Plenary Session-03

Universal Design has its roots in design for disability, and for many years has been as much about campaigning and influencing legislation as it has been about design. Twenty-five years ago I designed a kitchen for a friend suffering from multiple sclerosis. What she wanted was not a wheelchair kitchen, but one that her neighbours would be jealous of. Spreading that message has been a crucial goal for me.

Initially the UD focus was on accessibility and the built environment. Over time this has shifted to embrace the design of products and services, and the past five years have seen a gathering pace in industrial uptake. Ironically I now find myself signing confidentiality agreements and unable to publish or even talk about some of the work I am involved in.

This commercial sensitivity is a sign of maturity and influence. But as industry takes up Universal Design with increasing enthusiasm, we are faced with new questions about how Universal Design should develop in the future. In this keynote I hope to open up this discussion and think about some of the goals we should set ourselves for the future.

How do we extend Universal Design to embrace issues beyond the core focus of products, services and environments? Can we successfully transfer Universal Design methods and approaches to other areas of design?

At the heart of these questions is the idea of design as a social force. One that can make the world a better and more humane place and do so in ways that allow industry and commerce to play a major role in achieving social goals.