Transitions to Keep in Mind 

1. RAMPS: Ramps are more universal than stairs.

2 CONTRAST: Use high contrast between surfaces.

3 LEVELS: Mark all level changes.

4. COMMON SENSES: Use all the senses all the time.

5. DOORS: Wide, open portals accept everyone.

6. REACH: Put everything within easy reach. Make it available.

7. SAFETY FIRST: Does a product prevent unintended and dangerous use?

8 USE: Imagine someone else is going to use, read, or work at or with, whatever you do. Does a product project an intuitive use?

9. LIGHT EVERYTHING: Good lighting is especially useful to show up contrasts, whether in color or textures, and provide a safer environment.

10. AGING IS A FACT OF LIFE: Remember people grow up and down. Their mobility, strength, and agility are lessened and must be accommodated. Their height is frequently reduced or compromised with arthritis and osteoporosis.

11. SMALL ADULTS AND BIG CHILDREN LIVE TOGETHER: Remember not all adults are big (see #10 above), and not all children are small.

12. USE COLOR: On faucets, for example, red is HOT and blue is COLD.

13. LEVERAGE: Leverage compensates for reduced strength, especially in gripping.

14. CONTEXT: Always design products for the context in which they will be used: office chairs in the office, fishing gear in a boat, etc. (The VCR was probably conceived in a brightly lit studio by able-bodied designers, not by visually impaired designers in a dimly lit room late at night.) Keep in mind that Universal Design does not necessarily mean a product can (or will) be used everywhere.

15. CORDLESSNESS: Cords tangle, limit use, and can cause accidents.

16 DEXTERITY: Can product be used by everyone whether right or left handed?

17. DETAILS vs. DESIGN: If you canít reach the switch to turn it on, because it has been hidden (for aesthetic appeal), then the machine isnít very accessible. An ornately designed staircase looks lovely, but not if youíre in a wheelchair. Universal Design is not about what something looks like but about what it can do ñ for someone.

Source: Access by Design