If you’ve ever watched TV with subtitles, pushed a cart or stroller up a curb cut in the sidewalk, or been saved from missing your stop on public transportation by the overhead announcements, you’ve benefited from universal design. The principles of universal design are used to make spaces and experiences more accessible and inclusive for more people.

What is Universal Design?

Universal design is the idea that environments should be designed so that they can “be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.” It’s not seen as an accommodation for a specific group of users, it’s seen as making the environment better for all users. 

Universal design is not just for city planners or product designers. The principles of universal design can be applied to experiences like workshops, retreats, or group interviews — and in doing so, you’ll be creating something that’s better for all of your participants, not just those who might need accommodations. 

Let’s talk about how you can bring universal design to your events through intentional planning and attention to detail.

Universal Design Means Accessibility is a Default Setting

Often in professional settings and learning environments, accessibility is an afterthought. Sometimes minimal access needs are considered in advance, but often access and inclusion aren’t considered unless someone discloses a need or provides feedback. 

If you’ve never had to do it, this process might not seem like a big deal, but in practice it can be a lot of extra work. It can involve countless phone calls to the venue, long email threads with organizers, and the mental gymnastics of deciding which issues to raise and when. Using a universal design lens not only reduces uncertainty for your participants, but it can also save you time in the long run; you don’t have to re-work your program to include all of your participants.

If you’re planning an experience for a team you’re familiar with, it can be tempting to skip this step, assuming that you know the needs and identities of your colleagues. But a study of working people with disabilities showed that for employees whose work was affected by their disability at least some of the time, 49% of them chose not to disclose their disability to their employer. 

Identity is also not always visible, but it is always present. Not seeing our identities represented and considered can be extremely alienating. Even if you’re familiar with the group that you’re planning for, assume that there could be challenges you aren’t aware of and that all participants will benefit from your universal design planning.

Get Curious About Universal Design

You can start your journey towards making your experience more inclusive by getting curious about how people might interact with your materials. You don’t even need to have your content ready to take this step! Start by asking questions like:

• How might I participate in this activity if I couldn’t read the slides or chart paper?

• What might be missing from my experience if I couldn’t hear the presenter well or at all?

• When would I be able to ask for clarification if I didn’t understand something?

• Will the room or space be comfortable for the amount of time I have scheduled?

• Do I include images of people who look like our team and the communities that we serve? 

These questions will likely spark new considerations, as you begin to think about how you might need to change your experience to make it work for more people. 

Some details to get curious about:

• Is there enough contrast between the colour of your text and background on slides or printed materials?

• How much ambient noise is there in the space? Can you hear traffic, noise from the heater or air conditioner, or buzzing lights?

• Are there accessible and all-gender washrooms on the same floor as your program space?

• If you’re referencing experts in your presentation or materials, are all of the experts white men? (There’s no reason for this to be true in 2024).

Integrate the Principles of Universal Design

One-size-fits-all learning experiences don’t exist. Any time you can give people choice in the way that they participate, you’re winning. Breaking people into small groups can be a great way to do this because people can take on different roles based on their strengths and preferences. 

If you’re going to try group exercises, consider your space carefully. You need enough room for people to sit in small groups, and also a space that’s not going to get super loud and echo-y from all of those good conversations happening. 

Let people know that they can ask questions when you reach certain points in the program or at the break. Give the option for participants to write reflections independently or discuss them with a partner. If you’re asking people to develop a vision for something, offer the choice of writing or drawing. If you’re giving time for individual reflection, offer the option for folks to take a short walk (with a time limit) or to reflect in their seat.

Sometimes options aren’t an “or,” they’re an “and.” Especially if your program involves some kind of presentation element, you can often best engage the whole audience by presenting the same information and ideas in a few different ways.  If you’re using slides, consider including a mix of words, numbers, and graphs to show facts and data.  For some, stats stick better than stories and vice-versa, so consider including both. You can also use strategies like “Think Pair Share” to give participants a mix of ways to contribute ideas.

Some options to consider:

• Let people choose their topic! If your program covers a lot of information, consider letting people choose from a few specific topics or themes when doing an activity like a reflection or a group plan.

• Try different ways of explaining concepts. Consider including both metaphorical descriptions of concepts and tangible examples of the concept in practice.

• Try it or feedback it. Offer participants the opportunity to learn by doing, through role-playing or trying a live example (this works great for learning technical tools). Other participants can provide positive and constructive feedback.

Check Your Assumptions

Assumptions are risky, so it’s best to leave them at the door. If you’re not sure what would work best for individuals or for your group as a whole, it’s always better to ask than to assume. That said, if someone tells you about an accommodation that they need to participate, resist the temptation to ask why. It’s not important; either you can find a way to make that accommodation happen as they’ve requested, or you’re going to have to get creative and suggest an alternative. 

Assumptions are often based on oppressive structures that you probably don’t want to uphold, such as white supremacy, heteronormativity, ableism, and classism.

Assumptions to watch out for:

• Asking only people with visible disabilities if they require accommodations. Not all disabilities are visible, so you don’t want to risk missing someone.

• People opting out of pictures, especially if you’re posting to social media. For some people this can be a privacy and safety concern, as well as a matter of personal comfort.

• Identifying people as caregivers based on their age. People of all ages can be caring for children, parents, other family members, or friends. If you’re offering your program outside of regular work hours, this can be a barrier for caregivers.

• Assuming that everyone will understand the same pop culture references or jokes. Even if you use a reference that you consider common knowledge, others might not be aware of  it depending on where and when they grew up. 

Some Universal Design Resources to Get You Started

If you’re looking for resources to help you work to make your experiences more inclusive and accessible, CAST has amazing Universal Design for Learning Guidelines that provide a lot of detail on how to design a learning experience. 

The Bottom Line

It’s time to make accessibility the default, especially when designing experiences like retreats, workshops, or group interviews. By integrating the principles of universal design, you can start to improve accessibility and inclusion for your participants. You probably won’t get everything right the first time, but you’ll be on the right track.

By thinking about the needs of all people and planning for them ahead of time, you can make participants feel more welcome and save time in the long run. It’s a new way of thinking about inclusion that ensures no one gets left behind.