’s social and physical context of use as well as their personal preferences and values. They also found that depicting people decreased students’ claims that their designs worked for ‘everyone’. This indicates a better understanding of the ways design decisions impact different people differently.

While the researchers did not measure the diversity of people students considered, they saw a shift to recognise justice, and other social practices. Physical and emotional contexts, and a wider variety of stakeholders also became more apparent.

The title of the article is, Where are the humans in human centred design? Intentionally representing people during idea generation deepens consideration of needs.

Although this paper does not explicitly mention diversity or disability, the process shows that this is both possible and essential.

From the abstract

How can designers ‘centre humans’ in their design thinking? Creating design ideas and sketches explicitly representing people can help designers think about how their designs impact people. Using a think-aloud protocol, student designers generated ideas without instructions and then with an instruction to depict people in sketches.

When people were represented in sketches, student designers reflected more about how people were impacted by their designs. Results showed that representing people within design ideas led to considering more physical interactions, emotions, contexts, and stakeholder roles.

Compliance and Inclusion: A case study

The disability discrimination case involving the Sunshine Coast University Hospital provides a few important learning points. The hospital was found to have caused indirect discrimination to people with vision impairments. Rectifying the long list of breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act reaches into the millions of dollars. But does compliance make for inclusion in the prescribed solutions?

The Sunshine Coast University Hospital (SSCU) was the subject of the late Peter Ryan’s complaint. As a legally blind person he claimed disadvantage in the way access was provided for him. The main point was inadequate wayfinding.

External view of Sunshine Coast University Hospital.

Learning from the court case

A blog article from the Humanics Collective website discusses the issue of the Court’s demands for specific features to be rectified and/or applied. The Court ruled that the hospital did not meet the obligations of the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) and the Access to Premises Standard.

Many areas of the hospital did not contain tactile or Braille signage or a functional wayfinding strategy. This included lack of luminance contrasts, small fonts, and appropriate signage. In addition, floor surfaces and other finishes, including the use of colour, came under scrutiny as well. This impacted Ryan’s ability to navigate the spaces independently and with dignity.

Beyond compliance is required

Humanics Collective was engaged to improve compliance with the Court’s ruling. They assert that complex environments need to consider more than compliance to standards. That’s because it doesn’t guarantee usability, and equity isn’t always achieved through uniformity. Indeed, many people experience issues with finding their way around hospitals.

In their list of solutions, Humanics Collective includes the use of hospital volunteers to assist people with vision impairment. The use of volunteers was used as a defence in the court case, but the key issue is that many aspects of the building and surrounds did not comply with the Access to Premises Standard. You cannot use volunteers as a work-around to make up for deficiencies in the design.

Wayfinding not just about signage

The goal of a wayfinding strategy is to help people find their way. So installing more of the same signage isn’t necessarily the answer. However, the strategy should at the very least provide the statutory minimums.

‘One key point of contention in the ruling was the interpretation of “replace.” We argued that replacement shouldn’t mean reinstalling flawed signage in the same location, but improving usability through better placement, higher contrast, and greater visibility.’ Image from Humanics Collective.

An interior design graphic indicating architectural wayfinding features in a large building. Compliance or inclusion by design.

The Humanics Collective blog suggests the answer is not in more signage but in smarter support. This includes meaningful pre-visit information and training front of house staff to assist people with vision impairment.

Their on-site testing with user groups found that their proposed changes beyond compliance made the space feel easy to navigate. Importantly, users consistently said there is no single vision impairment experience. Consequently, different people use different tools to get around – a cane, a guide dog, signage, and now wayfinding apps on their phone.

The title of the blog post is, “What We Learned from the Court Case: The Sunshine Coast University Hospital ruling and its impact on inclusive wayfinding”. The real learning is not to think management strategies, such as volunteers, are the answer to failings. And make sure you comply with the Access to Premises Standard as a very minimum. Taking a universal design approach to go beyond compliance minimises the risk of indirect discrimination and an action under the DDA.

It’s about the whole journey to and within the building

Everyone should be able to arrive by any means, make their way to the main entrance and to a toilet. They should also be able to find their clinic and practitioner. Hospitals are now relying on digital applications to guide patients. These include screens on which to register arrival and machines to produce a ticket number. Then patients are to locate a screen within the clinic that tells them when their number comes up. Then they are to make their way to the consulting room.

The tall signboard on the right hand side of the image has a black background and very small light grey font. It lists places under Orange Lifts and Purple Lifts. The corridor has a high glaze with lots of reflection and glare. Image from ABC News.

A long hospital corridor with a tall signboard on the right hand side. It has a black background and very small light grey font. It lists places under Orange Lifts and Purple Lifts. The corridor has a high glaze with lots of light reflection and glare.

The journey from the front entrance to the consulting room is fraught with difficulty for many people, not just people with vision impairment. It assumes many different abilities in sight and hearing, speech, dexterity, mobility, and digital literacy.

The Court ruled on two things: the breaches of the Access to Premises Standard, and the indirect discrimination under the DDA. It seems from the blog that Humanics Collective wants to do better than just compliance.

Background to the court case

The 2021 court ruling in Queensland is a reminder to designers and builders not to ignore disability access. But many do, and that is probably because they are unlikely to be called to account. Complaints under the Disability Discrimination Act that go to court are rare.

That’s because the person who experiences the discrimination has to make the complaint. And that’s tough. Court cases are very stressful for complainants who often have fewer resources to cope. 

The Hospital supposedly complied with the National Construction Code and the Access to Premises Standard. However this was not the case and calls into question the issue of building certification. 

This case highlights conflicts of interest could be more common than we know. Both the building certification firm and the access consultants are owned by the same group. Consequently, conflicts of interest can lead to builders ignoring disability access. 

The building won numerous awards for Architecture. So this raises questions about what is judged as a good building. Time to start including accessibility for all in the judging criteria for these awards. 

Unfortunately Peter Ryan passed away before the Judge handed down his decision. A Sourceable article written by Bryce Tolliday has a lot more detail. The title of the article is Non-Compliant Hospital Costs Queensland Taxpayers Millions.

The Human Rights Law Centre has a summary of the Court findings.

ABC News in 2023 has an article about the delays in implementing the remediation work after two years. In 2025 the remediation work is still lacking which could lead to another complaint under the DDA.

Role of universities in the built environment

Research abounds on universal design and inclusive access in the built environment. But is there another role for universities in the built environment? A group of researchers in New Zealand thinks there is.

Research on universal design in the built environment doesn’t seem to be going anywhere. So, should universities to do more to improve the built environment? If so, what should they do? Image of Massey University.

A group of students sit on a bench in a grassed area outside a white university building with red roofs.

Many academic research findings have not led to real improvement. This is because political activism is not the main function of academics. However, academics have a role in the collation of data from all stakeholders and drawing of conclusions as to what might be useful initiatives. Two universities in New Zealand got together to see if they could improve matters. In their paper, they present a case study in bringing together the key stakeholders.

The research paper explains their method of engagement with students, disability advocates and construction stakeholders. They were able to introduce the concepts of a universal design approach to the design and construction courses.

Students collected data on the perspectives of quantity surveyors, construction site managers, project managers and architects. They carried out access audits of buildings and the people that worked in them. This data collection is ongoing in 2025.

Three steps to improvement

First, they formed symbiotic relationships between advocacy groups, disability organisations and academics. The end result was a petition with nine actions to the government to improve access to the built environment for people with disability.

Second, academics who were supervising students got together with construction sector stakeholders. They shared access to data on case study buildings and construction professionals’ shared their perspectives.

In return, fact sheets and short articles were used to increase the knowledge on different aspects of accessibility. Many public buildings in New Zealand are inaccessible, and few construction sector stakeholders know about the need for universal design.

Third, approximately 200 students a year will get Master of Construction degrees from Massey University’s School of Built Environment. Universal design is included in the master’s program. This means future construction lawyers, quantity surveyors and construction managers will know more about this important topic.

The research results were presented to legislators, construction professionals and advocacy groups. It has helped raise awareness amongst stakeholders with a petition to government with recommendations.

The title of the article is, The role of the university in making the built environment more
accessible and inclusive for people with disability: A case study from New Zealand.

Gender mainstreaming in urban landscapes

Traditional design frameworks often overlook the lived experiences of women, young people, older people, and other marginalised groups. A paper from South Africa proposes a model that integrates and mainstreams gender and intergenerational needs.

This paper draws on policy frameworks and case studies from Vienna, Zurich, Luxembourg, and South Africa. Safety, social cohesion and environmental resilience are key elements for inclusion. Image of a City Tree in Berlin.

A town square in Berlin has large square concrete installations containing living plants to help clean the air.

Urban public spaces are traditionally designed with a focus on aesthetics, functionality and efficient infrastructure. However, such approaches are no longer addressing the complexities of urban societies.

Vienna, Zurich and Luxembourg

The concept of gender mainstreaming has its roots in gender equality and women’s rights to public space. Vienna, Austria has a Gender Mainstreaming Strategy. The city has invested in lighting improvements, and improved surveillance through the design of open spaces. Transportation systems also fall under this strategy.

Luxembourg City is a pioneer in creating accessible and gender-sensitive public spaces. Urban planning and design considers people with disability, women, children, and older adults. The city has pedestrian-focused urban spaces that are safe and easy to navigate.

As one of the most inclusive cities globally, Zurich, places an emphasis on its diverse social and cultural society. Zurich’s approach is one of participatory planning by engaging with marginalised groups. The aim is to include the varied voices of residents in planning. Image of Rennweg.

A street in Zurich showing outdoor cafe seating, street seating pedestrians and cyclists. Shops and five storey buildings line the street.

This paper has more detail about different European cities and good urban design examples. Cities like Zurich have set a high standard in making public spaces accessible for people with disability. Transport networks are integral to this strategy along with public parks, toilets and street furniture. It goes beyond regulatory compliance to embrace an ethos of universal design.

While South Africa acknowledges the importance of inclusive cities, there are barriers that to implementation. These include institutional silos, budget constraints, and limited professional capacity at local government level. Policies are in place but implementation is lacking. However, the case studies of Zurich, Vienna and Luxembourg show that inclusion is achievable.

The title of the paper is Reimagining public spaces for a new generation: Gender mainstreaming and inclusive design in future urban landscapes.

Being along for the real experience

The disabling reality of the existing built environment is difficult to understand from a distance. That is the distance of being without disability. Architect Mary Ann Jackson relates several short stories of ‘being along’ for the real experience of disability. She writes about assessments of the built environment using the ‘being along’ method as a powerful educator.

Jackson and colleagues used the being along sessions to assess the built environment with people with disability. The short vignettes highlight how crucial it is for architects to work with people with disability.

A woman and a man walk down a cobbled laneway where the buildings are brightly decorated with public art and graffiti.

The article, An ordinary day, was published in the Australian Institute of Architects magazine on page 22. It illustrates how an ordinary day becomes a major event for people with disability. Here are some key points from the vignettes created from being along in inner Melbourne.

Key points from vignettes

Just getting from the car to the footpath is a no fuss action for most people. But for some it takes some thought and extra effort. “I need time to get out of the driver’s seat, get outside the car, get my stick sorted, and get onto the footpath.” In this case, the footpath involves cobbled bluestone kerbing and guttering making the exercise more difficult. So it is about context as well.

Walking a few metres up the middle of a cobblestoned laneway because the footpath was too narrow to bother with, was just too much for a companion using a wheelchair. Having no footpath in inner city laneways is a problem, but so is lack of footpaths in suburbia.

Hotel bathrooms often include a shower seat, but some guests prefer a shower chair. The public bathroom raised toilet pan used in these bathrooms is not good for shorter people.

Although people who are blind often have well-developed hearing skills, there is a growing cohort of deaf-blind people and silent cars.

A pet peeve is the double mini-step – small threshold upstand of up to 25mm, followed by a level length less than 800mm, followed by another small threshold upstand.

What is not there is also a problem. The lack of public seating, accessible parking, and accessible toilets impacts individual mobility considerably.

The footplates of the powered wheelchair hit hazard TGSIs fixed to the too-steep kerb ramp incline which brought the wheelchair to a grinding halt. (Kerb ramps ideally should be 1 in 10 or flatter with TGSI.)

It shouldn’t be assumed that all dog exercisers are can walk or walk well when accessing dog parks. Pinebark in the park can damage wheelchairs so accessing playgrounds or exercise equipment is tricky if not impossible.

A grinding halt

Coming to a grinding halt is the very definition of inaccessibility. Jackson hopes that these vignettes in the AIA Architecture magazine serve to educate. She believes the architectural profession must be working together with people with disability. Near enough isn’t good enough because accessibility lies in the details being correct.

Universal design is about diversity

Universal design is about diversity, equity and inclusion, and whether you use this term or “inclusive design” is of little importance. Indeed there are many ways to explain designs that include, support, and enable. Everyone appreciates designs that create a sense of belonging, comfort and convenience – that’s universal appreciation.

The underpinning principle of universal design is inclusiveness and to avoid barriers to inclusion and participation in everyday life. Image of a conference slide at the 2020 UD Conference in Brescia.

Slide at a conference with the words, good design enable. Bad design disables.

Some find the lack of a definitive terms to describe the quest for inclusiveness problematic and seek to find a solution. While this might cause some angst for academics, practitioners have other priorities.

Given that universal design is about diversity and different ways of finding solutions, we should consider many ways of describing universal design. Perhaps a one-size-fits-all term is too limiting. People who are excluded by designs have their own names for both good and bad design.

Here are some terms that emerged from a workshop some years ago, but are current today. You can download the full list of the diversity of explanations.

  • Caring design: taking care to be inclusive
  • Empathetic design: putting yourself in the situation of others
  • Collaborative design: essential for some cultural groups
  • Fragile design: needs community agreement to work
  • Everyday design: to be ubiquitous, accepted and normal
  • Provocative design: challenging the status quo

A conference paper, Calling a Spade a Shovel: Universal, accessible, adaptable, disabled – aren’t they all the same? discusses the issue of terminology in the context of housing. Many terms have emerged for housing: accessible, adaptable, disabled and seniors. A universal design approach would capture them all. However, specialist housing for people with high level needs are also necessary.

So let’s end the discussion on one term being better than another and focus our attention on designing and creating inclusive communities.

Accessible transport resource collection

The National Centre for Accessible Transport in the UK has collated a sizeable accessible transport resource collection. The aim is to see what is known and to reveal the gaps in knowledge. The collection contains guidelines, research reports, policy statements, and action plans. The material is mostly from the last ten years, some of which has appeared on this website before.

Each title takes you to a document summary where you can download the document or link to the webpage. Image from the ncat website

Image from NCAT and the Accessible Transport Resource Collection. It shows a lab scene with a designer and a man sitting in a power wheelchair.

To get an idea of the publications here are some of the most recent ones:

The Resource Collection project is by the National Centre for Accessible Transport. It is a compilation of existing knowledge about accessible transport in the UK. A table lists the resources with the title and a link, a short summary, the type of resource and the date produced. There is a total of 630 documents some of which are specific for a particular disability type or group.

The National Centre for Accessible Transport (ncat), is an ‘evidence centre’. The purpose is to understand, document and analyse the current transport landscape. It does this by engaging with disabled people to hear about their experiences and transport professionals.

The About Us page has links to their latest projects. There is opportunity for members of the public to get involved by sharing ideas and finding solutions that work.

Hearing augmentation in public buildings

Smart phone apps have been a game changer for many of our daily activities. And now hearing augmentation in public buildings is taking the same route. There is a lot of hype about Auracast and how it will solve problems hearing in different situations. But it will take time for market uptake to make it mainstream. However, it will eventually replace hearing loops, infrared and FM systems.

Sydney Opera House has installed Auracast in the Drama Theatre, Playhouse and Studio. Currently, patrons collect a receiver and headphones from the cloakroom. The FM and hearing loop systems remain in all other areas.

Sydney Opera House at night sporting red coloured sails during the winter festival Vivid. The venue has hearing augmentation.

Auracast claims to help people hear in just about any situation using a smartphone app and either earbuds, headsets or hearing aids. It works with Bluetooth LE and theoretically it is possible on any device that supports Bluetooth 5.2. But not all hearing aids can link with this technology – yet. That’s why the Sydney Opera House has receivers and headphones for people who wear hearing aids.

Specialist in hearing augmentation services, Andrew Stewart, provided the assistive technology sector with a newsletter on this topic. He advises:

“A minimal number of smartphones and some new versions of hearing aids released this year (but not all) currently have Bluetooth LE working. Some manufacturers say their devices have Auracast or are Auracast-ready, which is not entirely true. They need an update via the audiologist’s computer, which is not yet available.”

Uptake will take time and money

Not every model of hearing aid and cochlear processor will immediately have Bluetooth LE. It will take some years for every model of hearing aid and cochlear processor to have it. Plus the high cost of hearing aids means it will take years for people to purchase updated models, and of course the cost of the smartphone.

Hearing loops and FM augmentation systems are here to stay for a while yet. Not all venues with this technology will replace it with Auracast. However, for new and extensively refurbished public buildings it will be much cheaper and easier to install.

The title of Andrew Stewart’s newsletter post is, Auracast – the new buzz word for people with hearing loss.

More on hearing augmentation

How do hearing loops work? this post from 2020 remains relevant.

Just what is a hearing loop? includes an item on how much it improves theatre patronage.

Cities for people with hearing loss is an article expressing frustration that accessibility is not just about wheelchair users. 1 in 6 people have hearing loss.

Traveller rights: travelling should be fun

Advocates for inclusive tourism focus on presenting arguments for economic benefits, but few have focused on traveller rights. A blog site post looks at the current landscape of accessible travel. It begins with statistics and lists the top 10 European destinations for accessibility. This is followed by understanding your rights as a disabled traveller in the UK.

“Travelling should be an enjoyable experience for everyone. But some barriers to travel are not obvious. That’s why some people feel hesitant about taking a holiday or day trip.”

A woman walks besides a man in a wheelchair. They are in an older part of a town or city with a wide footpath.

The blog post explores traveller rights across varies parts of a holiday journey in the UK. The aim is to tell people what their rights are. For example, a disabled person’s rights when boarding a plane, and travelling with an assistance animal. Tips for mobility rights across different modes of transport – trains, coaches, and cars – is provided. These rights are common across Europe and other countries.

What about travel insurance?

Insurance companies must treat a person with disability the same as a person without disability unless they can justify it. Neither can they offer a lower standard on cover based on disability. But they can ask for a higher premium so ask for evidence of this in the same way as someone with a health condition.

Graphic of know your travel insurance rights

Practical advice

The section on practical advice is to plan well, read reviews about accessibility features. Check the size of the room and the distance of your room to the exit and other amenities. Airports and airlines are notorious for causing problems for disabled travellers and this is covered as well.

This is a long and detailed blog page on Skyscanner with much to take in. Although the post is for UK audiences, much of the information is applicable elsewhere.

The title of the article is, What travellers with disabilities need to know about their rights. Images are from the Skyscanner website.