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The Challenges in Universal Design

This book is aimed at an international audience in business, education, design and engineering. The other contributors are academics or practitioners from the Nordic region, UK and USA. Gheerawo co-wrote the introductory chapter with Vavik, the book editor. In Scandinavia, the terms ‘universal design’ (US origin) and ‘inclusive design’ (European origin) are both widely used.

The chapter sets out a series of challenges facing inclusive design as it evolves from academic theory into a practical methodology that designers and business organisations can use. It outlines the context and benefits of the approach, and gives guidance to inclusive design practitioners. The research drew together US and European approaches to outline a common history of inclusive design over the past 40 years. It addresses significant topics, including the current move towards co-creation, contemporary design for social inclusion and inclusive design as a global agent of change.

As Gheerawo and Vavik establish in their Preface, the book looks at how different design disciplines, including the emerging discipline of service design, can adopt an inclusive approach. It responds to the Norwegian Government’s Action Plan of 2009, which focuses on inclusive design. Although from an academic press, it is aimed at business, providing knowledge, methods and case studies encouraging best practice, and supported by the Norwegian State Housing Bank.

Gheerawo used the chapter to consolidate his thinking on the barriers and opportunities facing business organisations in adopting inclusive design. A number of conference publications resulted from the work, including: 'Social sustainability: The challenges facing universal design' (3rd International Conference for Universal Design, Hamamatsu, Japan, 2010); and 'Inclusive Norway – building an approach through design innovation with industry' (Include 2009, London, UK, 2009). Gheerawo was also invited to give a keynote address at the 4th International Conference for Universal Design, Fukuoka, Japan (2012).