Abstract
Universal Design (UD) is a design approach that recognises and anticipates diversity as a fundamental human condition. UD is also frequently referred to in relation to the social dimension of sustainable development. Central to both UD and sustainability is the way “everyone,” as the target of UD and sustainability goals, is understood. The purpose of the study is to identify how UD’s “everyone” is conceptualised in Swedish UD policy and to provide a set of recommendations for how to categorise people with regards to UD. A qualitative text analysis is used, which investigates semiotic modes in relation to the content, form, and social relations of texts. Based on the analysis, two challenges for UD policy are identified: (i) how to convey that UD is design for everyone, and (ii) how to move away from a thought pattern of norm and deviation. Seven recommendations for how to approach categorisations of people in UD policy are formulated. We argue that an adoption of UD has the potential to bring about sustainable living environments for all, if integrated with social, economic, environmental, and spatial dimensions of development, but that in order for this to succeed, careful attention needs to be paid to how UD is conceptualised, and a radically different way of categorising people is necessary.
Highlights
Sustainable societies take everyone’s needs, rights, abilities, and contributions into account
While we focus on the social dimension here, it is clear that both Universal Design (UD) and sustainability crucially depend on the integration of several dimensions
Several of the texts include general and brief descriptions of what UD is. These are two representative examples, with categorisations of people highlighted using boldface: (1) Universal Design means that environments and products are to be designed so that they work for all people without a need for special adaptation. (Text 5, p. 63)
Summary
Sustainable societies take everyone’s needs, rights, abilities, and contributions into account. This means that a sustainable society is built and designed with everyone in mind, on all levels, and that everyone can participate in all the ways that they have the potential to do. If plans for the design of various aspects of society include a poor understanding of who all members of society are, chances are slim that societal services and products will be usable by everyone. It is only when everyone is taken into account that a truly sustainable society for all can be achieved. In order to increase society’s chances of reaching this goal, we need to critically examine how “everyone” is understood, which is what this study undertakes
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