Principles of Universal Design
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Version 2.0 - 4/1/97 Compiled by advocates of universal design,
listed in alphabetical order: Major funding provided by: The National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education Copyright 1997 NC State University, The
Center for Universal Design UNIVERSAL DESIGN: The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The authors, a working group of architects,
product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers, collaborated
to establish the following Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide
range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications.
These seven principles may be applied to The Principles of Universal Design are presented,
in the following format: name of the principle, intended to be a concise
and easily remembered statement of the key PRINCIPLE ONE: Equitable Use Guidelines: 1a. Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not. 1b. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users. 1c. Make provisions for privacy, security, and safety equally available to all users. 1d. Make the design appealing to all users.
PRINCIPLE TWO: Flexibility in Use
Guidelines: 2a. Provide choice in methods of use. 2b. Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use. 2c. Facilitate the user's accuracy and precision. 2d. Provide adaptability to the user's pace.
PRINCIPLE THREE: Simple and Intuitive Use
Guidelines: 3a. Eliminate unnecessary complexity. 3b. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition. 3c. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills. 3d. Arrange information consistent with its importance. 3e. Provide effective prompting and feedback
during and after task completion. PRINCIPLE FOUR: Perceptible Information
Guidelines: 4a. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information. 4b. Maximize "legibility" of essential information. 4c. Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions). 4d. Provide compatibility with a variety
of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.
PRINCIPLE FIVE: Tolerance for Error
Guidelines: 5a. Arrange elements to minimize hazards
and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated,
isolated, or 5b. Provide warnings of hazards and errors. 5c. Provide fail safe features. 5d. Discourage unconscious action in tasks
that require vigilance. PRINCIPLE SIX: Low Physical Effort
Guidelines: 6a. Allow user to maintain a neutral body position. 6b. Use reasonable operating forces. 6c. Minimize repetitive actions. 6d. Minimize sustained physical effort.
PRINCIPLE SEVEN: Size and Space for Approach
and Use Guidelines: 7a. Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user. 7b. Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user. 7c. Accommodate variations in hand and grip size. 7d. Provide adequate space for the use of
assistive devices or personal assistance. Please note that these Principles of Universal
Design address only universally usable design, while the practice of design
involves more than consideration for usability. Designers must also incorporate
other considerations such as economic, engineering, cultural, gender, and
environmental concerns in their design processes. Copyright 1997 NC State University, The
Center for Universal Design |