Universal Design
Universal design means designing products, buildings, and environments so they are usable by as many different types of people as possible, whether they are disabled or not, and whatever disabilities or impairments they may have. When we take this approach to designing things, disabled people can use the same products and services as everyone else instead of using alternatives that have been created especially for disabled people.
The Grabbing Back team also adds: sometimes you hear ‘universal design’ referred to as ‘accessible design.’ They mean the same thing.
defined by Lysette Chaproniere
Lysette Chaproniere - she/her
Lysette Chaproniere
Lysette Chaproniere has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Glasgow. In her thesis, she explored the relationship between disability and human enhancement technology, that is, the sorts of technologies we might use to significantly increase our physical, cognitive and other abilities, or lengthen the human lifespan. After her PhD, she worked as part of a research group that produced a policy paper on the use of virtual reality in education, where she was involved in researching the challenges and opportunities of VR for disabled students.