Universal Design

What is Universal Design?

Universal Design involves designing products and spaces so that they can be used by the widest range of people possible. Universal Design evolved from Accessible Design, a design process that addresses the needs of people with disabilities. Universal Design goes further by recognizing that there is a wide spectrum of human abilities. Everyone, even the most able-bodied person, passes through childhood, periods of temporary illness, injury and old age. By designing for this human diversity, we can create things that will be easier for all people to use.

Who Does Universal Design Benefit?

Everyone. Universal Design takes into account the full range of human diversity, including physical, perceptual and cognitive abilities, as well as different body sizes and shapes. By designing for this diversity, we can create things that are more functional and more user-friendly for everyone. For instance, curb cuts at sidewalks were initially designed for people who use wheelchairs, but they are now also used by pedestrians with strollers or rolling luggage. Curb cuts have added functionality to sidewalks that we can all benefit from.

What can be Universally Designed?

Everything.

1. Universal Design can apply to anything that can be designed, including products like door handles, kitchen utensils and smartphones. To learn more about Universally Designed products, take a look at our product reviews.
2. Universal Design can be applied to architecture and the built environment, including public and commercial buildings, as well as residential buildings and family homes. Universal Design can also help older adults concerned with Aging in Place by designing products and spaces that are safer and easier for them to use. 
3. Universal Design can also be applied to the community at large through urban planning and public transportation.

What can be learned for Malaysia? 

In Malaysia perspective, the term of universal design still seems like the 'alien word" as many of us (including myself) would thought that the UD is only for the disable people. Many building, even in the much lauded "Intelligent Garden City" - Putrajaya still lack of these elements. Maybe the designers of that time never thought that no disable people would come to Putrajaya and design it just for the young, energetic and healthy people (for example)? 

in many city in Malaysia also, the application of universal design in the public building is relatively low. in the hypermarket for example, the walkway for the people with the wheelchair is unfriendly and has cause many complaints because of the design are very poor. Even the law is already been enforced, but the implementation from the architect (the designer) and the contractor (builder) is very far away from reaching the standard. however, as the people become more educated, the level of awareness has  increase in the few years ago.

An Example of application of universal design in public building in Putrajaya

Let us hope that the universal deign will become one of the compulsory in the process of Planning Permission (Kebenaran Merancang) in the future. there are no other way that we can "force" the designer or the builder to apply the design into their building as they may seen it as unprofitable yet may worsen their overall masterpiece and state-of-the-art building design. 

"we live in the same world with the others, yet we must respect the other as Allah created the world for us to know each other" 

=)

p/s : all the pictures used in this entry are taken from Google. while the footnote wisdom intelligent creative yet so "memerah otak" quote is mine. thanks. :3