Universal Design in the Community Building process

Purpose

Universal design (Design for All Approach) is a way to add a clearer perspective of inclusion in the community building process. The aim is that owners of needs with different individual requirements should be involved as early as possible, through the entire process via design solutions in the form of services and products that meet the needs. Universal design is as much about social and experience-based inclusion as physical, it must not only be possible to enter and use an environment, it must also be experienced as safe and inviting. Co-creative initiatives with the support of universal design do not only apply to people with disabilities, but can also involve other groups in need of different support functions, e.g. groups in particularly vulnerable situations or positions.

Method

RISE can support authorities (municipalities, regions, etc.) and private actors (centre owners, property owners and managers, etc.) in their work with accessibility issues. Above all, it is about highlighting universal challenge opportunities that can be attributed to the following factors:

• Organization – Management functions with division of responsibility and authority 
• Collaboration – Collaboration between parties within an organization and with external actors 
• Governance – Spaces for action based on horizontal forms of cooperation between actors. 
• Planning – Integration of universal design into the planning process via governing documents 
• Involvement – ​​Operational design efforts with users (people with disabilities) 
• Design – Development and testing of type solutions, design principles and working methods

Leverans

RISE's role is partly to act as a guide in process control and various specialist areas, and partly to make evidence-based, qualitative analyzes and design solutions. We who are engaged in universal design represent a broad field of knowledge and network that spans from relevant specialist expertise to research-based competence.

RISE erbjuder designlösningar i form av tjänster, funktioner och produkter såsom: 

• Fungerande boende – bostad och närmiljö
• Tillgänglig social livsmiljö – träffas, utbyta erfarenheter, ingå i sammanhang 
• Hållbart arbetsliv – motiverande bidrag och gemenskap på lika villkor
• Fysisk tillgänglighet – tryggt kunna förflytta sig, vistas och använda inne- och utemiljöer.