ADA and Universal Design

This section highlights both the differences and the connections between the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Standards for Accessible Design and Universal Design. “What is Universal Design” is discussed at length in the “Learn” section of this site. Here we cross reference a range of materials on this and other sites by listing and linking teaching materials, articles and other media that help articulate the differences and connections. We also provide links to authoritative ADA resources on other sites.    Universal design is not a synonym or a euphemism for accessibility standards. Universal design can be distinguished from minimal compliance with accessibility standards in the way that the accessible features have been integrated into the overall design. This integration is important because it results in better design and avoids the stigmatizing quality of accessible features that have been added on late in the design process or as modifications after the design is complete. The process of integrating accessible features so they become integral to a design may be more challenging for the designer but the results may also be more satisfying.    Another important way in which universal design differs from accessibility requirements is that accessibility requirements are usually prescriptive whereas universal design is performance-based. Universal design does not have rigid standards or requirements but addresses usability issues more holistically. The Principles of Universal Design , published by the Center for Universal Design in 1997, articulate the breadth of the concept and provide guidelines for designers.

Teaching Content

• Universal Design - Beyond the ADA
• Universal Design Building Survey
• Accessibility Regulations and a Universal Design Philosophy Inspire the Design Process

Articles

• Accessibility and Universal Design: A Primer On U.S. Regulations And Emerging International Standards, March 2004
• A Perspective on Universal Design (Ron Mace), 1998
• Designs for Daily Living: Interpreting Universal Design, Winter/Spring 2004
• Principles of Universal Design (ADA Distance Learning), 2000
• Universal Design and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Not All Systems Are Created Equal­How Systems Design Can Expand Information Access

ADA Resources

• Access Board
• Department of Justice ADA Home page
• ADA Basics On-line Course
• ADA and Information Technology Centers
• ADA Distance Learning
• ADA Hot Links and Document Center
• ADA Design: Common Errors and Omissions in Public Schools, March 2003

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