In 2002, Edward Steinfeld and Beth Tauke published the one text on Universal Design that I have read most often, "Universal Designing" [1].
I occasionally re-read this text. It was part of an interesting period in the development of Universal Design. When someone asks me about a key era in the evolution of Universal Design, I still often refer to the early 2000s.
Here are four books from that period that have been meaningful to me, along with two quotes that have stayed with me over the years.
4 Books That Shaped How We Think About Universal Design
In Picture 1 is a photo of my worn copy of "The Universal Design Handbook" [2].
This was a heavy one, in several respects. It contained 69 chapters, and among these were two opening chapters by Elaine Ostroff and Patricia Moore. (The handbook was updated ten years later, in 2011.)
Two other seminal books were released around the same time: "Universal Design New York" [3] and "Universal Design New York 2" [4].
A fourth book from that period was more oriented towards teaching: "Universal Design - 17 Ways of Thinking and Teaching" [5].
The descriptions and discussions in these books are strikingly relevant today.
2 Quotes That Have Stayed With Me
These 2 quotes have been fundamental for how I understand and work with Universal Design:
"Universal design is ultimately about changing attitudes throughout society, emphasizing democracy, equity and citizenship. Universal design denoted a process more than a result." [6, p. 62]
I still use this quote to demonstrate that discussions around Universal Design as a driver for changes in attitudes, democracy, and equity have been present from the very beginning.
Another brilliant example is from Steinfeldt and Tauke’s chapter “Universal Designing”:
“Ultimately, Universal Design sets its sights beyond breaking physical barriers to include the redefinition of disablement as a universal condition, a condition of difference that we all share” [1, p. 165].
Beautiful. These books remind me that Universal Design has always been more than meeting standards. It’s a way of thinking, designing, and ultimately, changing society.
Which early texts shaped your understanding of Universal Design?
- Steinfeld, E., & Tauke, B. (2002). Universal Designing. In J. Christophersen & Norske stats husbank (Eds.), Universal design: 17 ways of thinking and teaching (1. utg, pp. 165-189). Norway: Husbanken.
- Preiser, W., & Ostroff, E. (Eds.). (2001). Universal design handbook. New York: McGraw-Hill.
- Gary Scott Danford & Beth Tauke. (2001). Universal Design New York (p. 124). Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, SUNY.
- Levine, D. (2003). Universal Design New York 2. Center for Inclusive Design and Environmental Access, SUNY.
- Christophersen, J. (2002). Universal Design - 17 Ways of Thinking and Teaching. Norway: Husbanken.
- Iwarsson, S., & Ståhl, A. (2003). Accessibility, usability and universal design - positioning and definition of concepts describing person-environment relationships. Disability & Rehabilitation, 25(2), 57-66.
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