Whether you realize it or not, you’ve almost certainly interacted with an accessible pedestrian signal or APS. These are the crosswalk systems designed with sonic and tactile cues to help blind and visually impaired pedestrians know when they can cross the street.
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.
