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As life expectancy rises and modern medicine has increased the survival rate of those with significant injuries, illnesses and birth defects, there is a growing interest in universal design. There are many industries in which universal design is having strong market penetration but there are many others in which it has not yet been adopted to any great extent. Universal design is a part of everyday living and is all around us. The "undo" command in most software products is a good example. Color-contrast dish ware with steep sides that assist those with visual problems as well as those with dexterity problems are another. Additional examples include cabinets with pull-out shelves, kitchen counters at several heights to accommodate different tasks and postures and low-floor buses that kneel and are equipped with ramps rather than lifts. THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN "The authors, a working group of architects, product designers, engineers and environmental design researchers, collaborated to establish the following Principles of Universal Design to guide a wide range of design disciplines including environments, products, and communications." - (http://www.design.ncsu.edu/cud/about_ud/udprinciples.htm) # Equitable use # Flexibility in use # Simple and intuitive # Perceptible information # Tolerance for error # Low physical effort # Size and space for approach and use (from the Center for Universal Design ) These principles are broader than that of Accessible Design . EXAMPLES
DESIGN STANDARDS In October 2003 , representatives from China , Japan , and South Korea met in Beijing and agreed to set up a committee to define common design standards for a wide range of products and services that are easy to understand and use. Their goal is to publish a standard in 2004 which covers, among other areas, standards on containers and wrappings of household goods (based on a proposal from experts in Japan), and standardization of signs for public facilities, a subject of particular interest to China as it prepares to host the 2008 Summer Olympics . The International Organization For Standardization , the European Committee For Electrotechnical Standardization , and the International Electrotechnical Commission have developed:
These standards are still under development:
SEE ALSO Related topics:
National legislation:
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