Universal Design vs. Accessible Design: What's the Difference?

Universal design and accessible design are terms that are often misunderstood. However, these two have significant differences, especially in terms of personalization. Let's take a look at each of these designs individually.

Universal Design

Universal design is not a new trend, since it has been around for ages. However, it can be seen as a growing trend since the design form has long-lasting effects.

Universal design refers to the idea of making products, structures, and services accessible for all people regardless of age or disability. In essence, it does not cater to a small minority. Instead, it serves to meet the needs of everyone.

It is important to use universal designs in houses for various reasons.

· It allows everyone to live normally without being dependent on someone.

· It allows for equal opportunities for everyone hence preventing anyone from feeling like a second-class citizen.

Universal design is long-lasting and improves accessibility for everyone, so you really can't go wrong with it. If you're planning on moving to a new home, make sure to get it built with universal design from the beginning to save yourself from incurring costly damage later on.

Accessible Design

Accessible design is a design approach that specifically caters to the needs of people with some form of disability by ensuring inclusivity and normalcy. It makes day-to-day chores and mobility easier for people with disabilities or limitations and allows for independent living.

An application of accessible design is accessible housing. Improving home accessibility involves using specialized designs to make the space more accessible and suitable for such people.

Accessible interior design improvements include:

· Building a ramp to make mobility easier and convenient for wheelchair users.

· Installing pull-out shelves to enable convenience and ease

· Installing lever handles instead of knob handles

· Converting bathtubs to walk-in showers to enable safety and convenience for elderly and disabled users.

Access Built Provides Home Renovation Services in Miami

Our team of experienced professionals at Access Built will ensure ADA compliance for your home, whether you're considering getting a universal design or an accessible one.

We can help you remove all barriers by providing accessible home renovations. Our top-notch specialized services come with upfront pricing and promptness and make us one of Miami's leading home accessibility contractors.

Access Built is a universal design build platform dedicated to connecting residential and commercial property owners with resources they need to create more accessible spaces. For more information or to schedule your FREE consultation, click here.