Abstract:

This book was produced as part of a Research and Demonstration project titled "Studies to further the devlopment of Univesal design" funded by the US Dept of Education national Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research from 1994 to 1997. The designed world doesn't suit everyone. It is possible to design a product or environment that suits a broad range of users including children, older adults, people with disabilities, people of abnormal size, people who are ill or injured or people inconvenienced by circumstance. This approach is known as Universal Design or "the design of products and environments to be usable to the greatest extent possible by people of all ages and abilities." Disability is one of the key areas of focus for universal designers. This book presents an in-depth introduction to the concept of universal design and serves as a guide for persons studying the field and for individuals evaluating current designs or creating new ones.