An Introduction to Universal Design Learning How to Design Environments for Everybody

In an increasingly diverse, aging and multicultural society, design cannot be one-size-fits-all. This book helps students understand the scope of who we need to design for, and how we can do it, offering design strategies that go beyond simple code compliance. Chapters cover the multiple factors that can prevent people from accessing the built environment, including disability, age, cognitive function, religious practice, race, gender, poverty, culture and language. These factors are discussed both in turn, and in the ways in which they intersect. The challenges of designing for all as well as the benefits are examined. Students will also learn how to assess the accessibility of the existing buildings around them. Written in a digestible and accessible style, this book includes exercises, further readings, case studies, key concept boxes, chapter summaries, assignments & reflection questions, and explanations of unfamiliar terms. It will equip readers to move confidently into designing real-world accessible, and inclusive buildings and interior spaces.