Entry 8

Universal Design by Mrs Wan Mariah

The concept of designing products and the built environments to be aesthetic and usable by all people included older people, children and disable people. Seven (7) principles involves of Universal Design. 

1) Equitable in Use -  means design should useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities. For example ramp should to provide in entrance of the building not at the back, behind etc to make sure disable people maximum use. 

2) Flexibility in Use - Design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities of the person. Example: The toilet designing for disable people must suitable size because the need the turning space for move their wheel chair and transfer it. 

3) Simple and Intuitive Uses - Eliminate unnecessary complexity. The design must easy to understand such as nosing for staircase must contrast colour to avoid people confusing.  Glow-in-the-dark stair treads make stairs safer at night.

4)Perceptible Information - Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information. Provide the fingerpost map to help blind people find their direction independent.

5) Tolerance Of Error- Design minimizes hazards and adverse consequences of accidents. example : the signboard must design properly because the unclear signboard make people do mistake. So travel distance will be long from the normal.  

6) Low Physical Effort - Design can be use efficiently and comfortably, and minimum of fatigue.  Example: Door knob must consider the disable people who not have the finger. The vehicle at the golf field should design to allow size of wheelchair in the vehicle.  

7) Size and Space for Approach and Use- make it suitable for any seated or standing user, for example automatically gateway in train station must suitable for wheelchair person.

Following of 7 principle involved of universal design to provide the good design. Come out with the good design and good environment is design for all.