Universal Design as Guiding, Striving and Unifying: A Qualitative Study about how Universal Design is Understood, Practised and Realised in Contemporary Sweden

Abstract

Universal design (UD) is a concept that originates in architecture and design. Through its enrollment in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), UD may contribute to the realisation of a more inclusive society. By means of qualitative interviews and content analysis, this study deepens the knowledge about how UD is understood, practised and realised in Sweden. Eight professionals from academia, business, civil society and the public sector were interviewed in 2019. They expressed a breadth of personal and non-authoritative opinions about UD and viewed it as enriching and provocative but also fuzzy and difficult to grasp, especially in relation to accessibility. Three ways of talking about UD were discerned: as guiding principle in the design process, as striving for an inclusive society and as unifying policies into a whole. Together they elucidate the implementation of the CRPD and inspire engagement for social innovation.

Keywords

• universal design
• accessibility
• disability
• policy
• inclusion
• crpd