Centre for Excellence in
Universal Design
Council of Europe launch
“Full Participation through Universal Design”
Dr Gerald Craddock
Chief Officer of The Centre for Excellence in
Universal Design
Council of Europe Publication
“Full Participation through Universal
Design”
&
KISS Philosophy
What is Universal Design
• “Universal Design – means the design and composition of an environment
so that it may be accessed, understood and used
by persons of any age or size or having any
particular physical, sensory, mental health or
intellectual ability or disability
- Irish Disability Act 2005
Ability as a Continuum
• “Universal design…assumes that the range of human
ability is ordinary, not special”
(Elaine Ostroff, Universal Design Handbook, 2001)
• Universal Design requires an appreciation of the
varied abilities of every person.
Universal Design aims:
• “to maximize the number of [people] who can readily
use a product, building or service which may be
achieved by:
• (i) designing products, services and environments
that are readily usable by most users without any
modification,
• (ii) by making products or services adaptable to
different users (adapting user interfaces), and
• (iii) by having standardized interfaces to be
compatible with special products for persons with
disabilities.”
» (ISO, CEN, NSAI)
“Good” vs “Bad” design
• After a century of rapid technological
innovation and development
•
Philips (2004) “The Philips Index: Calibrating the Convergence of
Healthcare, Lifestyle and Technology. “
Bad design excludes
Benefits of Universal Design
• Social Drivers
– The Ageing Population
– An Increase in the Number of People with
Disabilities
• Social Benefits
–
–
–
–
–
Independent Living
Social Inclusion
Social Wellbeing
Equal rights
Anti-discrimination
Benefits of Universal Design
• Business Drivers
– Meeting needs and demands of consumers
– Increase in market
• Business Benefits
– Expansion in market potential
– Increase in customer satisfaction and retention
– Reduced costs of retrofitting
Universal design practices avoid costly retro-fitting
Design stage
Relative cost of change
Concept
1
Detail design
10
Tooling
100
Testing
1000
Post-release
10000
Figure source: Mynott C, Smith J, Benson J, Allen D & Farish M (1994) Successful product development:
Management case studies.
Policy and legislation at the EU
level
Design as a driver of user-centred
innovation EU Commission 09
“The movement towards socially responsible design has resulted in a number
of schools of thought, including ‘accessible design’, ‘inclusive design’, ‘universal
design’ and ‘design for all’”
“Companies with products and services that take the diversity of
consumers into account are not only socially responsible but also
estimated to have a market potential that is between 15 and 25 percent
greater than other companies.”
Socially responsible design has developed side
by side with Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
EU Mandates
• Mandate 376: Accessibility requirements for
public procurement of products and services
in the ICT domain
• Mandate 420: Accessibility of the Built
Environment
• Mandate 371 Services-tourism, transport
• Mandate 392 Domestic appliances
Proposed Council Directive
• “on implementing the principle of equal
treatment between persons irrespective of
religion or belief, disability, age or sexual
orientation”
• Universal Design
• “anticipatory accommodation”
Universal Design – a global
perspective
Norway:
LIST Design Council
DELTA Centre
Universal Design
Europe: EDeAN
EIDD
Germany:
If Forum with Cebit
First UD Awards
Ireland – CEUD
IDD
Japan - IAUD
UK – Inclusive Design
United States
CUD – North Carolina
IDEA – Buffalo
Trace - Wisconsin
India –
Design for All Institute
Australia –
Home Modification Information Clearinghouse
UN Convention on the Rights of
People with Disabilities
• State Parties:
– “undertake or promote research and development
of universally designed goods, services, equipment
and facilities, as defined in article 2 of the present
Convention, which should require the minimum
possible adaptation and the least cost to meet the
specific needs of a person with disabilities, to promote
their availability and use, and to promote universal
design in the development of standards and
guidelines” (Art. 4 Universal Design)
Universal Design – Is Also
A process
Vilém Flusser
“The shape of Things: A Philosophy of Design” 1999
When it comes to creating things,” Flusser writes,
“one is faced with the question of responsibility
(and thus with freedom).”
His definition regarding responsibility is:
“openness to other people”. “It is openness to
and responding to others; it is dialogue, the goal
of which is simply to lose oneself in the design
process”
Vilém Flusser
• “If I am responsible for another I open
myself to him and forget myself in the
process”