The Forgotten Minority
Disabled people are the world’s largest minority, with an estimated 15% of the world’s total population having a disability, equating to roughly 1 billion people. However, disabled people remain one of the most under-resourced, underfunded, and misunderstood minority populations.
Disability is not a fixed identity experienced only by a small segment of society. In fact, disability is a natural and universal part of the human experience. We are born dependent and without full physical autonomy. Many of us will face temporary disability due to injury or surgery. And as we age, most of us will encounter physical, cognitive, or sensory limitations. Still, disabled people are too often excluded from conversations about equity, justice, and innovation.
Approaching Accessibility: Accommodations and Universal Design
Disabled people often find themselves locked out of participating in society because they lack accommodations for them to participate. For example, a student who uses a wheelchair might not be able to attend class if their school lacks an elevator. An employee might struggle to do their job if documents aren’t compatible with screen readers. Accessibility is not optional, rather it is imperative for participation.
There are two primary approaches to improving accessibility: Accommodations and Universal Design.
Accommodations are individualized adjustments made in response to a specific person’s needs. They’re often reactive and provided only after someone advocates for them.
Universal Design, by contrast, is proactive. It aims to create environments, products, and systems that are usable by the broadest range of people from the outset regardless of age, size, ability, or experience.
While accommodations ensure legal compliance and individual inclusion, universal design fosters widespread usability and collective benefit.
A Closer Look at Universal Design
Pioneered by Ronald Mace, Universal Design is guided by seven key principles:
(1) Equitable Use: The design caters to individuals with diverse abilities, making it usable and appealing to everyone.
(2) Flexibility in Use: The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and capabilities.
(3) Simple and Intuitive Use: The design is easy to understand, regardless of a user’s experience, knowledge level, or current focus.
(4) Perceptible Information: Essential information is effectively communicated through the design, considering ambient conditions and users’ sensory abilities.
(5) Tolerance for Error: The design minimizes hazards and the negative consequences of accidental actions.
(6) Low Physical Effort: The design can be used efficiently and comfortably with minimal fatigue.
(7) Size and Space for Approach and Use: Adequate space is provided for navigation, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of a user’s body size, posture, or mobility.
Beyond Disability: The Broader Value of Universal Design
While universal design is rooted in disability justice, its benefits extend far beyond the disability community. By anticipating a wide range of needs, it produces innovations that improve life for everyone. For example:
- Curb ramps, designed for wheelchair users, also benefit parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and cyclists.
- Voice recognition tools, designed for people with mobility or vision impairments, now assist drivers, multitaskers, and anyone who prefers hands-free interaction.
- Magnification and zoom features, originally developed for people with low vision, are used by millions to read small text more comfortably.
Personally, I use voice recognition to send messages while cooking, and I often use text magnifiers when websites use small or inaccessible fonts. These features, designed with disabled users in mind serve everyone.
Universal design encourages us to move beyond the idea of “special” needs. Instead, it asks: How can we build a world that works better for all of us?
Universal Design as Resistance and a A Blueprint for an Improved Future
In a society that often treats disabled people as burdens or afterthoughts, universal design is a form of resistance that challenges the status quo. The historic exclusion of disabled people has not only caused harm — it has stifled innovation, limited participation, and prevented society from realizing its full potential. Embracing universal design is not just an ethical imperative. It’s a catalyst for creative, inclusive, and sustainable progress.
If we want to build a better future, accessibility and inclusion must be foundational — not optional or added later. Every building, product, policy, school, and workplace should be designed with diverse users in mind from the start. Disability is not a niche issue — it’s a universal one. When we invest in inclusion, we don’t just help disabled people. We create a society that is more compassionate, more connected, and more prepared for the reality of human difference.