What is universal design?
Anna Matamala
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Element 3. Universal design
Unit 1. Media accessibility
Overview
• Universal design.
• Seven principles.
• Associated guidelines.
Universal design
Design
Products
Services
Environments Programmes
AD AP TA TI ON
Definition
Note: No exclusion of assistive devices.
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
Included in CEN standard
EN 17161:2019.
Reasonable accomodation
Modifications
X
Other terms
Design for all
Inclusive design
Accessible
design Barrier-free
design Transgenerational
design
7 principles
Proposed by a group led by Ronald Mace,
from North Carolina’s State University (1997).
• Identical or equivalent means of use.
• No segregation or stigmatisation.
• Privacy, security and safety available to all.
• Appealing to all.
1. Equitable use
• Choice in methods of use.
• Right- or left-handed access and use.
• Accuracy and precision.
• Adaptability to the user’s pace.
2. Flexibility in use
• No unnecessary complexity.
• Consistent with expectations and intuition.
• Literacy and language skills.
• Information arrangement according to importance.
• Feedback provision.
3. Simple and intuitive use
• Redundant presentation through different modes.
• Contrast between essential and non-essential information.
• Legibility.
• Elements differentiation.
• Compatibility.
4. Perceptible information
• Hazards and errors minimisation.
• Warnings.
• Fail safe features.
• Unconscious action discouragement.
5. Tolerance of error
• Neutral body position.
• Reasonable operating forces.
• Repetitive actions minimisation.
• Sustained physical effort minimisation.
6. Low physical effort
• Clear line of sight.
• Comfortable reach.
• Variations in hand and grip size.
• Adequate space for assistive devices or personal assistance.
7. Size and space
Pictures
Source: pixabay.com, publicdomainvectors.org , pexels.com.
License: Pixabay License, CC0, Pexels License.
anna.matamala@uab.cat Anna Matamala
The project EASIT has received funding from the European Commission under the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnerships for Higher Education programme, grant agreement 2018-1-
ES01-KA203-05275.
Acknowledgement
The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the
contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use
which may be made of the information contained therein.
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