Many become losers when the Universal Design perspective is neglected: Exploring the true cost of ignoring Universal Design principles

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Björk, Evastina

Affiliations: NHV- Nordic School of Public Health, Box 12133, 402 42 Göteborg, Sweden. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: It has been shown that products and services developed with increased usability and accessibility for the elderly and those with disabilities benefit users in general. Where or when some people are excluded from using a product or service, many more are likely to simply find it difficult or frustrating to use. To guide developers (designers, product developers and architects) in creating more useful mainstream products and more accessible public environments, seven principles of Universal Design (UD) were proposed in 1997. These principles, however, have not been successfully adopted by professionals and companies in general. Companies are, in fact, losing out on increased sales by refusing to see the permanently disabled (about 15% of the population in the western world) as potential customers – a figure that is set to increase due to demographic development. From a review of literature, studies of Product Development (PD) models and the author's research into PD projects, several factors have been identified that explain what inhibits companies from implementing UD principles in their design work. A conclusion made in the paper is that the traditional PD models that guide the development processes in most companies today cannot conform to UD, as the presence of user intervention is lacking. One reason for this is the opinion that it does not shorten development time. A nother is the focus on production-efficiency, which inhibit flexibility and user intervention. In addition, former research highlights other barriers, such as: lack of time, budget limitations, and lack of knowledge, tools or justifiable business case.

Keywords: Universal Design, usability, inclusive design, product development models, assistive technology

DOI: 10.3233/TAD-2009-0286

Journal: Technology and Disability, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 117-125, 2009