Universal Design: Creating a world tailored to human diversity

The concept of Universal Design (UD) has evolved dramatically over recent years. Driven by the synonymous concept of Design for All used mainly in Europe, Universal Design is evolving from designing considering the needs of the elderly and disabled population towards designing for human diversity considering all aspects (cultural, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, dimension, allergies, etc.). Another key transformation can be found in UD methods: professionals have evolved from ?designing for the elderly and disabled people? to ?designing with citizens?. UD cannot be considered as an isolated issue. UD is a key aspect of social sustainability and should be balanced with other crucial aspects (economics, ecology and efficiency, among others) when designing environments, products and services. The course will describe the best UD examples and practices around the world in the fields of urban planning, transport, consumer products, tourism and services. During the course several design and assessment methods will be described by means of practical examples.