For each of the past six summers, a new group of unique students has gathered at OCAD University to participate in an unusual course called Unlearning And Questioning. This begins the most difficult part of their two-year masters study in inclusive design: to question assumptions, unlearn conformity and remove boundaries to thought.
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.