Universal design: The answer to an aging society?

Wheelchair-accessible, disability-friendly, barrier-free, age-appropriate — these are descriptions for buildings, apartments or products, which are designed for physically or mentally restricted and/or elderly people. But these terms stigmatise and draw a line between “normal” and “restricted”. With universal design, or “Design for All”, this stigmatisation can be prevented. But what is universal design, where can it be applied and what benefits and effects does it have for the aging society?

By the year 2030 every fourth Austrian inhabitant will be 65 years or older. An older society needs adjusted infrastructure regarding the design of apartments and buildings, but also the reconfiguration of public space, local transport, roads and paths. More and more people nowadays want to age in their own home environment. In order to make this possible, it is very important how homes are designed. But also the setting outside the own four walls must be designed in a way that old or handicapped people can get along in a city alone. Universal design is the perfect solution to provide just that. But what actually is universal design? It’s a concept that seeks to consider the preferences of as many people as possible.

Everbody should have the opportunity to perform basic daily tasks with relative ease and safety. The advantage of this approach is that it eliminates or reduces the need for expensive changes or retro fits. You may now think that homes will look sterile and cold then — but this is not the case. Universal design isn’t just an issue for older adults, but rather a human centered design that applies to people of all ages, sizes and abilities and can be applied to all kinds of buildings.

Accessiblity in the home environment

In homes which are furnished in a “one-size-fits-all” style, the demands of people in need of care or of older adults are often overlooked. By integrating universal design at home, “you’re making it easier for everybody,” Grace Kim, cofounder of Schemata Workshop in Seattle, states. “A lot of designers and architects are starting to think about it more.” Special assistive technology devices are increasingly being avoided while incorporated consumer products and design features (which are usable and available for everyone) are being used instead. In the near future it’s not about accessible design tailored to the needs of one particular client anymore; it’s about universal design, which will make everyone’s everyday life easier.

In order to implement universal design, it often takes only small changes, such as the shape of the element, its placement or size, the force required for operation or the way the user must interact with the object. Universal design in the home environment provides for example one step-free dwelling unit entrance, lever-style door handles, durable flooring that’s stroller- and wheelchair-friendly, accessible interior doors and doorways, a full bathroom on the entrance level or reinforcement in the bathroom walls to allow for later installation of grab bars around the toilet, bathtub, shower stall and shower seat. Fewer steps, wider doors, lower heigts of counters, lower thresholds – these are possibilities which, for example, allow older adults to live in their home longer. And if it’s done well, universal design is a virtually invisible element.

Universal design outside the own four walls

What is more accessibility worth at home, if there are no age- and disability-appropriate conditions outside? Researchers, architects, engineers, town planners and designers have been working on urban concepts for years to make life easier for the ever-growing aging part of society through universal design. The aim is that all citizens, including children, seniors, disabled people, and foreigners can use pedestrian roads and public spaces like parks, malls, health centers and welfare facilities safely and conveniently. In Norway, universal design is already politically recognized and highly prioritised.

The prospective vision of the Norwegian government is that the country will be universally designed by 2025. Outside Europe, universal design is, among others, already implemented in the Tokyo International Air Terminal. There, the restroom facilities are more spacious, the passenger boarding bridge is step-free, passengers do not have to lift the luggage onto a platform, as it can be easily rolled onto the luggage check and flight information boards can be read easier, as the letters are larger and the contrast is higher. These are just a few examples how universal design is already implemented. But universal design cannot only be applied to the infrastructure — also products, structures, spaces and services can be transformed in a “Design for All”.

To implement this, there are seven principles of universal design:

1. Equitable use: Products, public spaces, buildings and apartments should be accessible to all people and shouldn’t discriminate or stigmatize any group.
2. Flexibility in use: The living environment is intended not only to enable a wide variety of individual forms of life, but also to be adapted to the different abilities or limitations of people.
3. Simple and intuitive use: The built environment should be easy to understand, regardless of the user’s knowledge, experience, language skills or concentrativeness.
4. Perceptible information: Rooms should be equipped in such a way that all information is available, irrespective of the ambient conditions and the cognitive or sensory abilities of the user.
5. Tolerance for error: Rooms should be designed in such a way as to minimize the risks and the negative consequences of unintentional actions.
6. Low physical effort: All people should be able to use spaces efficiently, comfortably and with little physical effort.
7. Size and space for approach and use: Rooms should be dimensioned in such a way that accessibility, access, operation and use are ensured regardless of size, physical activity and possible restrictions on the user.

The following example illustrates how a service can be designed in the sense of universal design, integrating these seven principles: The supermarket of the generations, developed by the Edeka consortium of North-Bavaria, Saxony and Thuringia, offers many advantages for different consumer groups. In these generation-friendly supermarkets there are no turnstiles at the entrance, no cornerstones in front of the market, large checkout areas and wide corridors where two wheelchairs can meet.

The floor is non-slip, there are reading aids, a taxi call, several seating possibilities and many other services, which enable an independent purchasing, no matter what generation the person belongs to. Not only supermarkets should be constructed in universal design, but also sidewalks, streets, transportation facilities, parks, private and public buildings and community resources like hospitals or community centers. Through universal design, also public space can be radically simplified, which concludes that all groups of people can use it more actively.

To sum up, the inclusion of universal design in the planning of public places and private houses must be regarded as a major challenge for the next decades. A barrier-free renovation of a house or an apartment is often linked with high costs, which cannot be dealt with by many people – especially in the retirement age. Universal design offers a design-appealing and socially acceptable way to adapt the living space to the changes in the age structure of the population. At the same time, it is also possible to submit attractive offers to different groups. This is why universal design is going to be pushed in the forefront in the next few decades. Maybe the “design for all” becomes so appealing in the near future, that it will be a must-have for everyone?