Whether you are designing residential, commercial, or public spaces, your principal mission is the same: to create environments that are both welcoming to and functional for all. However, for far too long, traditional design practices have failed to accomplish this core mission.

Homes, businesses, and government buildings have for too many decades proven largely inaccessible to persons with special needs. Individuals who have mobility or sensory impairments often find themselves struggling to access and use public and private spaces effectively.

This means that they are, consequently, also prohibited from participating fully in their communities, workplaces, schools, and even their governments. In their private lives, inaccessible construction in residential homes means that not only do persons with impairments experience housing inequity but also that they may be barred from time spent with friends and family due simply to the lack of curb cutouts or wheelchair ramps.

Indeed, if ours is to become a truly diverse and equitable society, then accessibility barriers in our built environment must be a preeminent concern. Design practices, in other words, must be predicated on the mission of universal access for public and pirate spaces alike.

What Is Universal Access and Why Does It Matter?

Simply put, universal access is intended to ensure the utility of built environments for all persons, regardless of age or ability. The goal is to eliminate obstacles that would limit or preclude the individual’s ability to access or use the space in a manner equivalent to that of a “typical” user.

The result is a built environment that accommodates the myriad differences in physical ability that not only exist within the human family but that can also manifest across the lifespan. As people age, for example, their ability to access and use space will invariably change.

Universal access, which is based on universal design principles, promotes a more age-friendly physical environment. This ensures that their home and community environment will remain open and functional for them even as their needs and abilities change.

Universal design strategies are increasingly being incorporated into environmental planning to construct public spaces that can be enjoyed by the entire community, regardless of their physical, cognitive, or developmental needs.

For instance, school and community playgrounds are being designed for inclusivity and universal access. These include swings and other equipment designed for those who use wheelchairs and “cognitive boards” for children with developmental or sensory challenges.

Similarly, a 2018 project for the Park Hill Elementary School in Kansas saw the construction of an inclusive playground and music garden in adherence with the standards established by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The site enables children with physical disabilities, including vision and hearing impairments, to experience the playgrounds in the same way as their “typical” classmates.

By removing the functional barriers that might segregate children based on their physical abilities or disabilities, schools like Park Hill Elementary are truly fostering equity and diversity in schools and beyond.

Making Universal Access a Reality

Universal access does not just happen. It is the result of a deliberative and integrative approach to design that encompasses an array of domains, including strategic site selection and materials planning.

For example, if you are designing for accessibility, then one very important consideration is location. The elderly and persons with disabilities, for instance, will benefit greatly from living and working in a more urban environment with access to quality healthcare and other support services.

In addition to planning your location carefully, it is also important to consider your materials. Accessible design and sustainability, for example, can work hand in hand to promote functionality, comfort, and ease of use for persons with special needs.

The use of innovative, “green” construction materials, for example, can produce an environment that isn’t just environmentally friendly but that is also friendly for persons with mobility and sensory impairments or other challenges. Bamboo flooring, for instance, is at once durable, eco-friendly, and functional for persons who use a wheelchair, walker, or other mobility aid.

Likewise, pollution-absorbing bricks can help protect people with respiratory and other significant health challenges from environmental contaminants. The result is a healthier and happier home and/or work environment for persons with allergies or other sensitivities.

The Takeaway

Universal access isn’t just an idea. It’s an urgent imperative, particularly if we seek to cultivate a juster, more inclusive, and more equitable society. Universal access is intended to ensure that our built world is as welcoming, comfortable, and functional for those with special needs as it is for those without. This includes designing for persons with mobility, sensory, and developmental impairments across all domains of design, from site selection to materials planning and beyond. It ensures that both public and private spaces are open to all and that, ultimately, our built world no longer serves to segregate, marginalize, and disenfranchise the elderly or those with disabilities.

Author:  Miles Oliver