Since the 1950s, Barbie has come a long way in terms of inclusivity, diversity, and dismantling traditional gender roles. And most recently, the company behind the iconic dolls, Mattel, unveiled its first black barbie to use a wheelchair and it’s garnering tons of support for its inclusive design.
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.
