Jane Earl was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at the age of 26, a week before her wedding. “I will continue to get weaker, I am destined to be in a wheelchair,” she said. “How do I have the best quality of life from a wheelchair?” That question led her to a concept known as universal design, which aims to create accessible, welcoming spaces for all.
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.
