For Dustin Jones, heading to work isn’t as simple as jumping on the subway. Jones lost his left foot in November 2011 to what he calls a “freak accident,” after a small cut turned into an infection and doctors eventually had to amputate. In a wheelchair now, he compares his daily commute to an obstacle course.
Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.
