Universal Design, Accessible Design, & Adaptable Design

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Universal Design, Accessible Design, Adaptable
Design Definitions and Examples
2

• Goal Define
• Universal design
• Accessible design
• Adaptable design
• Specify their relationship to the broader notion
  of design in general

3
Scope of the Discussion

• universal design and "accessible design" are
  often used interchangeably
• Both terms focus on designing products and
  services so that as many people, with as broad a
  spectrum of abilities as possible, can use them.
• Yet "accessible design" and "accessibility" have
  taken on legal meanings that force a distinction
  to be drawn between universal and accessible
  design.
• In essence, accessible design is mandated by law
  while universal design is not.

4

Scope of the Discussion

• Additional design categories have been proposed,
  in particular adaptable and transgenerational
  design (Story, 1998).
• Of these only adaptable design will be discussed
  because it is closely related to accessible
  design.
• Adaptable design is mentioned in the laws
  mandating accessibility of telecommunication
  products and services as well as electronic and
  information technology products and services.

5
Scope of the Discussion

• The discussion will start with a definition of
  design
• and move to the narrower definitions of
• Accessible design
• Universal design
• Adaptable design

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Defining Design

• Design can be a noun or a verb
• As a noun, design refers to an object or entity
• As a verb, design refers to a process
• For this discussion, design will be used as a
  verb, that is, design is a process.

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Defining Design
"Design is the thought process comprising the
creation of an entity" (Miller, 1996).
More simply, the designer needs to see the
connection between problem and possibility"
(Miller, 1996).
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Universal Design
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Universal Design
Universal design - the design of entities that
can be used and experienced by people of all
abilities, to the greatest extent possible,
without adaptations.
Buildings, work places, products, services, and
educational activities/materials can all be
universally designed.
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Universal Design
Curb cuts are the prototypical example of
universal design. People in wheelchairs use curb
cuts, but so do bike riders, skate boarders, and
people pushing baby strollers.
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Accessible Design
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Accessible Design
Accessible design - the design of entities that
satisfy specific legal mandates, guidelines, or
code requirements with the intent of providing
accessibility to the entities for individuals
with disabilities.
This definition focuses on the legal implications
of the term.
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Accessible Design

• Accessible design derives its legal meaning from
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of
  1996
• Section 508 amendments to the Workforce
  Investment Act of 1998

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Accessible Design

• These laws also state that either
• products need to be compatible with assistive
  technology devices used by people with
  disabilities
• or
• products are able to be modified so as to be
  rendered accessible

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Accessible Design
Note systems may be designed so that they are
not accessible, but with specific modifications
be made accessible to individuals with specific
disabilities.
Such modifications are termed accommodations and
characterize the process of adaptable design.
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Adaptable Design
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Adaptable Design
Adaptable design - features are modifications
made to the standard design for the purpose of
making the design usable for an individual, as
needed.
This definition focuses on modifications made to
existing entities which make the entity
accessible to people with disabilities.
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Adaptable Design

• Van conversion provides wheelchair accessibility
  for occupants.
• Vans are a standard, non- wheelchair accessible,
  design. After modifications, vans are wheelchair
  accessible.
• Van accommodation is not required or mandated by
  any law, code or guidelines hence, it is not
  considered accessible design, but adaptable
  design.

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Adaptable Design

• How adaptable design differs from accessible
  design
• adaptable design is not mandated by laws
• adaptable design focuses on modifying an existing
  standard design

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Adaptable Design

• How adaptable design differs from universal
  design
• universal design creates products and services
  that are accessible and usable without
  adaptations
• adaptable design focuses on modifying an existing
  standard design
• universal design occurs at the beginning of the
  design process
• adaptable design occurs after the design process
  is complete and the product has been produced

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Relationship Between General Design,Universal
Design,and Accessible Design
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Relationship Between General Design, Universal
Design, and Accessible Design
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Relationship Between General Design, Universal
Design, and Accessible Design

• The rectangle labeled Entities that are
  accessible is explicitly used to emphasize the
  fact that accessibility can be achieved by design
  strategies from all design categories.
• If accessibility is achieved because it is
  mandated, then it results from accessible design
  strategies.
• If accessibility is achieved as a result of an
  accommodation, it is an adaptable design
  strategy.
• Accessibility can also result from applying
  universal design principles.

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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
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Example from
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Universal Design

•  
• Universal Design
• ADJUSTABLE SEATS, STEERING WHEEL, AND FLOOR
  PEDALS ON CARS AND TRUCKS The collection of
  adjustable features enable people with very
  different body sizes to use the car or truck.
  These adjustability features are not required or
  mandated by laws or regulations.
• AUTOMATIC DOOR OPENERS The automatic door
  openers at malls, shopping centers, and other
  public places are examples of universal design if
  they are not mandated by laws or codes.

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Examples from Universal Accessible Design
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Accessible Universal Design

• Accessible Design and Universal Design
• CURB CUTS Curb cuts were designed to allow
  wheelchair users to navigate and thereby have
  access to city streets and sidewalks, and the
  amenities they afford such as access to public
  places, buildings, shops, and restaurants. Curb
  cuts are mandated by ADA (Access Board, 1999) and
  as such an example of accessible design.
  However, curb cuts are used by people on
  roller-blades, skateboards, bicycles, tricycles,
  people pulling shopping carts and people pushing
  strollers, and therefore provide an example of
  universal design.

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Examples from Accessible Design
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Accessible Design

•  
• Accessible Design
• THE ADA ACCESSIBILITY GUIDELINES FOR BUILDINGS
  AND FACILITIES (ADAAG) - covers the construction
  and alteration of facilities in the private
  sector (places of public accommodation and
  commercial facilities) and the public sector
  (state and local government facilities). For
  example, section 4.9 deals with stairs. Section
  4.9.2 deals specifically with Treads and Risers.
  It says that On any given flight of stairs, all
  steps shall have uniform riser heights and
  uniform tread widths. Stair treads shall be no
  less than 11 in (280 mm) wide, measured from
  riser to riser. Open risers are not permitted.
•  

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Examples from Adaptable Accessible Design
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Adaptable Accessible Design

• Adaptable Design and Accessible Design
• VOLUME CONTROLS FOR ATTACHING TO TELEPHONES A
  volume control that attaches to a telephone is an
  example of an adaptable design that is also
  accessible design. It is a modification made to
  a standard design for the purpose of making it
  accessible to persons who are hard-of-hearing
  (Story, 1998). This design is accessible in that
  the Telecommunication Act of 1996, Section 255,
  requires telephones that do not contain volume
  controls to be compatible with technologies like
  the attachable volume control unit so as to be
  accessible for individuals with hearing
  difficulties (Access Board, 1998).
• BASE CABINETS THAT ARE REMOVABLE FROM UNDER
  BATHROOM SINKS (Story, 1998) Base cabinets that
  are removable from under bathroom sinks not only
  allow wheelchair users access but also allows
  dwarfs or short people to remove the base cabinet
  and use a chair. The ability to remove the base
  units is not mandated or required by guidelines
  or code as required by the definition of
  accessible design.

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Examples from Adaptable, Accessible Universal
Design
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Adaptable, Accessible, Universal Design

• Adaptable, Accessible, and Universal Design
• RAMPS TO AN EXISTING PUBLIC BUILDING WHEN
  RENOVATED When an existing public building
  undergoes major renovation it may come under ADA
  accessibility requirements. One such adaptation
  is the addition of a wheelchair ramp. Ramps not
  only improve accessibility for people in
  wheelchairs, they also improve accessibility for
  people pushing strollers, or pulling suitcases,
  or people with walkers. The ramps are like
  curb-cuts in that they improve accessibility for
  all users and hence exemplify universal design.
  Ramps provided under the conditions described
  above are accessible designs because they are
  mandated. They are adaptable designs because
  they are added to a standard design.

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Examples from Adaptable Design
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Examples of Entities from Each Design Category
Adaptable Design

• Adaptable Design
• DAMPERS FOR VIBRATION REDUCTION ON TENNIS
  RACQUETS One may purchase a variety of devices
  that fit around the strings of a tennis racquet
  near the frame. These devices change the
  vibration patterns of the racquet. If the
  undamped racquet produces a vibration pattern
  that cause undue stress on a player's elbow it
  can result in tennis elbow, which is a painful
  condition. The string damping device changes the
  racquets vibration pattern so that it no longer
  places undue stress on the player's elbow and
  thereby avoids injury. The device is an
  adaptation in that it is a modification to a
  standard product that makes the racquet usable to
  an individual. For any given racquet, the
  adaptation only works for people with certain arm
  characteristics and not others hence, it is not
  universal design. The device is not mandated nor
  does it provide accessibility to individuals with
  disabilities hence, it is not accessible design.
  
• VAN CONVERSIONS FOR WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY
  There is an active after-market business centered
  on modifying vans to be wheelchair accessible for
  both drives and passengers. Two examples of
  companies providing van conversions are Kino
  Mobility, Inc. and New England Wheels, Inc.
  (Inc., 2002 New England Wheels, 2003). This is
  adaptable design because a standard product is
  being modified so as to be accessible to
  individuals using a wheelchair. This is not an
  example of an entity in the intersection of
  adaptable and accessible design because the van
  conversions are not mandated by any law,
  regulations, or code.
•  

37
Conclusions
38
Conclusions
Design is the thought process comprising the
creation of an entity.

• When conceptualizing the problem and
  possibilities from a UNIVERSAL DESIGN
  perspective, THE POSSIBILITIES INCLUDE AN ENTITY
  THAT CAN BE USED AND EXPERIENCED BY PEOPLE OF ALL
  ABILITIES, TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE
  WITHOUT ADAPTATIONS.
• When approaching the same problem from an
  ACCESSIBLE DESIGN perspective, THE POSSIBILITIES
  WILL FOCUS ON HOW TO SATISFY LEGAL MANDATES,
  GUIDELINES, OR CODES TO ENSURE ACCESSIBILITY.
• From an ADAPTABLE DESIGN perspective, THE
  POSSIBILITIES INVOLVE MODIFYING OR ACCOMMODATING
  A STANDARD DESIGN FOR THE PURPOSE OF MAKING IT
  USABLE FOR AN INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY.

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Conclusions
Forces Driving Universal, Accessible, Adaptable
Design

• highly competitive global markets
• evolving accessibility legislation

• require corporations to maximize their products
  market potential and services while addressing
  the needs of individuals with disabilities

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Conclusions
Forces Driving Universal, Accessible, Adaptable
Design

• these dual forces require that designers
  understand and utilize different design
  perspectives
• during the design thought process, designers
  should include a deliberate discussion and
  analysis of which design approach will be used to
  address the specified problem

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Conclusions
Forces Driving Universal, Accessible, Adaptable
Design

• forgoing such deliberations could be very costly
  to a corporation in terms of
• lost market share
• possible litigation for failing to comply with
  mandated accessibility requirements