Universal design is a non-exclusive design concept. Everyone is affected by universal design and universal design affects everyone. As a design concept, universal design has a greater effect on specific groups of people who are concerned about the design of the built environment. For instance, wheelchair users, pregnant women, caregivers of the elderly, people with babies in strollers, and bicycle riders are concerned about curb cuts or sloping curbs. This synergy of diverse groups makes the design universal.
In the process of design, the participatory process needs to include a widely diverse group of effected users. For instance, participation in design might include the young, the elderly, people with disabilities, mothers, fathers, workers, travelers, or any group who will use the environment to be designed. Universal design includes participation, consultation, and opinions from a broad cross-section of the user population.
It is up to the universal designer to solicit participation and input. Failure to do so will inherently limit universal design. This participation or consultation is vital because of the cost of universal design and the time occurring between initial design and renovation.
This popular participation in universal design is not theoretical. There are no hard and fast guidelines for achieving participation or consultation. These are only limited to the imagination of the project design team. It is only certain that project designers must consult users before and during the design process.
Having said who is affected by universal design, it is important to say who is not affected by the universal designing processes --- those groups of people who will not use the piece of the built environment to be designed. For instance, if the World Bank is building a hospital in Asia or Africa, it is not important to seek participation or consultation from people in Latin America. You cannot transplant the universal design of specific facilities from one region of the world to another. To the casual observer, this process might seem self-evident, but some rudimentary guidance might be sought.
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