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Designing for everyone: universal design

What accessibility and universal design mean, why designing for people with the most barriers helps everyone, and the numbers designers use in Aotearoa.

About one in four New Zealanders is disabled. Add in people pushing prams, older people, little kids and anyone carrying a heavy bag, and you get a lot of people who notice when a place is hard to use.

Two big ideas

  • Accessibility: whether a person with a disability can get in, get around and use a place or product on their own. - Universal design: designing from the start so that as many people as possible can use something easily, without needing a special version.

    • The kerb cut effect

    Dips in the kerb at street crossings were pushed for by wheelchair users. Now they help people with prams, suitcases, bikes and delivery trolleys every day. Designing for people who face the most barriers often makes things better for everyone. Designers call this the kerb cut effect.

    Numbers that matter

    In Aotearoa, the standard NZS 4121 sets out how buildings should work for people with disabilities. A few examples designers use:

  • Ramp slope: no steeper than 1:12, meaning it rises 1 cm for every 12 cm along. - Door width: at least 760 mm of clear space when the door is open. - Path width: around 1200 mm so a wheelchair and a walker can pass.

    • Barriers you can't see

    Not every barrier is a step. Glare, echoey rooms, confusing signs, tiny text and no place to sit can shut people out too. Low colour contrast makes edges hard to see. Loud, busy spaces can overwhelm some autistic people. Good designers ask, look and listen.

    Nothing about us without us

    Disabled people say 'nothing about us without us'. It means: don't design for people, design with them. Invite them in early, pay attention to their time, and treat them as the experts on their own lives.

    Sources and further reading

    Written for Kōkiri Learn students in our own words. Check facts against the sources.

    Used in: Designing for Our Community