Universal Design Standards/ADA Compliance

The Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University defines Universal Design as "the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design." (What is the difference between accessible, usable, and universal design?, 2017).  While this standard is utilized in public spaces around the nation, it may have it’s most important uses in classrooms.  These design standards can be the difference between an encouraging and supportive learning environment and a counterintuitive and distractive space.  In recent years many schools have even begun altering the layout of classrooms to encourage these standards.  Some of those changes included removing bulky immobile chairs or desks and replacing them with modern ergonomic pieces.  Universal Design benefits from not only being applicable to individuals with disabilities but to everyone regardless of age, sex, or size.

According to the National Disability Authority, it is important that we know that Universal design is not a synonym for compliance for Accessible Design.  Accessible design simply sets minimum standards that must be adhered to in order to prevent discrimination based on disability (10 things to know about UD, 2018).  Universal design, as previously mentioned, is all-encompassing.  Universal design does not just meet the standards of legislation, it seeks to exceed them.

The final example I am choosing to reference in this blog post is a video I created last semester as a pitch to the school to invest in a better seating arrangement for students around campus.  It happens to be an ideal example of how Universal design not only could but should be implemented in a learning environment.  The video details an ergonomic chair with a removable desk.  The chair also has an undercarriage that allows for the placement of backpacks to remove them from walkways.  The chair, called the Mobi, would promote a more open and engaged learning environment for all students.  The video is below:

Works Cited

10 things to know about UD. (2018). Retrieved from National Disability Authority: http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/The-10-things-to-know-about-UD/

What is the difference between accessible, usable, and universal design? (2017, September 15). Retrieved from DO-IT: https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-difference-between-accessible-usable-and-universal-design