Universal Design, an Equitable Architectural Framework

Recently, during a staff meeting at Equity Labs my colleagues and I were discussing the kinds of content we want to write about. This conversation led to the idea of imagining a world where the concept of Universal Design could be accepted and utilized within the workplace environment. I initially found, (and still find), this to be a beautiful way to embrace individuality in the office. Yet as I sit at my computer, I am finding difficulty using the office environment as the starting point of expressing the applicability of Universal Design.? I am left wondering “how can an introduction to Universal Design be ‘within the office’ when some people cannot even get into the building “.??

I am a current student at the Graduate School of Social Work, (GSSW), completing my final year of a master’s degree. I introduce my school and degree to paint a picture of how critical the need for change is; even in environments rooting for equity and progression. At GSSW, there are four floors containing lecture halls, study rooms, and office spaces. Access to the entirety of the building via three stairways and one elevator. Just last year, our elevator was rendered inoperable due to mechanical errors while classes remained scheduled as normal. Without a second thought, I went to one of the stairways, climbed up to the fourth floor, and attended my classes for the day as usual. In this process, I neglected to consider the people who would not attend class that day. In our program we are allowed only one absence from our classes without punitive consequence, yet the undeniable oversight of the building’s accessibility had the potential to leave some students with their grades in question due to no fault of their own. I am disappointed to admit when I came to class at the building the next day, I was impressed to find the elevator was once again fully functional. I believed that the issue had been fixed quickly. The closure of the elevator had no immediate impact on me. However, the more I consider this day, I recognize that the closure of the elevator for just one day may have been detrimental to other students' accessibility, learning, and absolute isolation from a building where all people are supposed to feel safe and welcome.??

The reality is if inaccessibility can happen in a building intended to educate students on progressive policies; it will happen in workplaces where equity is not a guiding value. The physical accessibility of a building undeniably sets the tone for how the internal operations are perceived and enacted. This is why conversation surrounding Universal Design needs to begin at the architectural framework of a building.??

Universal Design was originally introduced as a concept in the world of architecture, suggesting an all-inclusive design to building codes enabling all people to access the space without barrier.

The champion of Universal Design, Ronal Mace, described Universal Design as “The design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design” (Mace, 1985). Implementing Universal Design allows us to imagine a building design where no person feels isolated or less than another. Buildings do not need more stairs, they need ramps, they need more than one operating elevator, and they need a protocol to protect the people they harm when these needs are not met. Like Mace, I find universal access is vital, and that advocacy is an effective means in making the idea of Universal Design a concrete reality.?

I like to believe that as humans, we try to do good. In response to the lack of universal human accessibility in architecture, American Disabilities Act, (ADA), requirements and codes were introduced in 1990. While the passing of the American Disabilities Act has helped bridge the gap in accessibility in architecture, it does not account for universal accessibility of all people. With the implementation of Universal Design, we have the power and framework to account for every person. We can change the way we look at access to a building by introducing Universal Design to work alongside the ADA requirements already in place.

We owe it to ourselves and the people who are too often left behind to do better. It is my goal to recognize a design that allows for a universally accessible framework to become a nationwide reality. If you are reading this article, I deeply encourage you to not stop here; instead, further familiarize yourself with the concept of universal design and begin to imagine how this framework may be implemented into your own life, home, school, and workplace. A future of universal access begins with the acknowledgement that being able-bodied is a privilege, and equal access to a building is an inherent human right.??