Design has a responsibility to everyone. ‘Universal Design’ is a term that was first coined by Dr. Ronald Mace. It refers to the design of products, environments, or services that can be used by everyone, to the greatest extent possible, without special adaption or modification. “Accessibility is solved at design stage.” To design for accessibility means to be inclusive of all the needs of your all kinds of users. This includes your target users, users outside of your target demographics, users with disabilities, and even users from different cultures and communities. Understanding these needs is the key to creating better universal designs.
Universal design is very important for creating a more convenient and just society. It ensures that buildings and spaces are designed to be used by people of all abilities, ages, and backgrounds. This includes provisions like ramps, elevators, and braille signage for people with physical disabilities, as well as wide aisles and ample lighting for people with visual impairments. Accessible design also includes consideration for users with cognitive or sensory disabilities, such as autism or PTSD. To help them include elements such as quiet spaces and natural lighting to reduce sensory overload.
Moreover, universal design can also promote social inclusion by creating spaces that are welcoming and safe for marginalized groups, this can include elements such as gender-neutral restrooms and culturally-specific design elements. This provides physical benefits, accessible architecture, practical benefits, inclusive comfort, and economic benefits. It results in a higher occupancy rate and increased property value, and it can also attract diverse and inclusive tenants and employees. As the world’s population continues to increase and age, the need for inclusive and accessible architecture will only increase and keep becoming more demanding. Architects, developers, and policymakers must prioritize accessibility in their design and planning decisions to create a more equitable and just built environment for all.
Universal design is a broad spectrum and has unlimited scope. The need for accessible design is only going to get more. There is still a need to raise awareness about universal design and its benefits. Therefore, we must inculcate these values in students at their learning stage. Students should understand that a design should be for everyone. The sensitivity for people different than us shall be introduced in them as they learn to design. Universal design isn’t an option anymore but a mandatory requirement everywhere. This should be practiced through their design assignments and curriculum.
The education of architecture students should be based on universal design, at all educational levels. Shaping the function and form of an object and the space connecting and joining architectural objects leads to the design maturity that is an aspiration of graduates of architectural faculties. Heidegger in a lecture, Building, dwelling, thinking, given in 1951 in Darmstadt, spoke of the multidimensionality of contemporary architectural design. The dialectic of permanent duration and transformation between culture and time becomes important. Heidegger draws attention to the multifaceted process of designing and building an architectural object.
In the context of universal design, this requires consideration of design from the conceptual through the construction to the execution phase, with particular regard to the needs of people with functional limitations and at all stages of life. Nowadays, there are seven main principles of universal design, which should be the starting point for shaping architectural objects, viz:
- equitable use;
- flexible use;
- simple and intuitive;
- clear information;
- tolerance for error in use;
- minimal physical effort required;
- good access.
The principles of universal design apply to all facilities for disabled people. Product design and implementation, from the IT interface solution to the architectural object, requires knowledge, understanding, sensitivity and the ability to empathise with the functioning of people with special needs. In addition to theoretical and empirical knowledge, the phenomenological context is also important, enabling empathy in functioning, life needs, fears and the expectations of people with physical and cognitive functional limitations.
Universal Design is introduced as an elective in most of the architecture colleges in Pune. However, this shouldn’t be the case, and the subject should be given more importance than it is now and the subject should be integrated into the entire curriculum and not just taught as a specialization. “Universal Design is a utopian idea. You can definitely not have a design that addresses the needs of every single individual on this earth”. “It just aims to make the spectrum of usability of a particular service or product or an environment broader and broader.” Inclusive design is as much a need or way of life than a design methodology that must be implemented right from the conceptual stage and carried through to the smallest element in the final product.
To guarantee a more inclusive and better future, we must introduce such courses to architecture students. These courses should be compulsory and will teach kids to design for the majority. Accessible design cannot be learned in a day or two but it will take years for an architect to always look through different lenses while designing.
References:
- Architizer – The future of Architecture : How Universal Design can drive Inclusivity [online] Available at – https://architizer.com/blog/inspiration/industry/universal-design-inclusive-architecture/
- Prasoon (2023) Importance of Inclusive and accessible architecture [online] Available at – https://www.prasoon.design/the-importance-of-inclusive-accessible-architecture#:~:text=It%20ensures%20that%20buildings%20and,for%20people%20with%20visual%20impairments.
- Medium (2022) While designing for everyone you design for no one [online] Available at – https://medium.com/@nassim.elqochairi/when-designing-for-everyone-you-design-for-no-one-e2fd932caa16
- Gronostajska B. and Berbesz A. (2020) Universal design in the education of architecture students, Vol.18, No.3 [online] Available at – http://www.wiete.com.au/journals/WTE&TE/Pages/Vol.18,%20No.3%20(2020)/15-Gronostajska-B.pdf
Image Sources:
- Image 1: Forrec (2020) [online] Available at – https://forrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/multi-demographic-icons-colour_UD-scaled.jpg
- Image 2: Boston University [online] Available at – https://www.bu.edu/ctl/files/2022/12/udl-1000-shutterstock_1789482743-1024×597.png
