Universal Design 2021: From Special to Mainstream Solutions

Book excerpt: Universal Design is a process for creating an equitable and sustainable society. It is a concept committed to recognizing and accepting each individual’s potential and characteristics, and promoting the realization of a built environment that does not stigmatize users, but enables everyone to participate fully in their community. This book presents 32 articles from the 5th International Conference on Universal Design (UD2021). Previous Universal Design conferences have been organized biennially, but the 2020 conference was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions, and eventually held online from 9 - 11 June 2021. UD2021 brings together a multidisciplinary group of experts from around the world to share knowledge and best practice with the common goal of shaping the way we design; avoiding stereotyped or discriminatory views and solutions that could stigmatize particular groups of people. The articles are organized into chapters under seven broad themes: universal design and inclusive design; user experience and co-design; access to education and learning environment; web accessibility and usability of technology; architecture and the built environment; mobility and transport; and designing for older people. The current situation has highlighted not only the importance of web accessibility, the user-friendliness of interfaces and remote connections; during the last year, the importance and quality of our daily living environment, access to services and green space has also become ever more obvious. This book will be of particular interest to those working to enable all those with disabilities or impairments to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life.