According to a study by the National Conference of State Legislatures and AARP, nearly 90 percent of people over age 65 want to stay in their home for as long as possible. A further 80 percent believe their current residence is where they will always live. This isn’t altogether surprising; after all, who wants to grow old with strangers in unfamiliar surroundings?
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.
