Accessibility

Accessibility is about ensuring that services can be accessed by all people including those who have disabilities.

Universal design is a useful design concept for making services accessible.

At any time one in five of Australians have disabilities.

These might prevent them from using:
·    information
·    built environments e.g. theatres
·    websites.

As well as Australians with disabilities, other population groups also have access needs. These include:
·    Older people with limited mobility
·    Parents with small children or babies in prams
·    People who don't speak or read English well
·    People whose friends or family members have access needs and won't go out without them

Design for universal access

For people with disabilities, universal design and access is the best approach to accessibility.

Rather than focusing on a particular disability, universal design focuses on making all environments, products and services accessible to all people.

In this way, universal access and design reflect the adoption of the 'social' model of disability.

Rather than the disability, this approach focuses on the removal of 'disabling' barriers for the benefit of all users.

The Center for Universal Design (North Carolina State University) has developed seven principles of universal design:
·    Equitable Use
·    Flexibility in Use
·    Simple and Intuitive Use
·    Perceptible Information
·    Tolerance for Error
·    Low Physical Effort
·    Size and Space for Approach and Use
·    Principles of universal access and design should be used to guide all decisions regarding the  development of environments, products and services.

(source: Center for Universal Design, http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud)

These principles provide a template for creating a society and culture that is accessible and equitable.

Universal design accommodates the range of needs of a diversity of consumers and audiences.

As a business practice it encourages and allows the greatest possible number of people to access services, environments and products equitably and independently.

For more information, visit the Center for Universal Design, and also see the Resources section for resources relating to access.

 

Looking for more information? Try our Links section.