How do we go about achieving outcomes such as social inclusion, health and wellbeing, and equity through design? There are eight practical goals that provide a framework for designing with universal needs in mind.
A stair landing between two flights of stairs. There are studs in front of each flight showing that people with impaired vision were taken into account when designing these stairs.
This kitchen tap has a lightweight flexible hose and raised controls, making it easier for people with decreased upper body strength to use.
Tukutuku panelling at the entrance of the Te Oro Music and Arts Centre in Glen Innes doubles as both signage and a traditional artwork that expresses the relationship between people, place and time.
People search, gather, interpret and organize information in their environment using their senses. Therefore, spaces need to be multi-sensory.
For those who rely predominantly on sight- signage, sight lines, and visual safety signals are important. For those who rely on hearing and touch to get around, sound and tactile materials can be used to communicate information.
This is important in everyday use, but especially so in cases of emergency, where awareness and communicating important information quickly is crucial.
Materials can be used to indicate different spaces and functions. Carpet, a soft sound-absorbing surface, is used in the work area, while corridors and circulation spaces are indicated with wooden flooring.
This space uses a combination of natural and artificial lighting to ensure even coverage across the area. The lighting successfully avoids harsh shadows and abrupt lighting changes.
This play area is designed for children and adults. Play materials, combined with a variety of seating options and sound dampening materials make the room a pleasant environment for all.
This desk can be adjusted for personal use while sitting or standing. Everybody works differently, so it's important that office spaces are flexible to accommodate for individual working preferences.
To further aid our ability to design for inclusivity and independence, we can work with certain people in mind. These 14 groups of people need special consideration so that our buildings and places cater to their needs and abilities.
Use these checklists and guidelines to help you achieve a universal design approach to key focus areas and make our buildings and places more inclusive for all.
Providing wide pathways and circulation spaces enables a wide range of users ability to move through the space.
Providing wide access ways enables a wide range of users the ability to move through the space. Good lighting enables navigation.
This corridor provides space for different users to pass including people communicating using sign language, people using trolleys or mobility equipment and those that who move furniture. Long corridors should have a clear width of at least 2m to enable people to easily pass each other moving in either direction. For shorter corridors of less than 6m long, a width of at least 1.2m may be acceptable.
Integrated entrance mats help to ensure both a smooth transition and decreased likelihood of wet surfaces inside of buildings.
This entrance is recessed within the building, with a large canopy overhanging the approach allowing people to shelter or wait in inclement weather.
This entrance is easy to identify through its use of a bright colour to contrast with the surrounding environment. The use of large lettering with both “ENTRY” and an arrow further helps to distinguish it as an entrance point. Sentence case would further improve legibility.
Providing a variety of seating gives people options of seats that suit them. Colour contrast is helpful for people who have low vision. Providing some seating with armrests would be helpful for people with decreased agility.
Providing desks that are height adjustable enables users to set the desk at a height that suits them, including the ability to be able to alternate between sitting and standing as able.
This integrated desk has both a higher and lower section, allowing people of different heights to be treated with dignity. The location of the desk allows it to be approached from different angles.
The seating along this popular pedestrian network has been designed to accommodate a variety of users. A stronger colour contrast between the seating and its surrounds would better enable those with low vision to identify the rest area.
Locating the lift in sightline from the main entrance and providing strong colour contrast assists users in locating the lift. Co-locating vertical circulation provides users with choice. Stairs should not be the only means of accessing part of a building. This is not only for people with temporary or permanent mobility impairment, but also for people carrying boxes, using trolleys, or moving furniture.
This lift has buttons with raised tactile numbers and Braille placed at a height which allows them to be pushed by all users. The emergency buttons are clearly demarcated through colour contrast. The selected floor is lit. Better practice is to locate Braille to the side of the buttons to enable them to be read without being accidentally pressed.
This lift uses wooden paneling to reduce glare. Glare is particularly problematic for people with low vision or cognitive impairment as causes visual distortions leading to disorientation. Handrails provide support to all users as the lift moves. Round handrails are the easiest to hold onto and should be provided on all walls that do not have an opening door.
Providing both natural and artificial light can assist with wayfinding and decrease the potential of shadowing.
The outside surroundings of this building are well lit, providing safe access routes to and from the building at night.
Well lit spaces with both natural and artificial light can assist with wayfinding, especially for people with low vision.
These stairs are well lit which improves safety, especially for people with low vision. Stronger colour contrast to the nosings would be beneficial.
In addition to having numbered car parks, colour coding different parking levels can assist people to remember where they have parked.
In addition to accessible car parks, consider the provision of priority car parking for example for caregivers with young children or older adults.
Provide cycle parking outside of the main circulation routes and capt – continuous accessible path of travel.
Providing covered cycle parking is appreciated by cyclists and people using micromobility.
Accessible parking spaces are located adjacent the path leading to the entrance, so users aren’t required to cross the car park.
Provide a range of play options to suit a wide range of ages and abilities. The trampoline is accessible at ground level and large enough to accommodate mobility equipment.
Caregiver and child swings enable social interaction and intergenerational play.
In ground carousels enables people with a wide range of mobility access. Communication boards assist people with decreased ability to communicate verbally.
Providing both stairs and ramped routes to overcome gradient changes enables people to have choice to use the way that works best for them.
This second entrance provides users with choice of either stairs or ramp to access the building.
This wide and gentle gradient ramp accommodates a range of users. Colour contrasted warning tactiles are provided at the base and top of the ramp to let users know where the ramp begins and ends.
The stairs, escalator and lift are located within close proximity. The bilateral handrails and balustrades continue past the top and bottom of the stairs enabling users to move to a level surface before removing their hand from support. Strongly colour contrasted nosings and tactiles improve safety, especially for people who are blind or have low vision.
The handrails continue past the top and bottom of the stairs and are continuous around landings. This ensures users are able to grasp the handrail for support during the entire journey. The central handrail has a splitter which enables both people ascending and descending the stairs to hold the handrail at the same time.
Space has been provided alongside a handrail on stairs to enable cyclists to wheel their bikes up.
Provide handrails on both sides of the stairs so that people can use them with their right or left arm. Locate handrails to accommodate different users: 850-950mm for adults and 450-600mm for children. Diameters: 32-50mm round for adults and 25-32mm round for children with a 50-60mm clearance from wall. This diagram provides details on handrail design. Handrails are to continue 300mm past the top, at least 610mm past the bottom of the stairs. Handrails to provide continuous support around corners and across landings.
External steps should have a maximum rise of 180mm and a minimum tread depth of 310mm. Colour contrasted warning tactiles should be provided top and bottom of stairs to alert users to their presence. Metal studs are not recommended due to their light refraction and their potential to be slippery when wet.
This accessible toilet provides hands free taps, supportive back rest and an emergency call facility.
This toilet provides both baby change facilities as well as a toddler seat to assist caregivers to manage children of different ages.
This toilet signage has tactile lettering, Braille and simple instructions for operation. The large buttons can be operated with decreased hand function/closed fist. The light confirms whether the toilet is locked or unlocked.
This diagram demonstrates the location of fixtures including the location of an L-shaped grab rail. Grab rails provide people support when moving on and off the toilet. It is important that fixtures such as the toilet roll holder do not impede grasp of the grab rail. Accessible toilets and family rooms need to have enough space for the user, an assistant, plus mobility equipment, whether that is a wheelchair, four wheeled stroller or pram. The minimum room size of accessible toilets should be 2300 mm wide x 2500 mm. Ensure there is at least 830 mm of clear space without fixtures or bins beside the toilet as this space is needed for wheelchairs.
This sign, located on a busy pedestrian network, provides clear directions to public transport options and local landmarks. These wayfinding fins have good colour contrast and are able to be seen from a distance.
Providing digital maps for different office floors can assist wayfinding both for staff and visitors. Digital they can be updated as required. Strong colour contrast would improve readability.
Sentence case improves readability of wayfinding signage. Bilingual signage is supported. To increase accessibility consider providing raised tactile lettering and Braille.
Different types of spaces can be marked by material and colour changes. In this case, a wooden floor is used for circulation areas, grey carpet is for open-plan office space, and green carpet marks private meeting rooms. Colour coded floor numbering can assist with wayfinding.
A building directory located at the main access point on each level informs users both what floor they are on and the services provided on other floors.
This section provides additional guides and resources to help you apply universal design principles to your project.
