Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design.
 
A working group of architects, product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers collaborated to establish Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products and communications.  The seven principles may be applied to evaluate existing designs, guide the design process and educate both designers and consumers about the characteristics of more usable products and environments.
 
The Principles of Universal Design were authored through the initiatives of the Center for Universal Design at North Carolina State University and funded through a grant by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research.  Visit the Center for Universal Design for examples of universal design and additional resources.
 
The Principles are presented in the format: name of principle, intended to be a concise and easily remembered statement of the key concept embodied in the principle; definition of the principle, a brief description of the principle's primary directive for design; and guidelines, a list of the key elements that should be present in a design which adheres to the principle.
 
Note that all guidelines may not be relevant to all designs.  In addition, the 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, culture, gender, and environmental concerns in their design processes.  The Principles offer designers guidance, which will allow better integration of features that meet the needs of as many users as possible.