Accessible Infrastructure is about ensuring that all public infrastructure is accessible and appropriate to all disabled people. It goes beyond mobility and physical access and acknowledges the full gamut of disability including intellectual, learning, and psychiatric disabilities and other impairments. The principle of universal design informs accessible infrastructure.

Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. The intent of the universal design concept is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications, and the built environment more usable by more people at little or no extra cost. The universal design concept targets all people of all ages, sizes, and abilities.

Principles of universal design

1. Equitable Use: The design is useful and marketable to any group of users.
2. Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities
3. Simple and Intuitive Use: Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.
4. Perceptible Information: The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities
5. Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
6. Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue
7. Size and space for Approach and Use: Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.


Source: [1]

Publications & Resources

Fact Sheets

• Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI):
  Disaster Response and Disabled Access

Reports

• Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind (RVIB):
  Building Design for People Who are Blind or Vision Impaired (2005)
• US Access Board:
  Space Requirements for Wheeled Mobility, An International Workshop (2004)
• Access Exchange International: Mobility for All:
  Accessible Transportation Around the World
• Department for International Development (DFID):
  Water Supply and Sanitation Access and Use by physically Disabled People (2002)
• Norwegian State Council on Disability:
  Universal Design, Planning and Design for All (2005)

News Articles

• New York Times:
  Design for Everyone, Disabled or Not (2007)

Links

• Engineers Without Borders:
  Engineers Without Borders Australia works with disadvantaged communities to improve their quality of life through education and the implementation of sustainable engineering projects
• European Institute for Design and Disability (EIDD) – Design For All:
  Promotes design for people with disabilities.
• Access Exchange International:
  A non-governmental organization promoting accessible public transport for persons with disabilities and seniors in Latin America, Africa, Asia, and eastern Europe.
• Global Transport Knowledge Partnership:
  An initiative to promote and disseminate sustainable transport knowledge, whilst encouraging greater participation from the developing world
• Design for the 21st Century :
  Conference transcript addressing poverty, the environment, globalization, urbanisation and design
• Water, Engineering and Development Centre:
  Education and research institute for improving access to infrastructure and services for the poor in low- and middle-income countries
• J.L. Mueller Inc.:
  The Principles of Universal Design

[Click here for other disability & development links]

References

1. Aslaksen, F., et al., Universal Design: Planning and Design for All. 2005, Norwegian State Council on Disability: Norway.