When the coronavirus hit Southern California, Hector Ramirez tried to hang on to some of the guideposts in his usual routine: Waking up at 6 a.m. each day. Making his bed. Showering. Heading out to walk his service dog in his Chatsworth neighborhood.
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.