Universal Design Handbook, 2E

got what i expected.

Not worth the money. It is more of an essay manual than a design manual.

A wide ranging resource examining the Universal Design paradigm and illustrating the internationality of academic, applied and theoretical design and research activity and expertise. The reader is able to gain a good grasp of the drivers that have led to the development of Universal Design and the theoretical positioning of the subject. Each section provides a window on the way in which Universal (Design for All/Inclusive design) has become an authoritative approach to designing, especially, thought not exclusively, in the field of the built environment. Project descriptions and case studies allow design students, academics and researchers to explore a range of issues and approaches presented in an easily accessed form and consider these different options as ways of approaching their own work. I would recommend this as a valuable addition to any design school library and as a good introductory resource for academics. Cherie Lebbon MA(IDE) FRSA DRS Associate Senior Lecturer Design Research, Theory and Analysis Course Leader MSc Inclusive Design Design and Ergonomics Research Group and Centre of Excellence in Product and Automotive Design Dept Industrial Design Coventry School of Art and Design Coventry University UK

...I received a copy of Universal Design Handbook. On first inspection I thought it was going to make great door stop, or hold back for the overflowing collection papers and pamphlets accumulating on my shelves. However after only a couple of months I already find that it is regularly dipped into. This massive document is a fantastic and fascinating resource for researchers who are interested in the subject of universal and inclusive design and something of this type has been long awaited by the design research community. It also provides a good resource for those who wish to bring universal design into their design teaching, giving them sound information on which to base any teaching programme. This is probably the most comprehensive reference work on universal design to date. It brings together writings from an international panel of experts in the field, each being thoroughly referenced and providing an excellent entry point for further research. The book, with its 69 international contributions, addresses a wide selection of universal design projects that range in scale from an office work station, to interior architecture, buildings, landscape architecture, facilities, such as on campus; urban design, and all the way to parks and wilderness areas. It also includes some chapters that relate to product design such as the one on universal design in automobile design. The research questions, methodologies and findings presented are focused on how universally designed products and environments can be created to be usable by most people, regardless of ability/disability, health, gender, ethnicity, or cultural context. Though the emphasis is on the application of universal design in the built environment, there is a mass of material that it pertinent to anyone researching or teaching universal or inclusive design. The fact that it covers a wide set of issues across the various design communities is especially useful as it helps designers and researchers place their own practice and interests in context with approaches in other design fields. In my role as a researcher of inclusive design I have found each contribution to hold something of relevance, which has added to my body of knowledge and contributed to my own research activities. As a design teacher I have been able to draw on the experience of others in framing my own teaching programme, the parts 7 and 8 on education and case studies being particularly useful. And as a practising designer I have been very interested to compare my own experiences with those of others as outlined in Part 6. I am sure that in the USA the additional CDROM is also very useful, enabling readers to access and understand the laws that have driven some of the universal design activities to date. Regrettably there is no equivalent disk for European, UK, Japanese or other country's legislation. I would not recommend the book as an introductory document on universal design as it would overwhelm the uninitiated. It is, however, very comprehensive and in bringing together the work of the major researchers gives access to this essential information to a much wider audience than that which regularly participates in the universal design dialogue. Cherie Lebbon, Research Fellow, Helen Hamlyn Research Centre, Royal College of Art, London

Universal Design Handbook by Wolfgang F. E. Preiser (Senior Editor) and Elaine Ostroff (Editor) How universal is Universal Design? Wolfgang Preiser, Senior Editor of the Universal Design Handbook and noted expert in Building Evaluation and Programming, said "Universal Design is not about dimensions. It is an attitude." The impact of that attitude is felt across the world. The Handbook contains 69 essays from leaders in their fields. Voices from the Third World propose solutions for densely populated regions. Europe and the United States continue to look to technology for labor-saving devices. What they all share is a commitment to design for the greatest number of potential users. The literary styles are as varied as the solutions they propose. Case studies provide guidelines for professors considering similar studies. Theoretical papers discuss positions and implications. Historical narratives describe accomplishments to date. Topics range from transportation systems to bathroom design, from kitchen gadgets to computers. The authors are extremely candid about their successes and their failures. The common thread is their belief that solutions for one user group often benefit others. The most remarkable aspect of the Handbook is the list of references at the end of each essay. Almost none of the authors reference the same sources. This is due in part to the fact that there are practitioners in almost every country in the world; however, until the Handbook, there was no keystone, defining text. Future scholars take note! Elaine Ostroff, editor of the Universal Design Handbook, identifies the start of the Universal Design movement as the landmark legal decision Brown vs. the Board of Education. The resolution of the issue of segregated education led to the demand for inclusion in the classroom for children with birth defects. Activist veterans in turn demanded access to the workplace for veterans maimed in combat. With the support of various Civil Rights groups and the American Association of Retired Persons, the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed a decade ago. The hammer of litigation has codified the gains made by this particular movement, resulting in widespread resentment against it. The philosophy of the movement has been undermined by compliance enforcement. Universal Design as an idea goes beyond the letter of the law to benefit the world.

The Universal Design Handbook (UDH) is an excellent collection of the works of 84 international experts. Many marketing, MIS, architecture and engineering professionals would agree that it makes sense to design products to be usable by people of all ages and abilities to the greatest extent possible. Unfortunately many people do not know how to achieve this objective. The UDH compiles much of this information for you. The word "handbook" is misleading. You can't hold this book in your hand. It weighs six pounds and contains about 1,200 pages. The UDH organizes information into 69 chapters and ten sections. The CD, included with the book, contains technical and design data. The first few chapters of the book provide the reader with a rich history of the birth and evolution of Universal Design (UD). The reader soon discovers the term Universal Design has different meaning, to different people, in different parts of the world. Gaining familiarity with many new dimensions of UD helped me better understand how my knowledge of accessible information technology design, fits into the "big picture." The big picture in this case incorporates UD guidelines, public policy, accessibility standards, residential environments, UD practices, education, research, and many case studies from every corner of the world. I found chapters 65 - 68 interesting. These chapters focus on information and telecommunications technologies including the worldwide web, film and media and even smart card technology. The final section of the book addresses, "The Future of Universal Design." It discusses how the legacy of the twentieth century is defining the challenges and opportunities that facing all of us in the coming decades. There is a natural attraction that causes consumers to buy one product over another... that transcends status, cost, quality and service. If manufacturers were able to identify, capture and integrate the spirit of this "attraction" into their products and services they would have a mine of gold. Understanding the essence of what UD is all about will move them one step closer to making this a reality. For those wishing to see the "Forrest for the trees" of Universal Design, having a copy of the Universal Design Handbook in their library is a must.