Universal Design:
Why Policy Matters?
William Peterson, M.S.
Director, Section 508 PMO
Department of Homeland Security
WWI

Only 10% of severely
wounded soldiers
survived first year
WWII

More than 300,000 U.S.
soldiers wounded
 Roughly 80% of severely
wounded soldiers survived
first year
 Improved medical
treatment
 Antibiotics
Korean War

Roughly 100,000 U.S.
soldiers wounded
Viet Nam War

Over 300,000 U.S.
soldiers wounded
Polio epidemic (early 1950s)

One of the most
dreaded diseases of
20th century
 Infected more than
20,000 people/year
 Many became
paralyzed for life
Disabled Survivors
(thousands)
800
700
600
500
Wounded
Soldiers/Polio
400
300
200
100
0
WWI
WWII
Korea
Viet
Nam
Polio
1918-1920

Soldiers Rehabilitation Act (1918)
– Focused on disability & rehabilitation for
soldiers

Smith-Fess Vocational Rehabilitation Act
(1920)
– First legislation to focus on disabled workers
– Amended in 1943, 1954, 1965
Mary E. Switzer (1900-1971)

Director of OVR (1950)
– Became the driving force in
–
–
–
–
broadening federal and state
disability programs
By 1955 every state, DC, Guam,
Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands
had VR programs
Encouraged PWD to become
self-sufficient and involved in
planning programs affecting
their lives
$300 million budget in 1950
$6 billion budget in 1969
Social Changes of 60’s & 70’s

Minority groups were demanding change
 Americans with disabilities started to realize
they too were dealing with some of the
same prejudices and stereotypes that other
minority groups were experiencing and so
they too began demanding change
Civil Rights Act (1964)

Prohibited discrimination
based on race, color, or
national origin
 Guaranteed all Americans
the right to vote, the right
to equal employment, and
the right to access public
accommodations
 Served as basis for future
civil rights legislation
Three Important Concepts
Emerged
Program Accessibility
Mainstreaming
Independent Living
Rehabilitation Act of 1973



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
Built on Civil Rights Act
Provided first statutory
definition of discrimination
towards PWD
Shifted emphasis of disability
away from a social service
perspective to one that includes
politics and civil rights
Introduced concept of program
accessibility
Provided funding for RECs
Survived two presidential
vetoes
Centers for Independent Living

Philosophy: All PWDs
have a right to live in the
same manner as their nondisabled peers
 First CIL opened in 1972
 1978: Funding made
available (Rehab Act) for
consumer-controlled CILs
 By 1985, almost 300 CILs
operating in every state
Educational Mainstreaming

Education for
Handicapped Children
Act of 1975
– Mandated free and
appropriate public
education for CWD
– Introduced concept of
mainstreaming
The Built Environment
1958
The
President’s Committee
On Employment of
The Physically
Handicapped
National Easter Seal
Society
American National
Standards Institute
1961
“Making Buildings Accessible to and
Usable by the Physically Handicapped”
(A117-1)
– Eight page document
– First scientifically developed guidelines on accessibility
in the world
– Defined minimum features required to remove major
barriers to buildings
– Acceptance was voluntary/not enforceable unless
adopted by states/local governments
– By 1966 – all but one state had passed some form of
accessibility legislation
1968
Architectural Barriers Act
Mandated that all buildings and facilities designed,
constructed, altered, or leased with federal dollars must
be fully accessible to PWDs


There were no federal accessibility guidelines
Compliance was sluggish
1973
Access Board

Created under Section 502 of Rehabilitation Act
 Made up of both public and federal members
 Initial mandate:
– Ensure federal compliance with the Architectural Barriers
Act
– Propose solutions to environmental barriers
1984
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards
(UFAS)
– First federally approved accessibility standards
for the built environment
1988
Fair Housing Amendments Act
– Expanded coverage of Civil Rights Act to include
families with children and PWDs
– Requires accessible units to be created in all new
multi-family housing with four or more units –
public & private
– For the first time PWDs could reasonably expect
to find accessible housing in the open market
Americans with Disabilities Act
(1990)

Attended by more than
2000 people
 By far the broadest
and most far-reaching
piece of civil rights
legislation to touch the
lives of PWDs
ADA

Cuts across all sectors of society
 Extends full civil rights protections for PWDs
 Prohibits discrimination on basis of disability
– Employment (Title I)
– State and local government (Title II)
– Public accommodations and services – including
transportation (Title III)
– Telecommunications (Title IV)
ADA

Borrows language/concepts from:
– Civil Rights Act of 1964
– Architectural Barriers Act of 1968
– Rehabilitation Act of 1973
– Telecommunications Accessibility Enhancement Act (1988)

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG)
– Provides scoping and technical requirements for accessibility
to buildings and facilities covered under Title II and Title III
Information Technologies
Telecommunications





Telecommunications for the
Disabled Act (1982)
Hearing Aid Compatibility Act
(1988)
Telecommunications
Accessibility Enhancement Act
(1988)
ADA: Title IV (1990)
Telecommunication Act (1996)
Television Decoder Circuitry
Act (1990)

Requires all television
sets 13” or larger to be
equipped with built-in
closed-caption
decoders
–
–
–
–
–
Spoken dialog
Sound effects
Background music
Music lyrics
Laughter
Section 508 of Rehabilitation Act
(1988) (1998)
Federal agencies must
ensure that the
electronic and
information
technology (EIT) they
develop, procure,
maintain or use is
accessible employees
and consumers with
disabilities.
World-Wide Web

Federal funds supported
development of Web
accessibility guidelines
by the W3C-WAI
Assistive Technology
Technology for the Disabled
For Americans without disabilities,
technology makes things easier. For
Americans with disabilities, technology
makes things possible.
- Mary Pat Radabaugh
“Study on the Financing of Assistive Technology
Devices of Services for Individuals with Disabilities”
Technology for the Disabled
Need to focus on the WHOLE PERSON as they
interact with society and the environment
Assistive Technology
Enables people with disabilities to be as
functionally independent as possible.
Question?
What is the most
popular and widely
used assistive
technology today?
Answer
Prescription
Glasses and
Contact Lenses
Functional Activities

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Seeing
Walking
Talking
Listening
Writing
Learning
Eating
Drinking

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Driving a vehicle
Using a computer
Using a telephone
Turning lights on/off
Opening/closing
doors
Cooking meals
Playing sports
Assistive Technology
Systems Level
Vs
Individual Level
Systems Level
Enhance community integration , independence,
and productivity by eliminating barriers found in
large social systems such as public transportation,
telecommunications, information technology, and
the built environments
Individual Level
Enhance the physical, sensory, and cognitive
abilities of people with disabilities and assist them
to function more independently in the home, at
work, in recreational settings, and at cultural and
religious events
AT Legislation





Rehabilitation Act (1973)
Tech Act (1988) (1994)
ADA (1990)
Assistive Technology Act
(1998) (2004)
IDEA
Rehabilitation Engineering
RERC Program

Authorized under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
 Administered by the National Institute on Disability
and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)

Largest Federally supported program responsible for
advancing rehabilitation engineering research and
development

Major force in the development of technologies that
enhance the independent function for PWDs of all
ages and in all aspects of their lives
RERC Program





Currently 21 RERCs
$20 million program
5 Year Awards
$900,000/Year Average
Advanced Research and Development
–
–
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Biomedical & rehabilitation engineering applications
Assistive technology
Universal design
Technology transfer
Requires dissemination efforts
RERC Program

RERCs have been the driving force behind
the development of universal design
principles that can be applied to:
–
–
–
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Built environment
Information technology
Telecommunications
Transportation
Consumer products
Universal Design
Ron Mace (1941-1998)

Moving force in the
development of
accessibility standards &
accessible housing
 “Godfather” of universal
design
 True star among the
disability community
Universal Design
…. a concept whereby environments and
products are designed with built-in flexibility
so they are usable by as many people as
possible, regardless of age and ability, and at
no additional cost.
Ron Mace
“Normal” Distribution
“Normal” Distribution
– Designers design for 95th percentile
– People on one end of a bell curve may be on the
other end of another bell curve.
 Hearing
– Superior observation skills

Vision
– Superior listening skills
Principles of Universal Design
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
Equitable Use
Flexibility in Use
Simple and Intuitive
Perceptible Information
Tolerance of Error
Low physical Effort
Appropriate Size and Space
Principle 1:
Equitable Use
The design is useful and
marketable to people with
diverse abilities
– Provide same means of use for
all users
– Avoid segregating/ stigmatizing
users
– Provide for privacy, security,
and safety when available to
others
– Make design appealing to all
users
Principle 2:
Flexibility in Use
The design
accommodates a wide
range of individual
preferences and
abilities
– Provide a choice in
methods of use
– Accommodate right/lefthanded users
– Facilitate accuracy and
precision
– Adapt to the user's pace
Principle 3:
Simple and Intuitive
The design is easy to
understand, regardless of
the user's experience,
knowledge, language skills,
or current concentration
level
– Eliminate unnecessary
complexity
– Consistent with user
expectations and intuition
– Accommodate a wide range
of literacy and language skills
– Provide effective prompting
and feedback during and
after task completion
Principle 4:
Perceptible Information
The design communicates
necessary information
effectively to the user,
regardless of ambient
conditions or the user's
sensory abilities
– Use different modes for
presenting information
– Provide adequate contrast
– Make it easy to give instructions
or directions
– Provide compatibility with a
variety of techniques or devices
used by people with sensory
limitations
Principle 5:
Tolerance for Error
The design minimizes
hazards and the adverse
consequences of
accidental or unintended
actions
– Minimize hazards and errors
– Provide warnings of hazards
and errors
– Provide fail safe features
– Discourage unconscious
actions when vigilance is
required
Principle 6:
Low Physical Effort
The design can be used
efficiently and comfortably
and with a minimum of
fatigue
– Allow users to a maintain
neutral body position
– Require reasonable
operating forces
– Minimize repetitive actions
– Minimize sustained physical
effort
Principle 7:
Appropriate Size and Space
Appropriate size and space is
provided for approach, reach,
manipulation, and use
regardless of user's body size,
posture, or mobility
– Provide a clear line of sight to
important elements for seated or
standing users
– Are all components easily
reached by users - both seated
and standing
– Accommodate variations in hand
and grip size
– Provide adequate space for the
use of assistive devices or
personal assistance
Accessible
Design:
–For people with disabilities
–Accessible building codes
Assistive Technology:
–Individual specific
–Promotes functional
independence
Universal
Design:
–For everyone, including
people with disabilities
–Consumer driven
Critical Need
Integration!!!
Does Policy Matter?

Soldiers Rehabilitation Act
 Vocational Rehabilitation
Act
 Civil Rights Act
 Rehabilitation Act
 Education for Handicapped
Children Act
 Architectural Barriers Act
 Americans with Disabilities
Act
 Fair Housing Amendments
Act

Telecommunications for the
Disabled Act
 Hearing Aid Compatibility Act
 Telecommunications
Accessibility Enhancement Act
 Telecommunications Act
 Television Decoder Circuitry Act
 Tech Act
 Assistive Technology Act
 Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act
You Bet It Does!!!
Thank You!