Universal, inclusive design

You want to implement a universal design approach to benefit from the positive spin-offs in terms of your company's image. In addition, regulatory incentives for product and service accessibility have been underway in France since the February 11, 2005 law "for equal rights and opportunities". But the notion of universal design is vague and can seem difficult to apply.

Universal design is defined as the design of products and environments for use by everyone to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or special design. It is aimed at people of all ages, sizes and abilities, to simplify the use of products and everyone's life, at little or no extra cost. There are a number of different approaches: "Design for All" for information and communication technologies, "Accessible Design" for spaces and services, "Transgenerational Design" with a particular focus on the elderly, and "Inclusive Design", whose approach is based on breaking down user profiles into capabilities.

This fact sheet offers a simplified approach to universal design that can help you answer the following questions:

• What are the characteristics of a universal product?

• How do you test a product's universality?