Universal Design for Diverse Needs: Disability Futures
Long underregulated and undervalued, universal design (see definition below) is increasingly regarded as the norm, not a niche. However, as disability isn’t uniform, homes and products must allow for personal adaptation. We explore how accessible features enhance all aspects of daily life, and what is made possible when people with disabilities are part of, and elemental to, the design process.
*Universal Design: The design and composition of an environment (or any building, product or service in that environment) so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people, regardless of age, size, ability or disability.
An Accessible Home for All
Inclusive Practices for Adaptive Design
Innovation for Unconstrained Mobility & Dexterity
Nearly one in five US households currently includes an individual with accessibility needs (US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2022), but only 1% of the national housing stock offers five basic universal design features – such as a no-step entryway and lever-style door handles (JCHS, 2017). Paired with a global increase in the number of people with disabilities, there’s an undeniable urgency to change how we build homes and design interiors.
Nearly one in five US households currently includes an individual with accessibility needs (US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2022), but only 1% of the national housing stock offers five basic universal design features – such as a no-step entryway and lever-style door handles (JCHS, 2017). Paired with a global increase in the number of people with disabilities, there’s an undeniable urgency to change how we build homes and design interiors.
Summary
An Accessible Home for All | Nearly one in five US households currently includes an individual with accessibility needs (US Department of Housing and Urban Development, 2022), but only 1% of the national housing stock offers five basic universal design features – such as a no-step entryway and lever-style door handles (JCHS, 2017). Paired with a global increase in the number of people with disabilities, there’s an undeniable urgency to change how we build homes and design interiors. |
Inclusive Practices for Adaptive Design | As more brands recognise the need for accessibility, the process of designing for and with disabled people is becoming better facilitated and more equitable. And while some products are tweaked to make them easier to use, others are completely adaptive to suit individual needs – suggesting what can be made possible when disabled people are included in the creation process from the outset. |
Innovation for Unconstrained Mobility & Dexterity | Progressive design and next-gen materials are changing perspectives on mobility aids and prosthetics, and enhancing user experiences with agile movement, streamlined engineering, and expressive, personalised aesthetics. |
Universal Design for Diverse Needs: Disability Futures
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Offering access to over 350 consumer and cross-industry reports annually, Stylus Membership is your window to tomorrow’s most exciting opportunities.
We already arm more than 500 of the world’s most forward-thinking brands and agencies with the creative insights they need to make transformative business decisions.
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