Designing workplaces for “the average person” used to be philosophy aimed at satisfying most of the people, most of the time. But that also excluded a lot of people who didn’t fit the average. People at work expect — and deserve — diverse options that allow them to have the same opportunities as everyone else. The emerging field of inclusive design offers strategies for everyone at work to achieve their potential.
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.
