Universal design

The innovations in these projects go above and beyond the requisite wheelchair-accessible ramp, demonstrating how modern architects are designing for disabilities in new and inventive ways.

The term, “Universal Design”(UD) was coined by the late architect, Ron Mace, founder of the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University. In the late 1990s, Mace and his colleague…

REDesign Exit Door simply repositions the door handle to make it an intuitive and effective design during emergency evacuations. Most of than not, the assumptio

Human-centred design refers to an integrated concept that highlights the priority of the users of any section of people by understanding their needs and creating a tailored product that would ease the function of a space....

Falls Are Serious and CostlyYou or your loved one have worked a life time expecting to be able to enjoy you late adult life with little or no unexpected events in later years. The fact is that falls are a real treat to the health of older adults and can seriously reduce their ability to …

For most people, using a public bathroom is a no-brainer. You go in, do your business and then wash and dry your hands and leave. We don’t think of it being a d

Sometimes all it takes is a simple tweak to an ordinary design to make it usable for a person with physical restrictions. The Arm Use Basin, a recipient of hono

Accessibility in urban planning is a vitally important feature of any civilized society - everyone, regardless of their mobility, should be able to access and enjoy public facilities. Crappy-designed accessibility for people in wheelchairs, for example, sends a pretty insulting message: "We added this feature because someone told us we had to, but it's not important enough that we put any effort into making sure it actually helps."

Universal design emerged from slightly earlier barrier-free concepts, the broader accessibility movement, and adaptive and assistive technology and also seeks to blend aesthetics into these core considerations.

Accessible design is a lot more than just a building trend: it's a necessity. Making sure that everyone can access spaces regardless of their physical abilities is just a no-brainer. Proponents of "universal design," as it's called, are calling for architects, urban planners, builders and interi ...