Implementing Universal Design in Healthcare

• Universal design is a concept that is about creating inclusivity in all aspects when designing a new space, facility, or remodel. 
• Universal design can be applied to almost every engineering plan to insure those that are tall, short, deaf, blind, or have mental or physical disabilities can all access the same resources equitably. Universal design goes beyond the minimum ADA design standards. 
• Universal design is especially important in healthcare because you have patients from all aspects of life, in different health statuses, requiring patient care. Facilities need to be accessible to all. Careful considerations need to be made when designing a new hospital, remodeling a clinic, or building a wheelchair into the physical therapy building. 

What is Universal Design?

Universal design allows users of all ages and abilities to thrive within a space and allows practices and organizations to better serve patients, families, and employees.  Healthcare facilities should be able to improve the performance among humans, health and wellness, and social participation.   

Often, organizations do not realize the potential benefits offered by universal design and do not recognize what needs to be done in order to make spaces and areas compatible for everyone.  For some, the need has been identified and the healthcare community is beginning to address these goals and be mindful of the proper design in some areas.   

Many emergency departments throughout the world are developing spaces that are specifically designed for an older population of individuals by including shock-absorbent flooring, low beds, and handrails which all lead to human performance and overall health and wellness.   

The basis of universal design is to be mindful and aware that the environment can be much more accessible than the minimum requirements of law if designers focus their attention on improving the function for a large range of people.   

It is important to consider the following when utilizing universal design in any office, clinic, outpatient, or hospital setting:  

• What are the principles that need to be implemented in order to achieve universal design? 
• What are the goals and/or areas that universal design should be attempting to achieve? 
• What healthcare considerations need to be in place for designing clinics, offices, and others following universal design? 

Principles of Universal Design

It is important for those designing a clinic, office, or other area to keep in mind who may be using the space – young, elderly, tall, short, and so forth – and ensuring that the following principles are applied in order make the area much more welcoming and fully usable.   

Universal design should consist of the following seven principles: 

• Equitable use – B useful and marketable to people with diverse backgrounds and abilities 
• Flexibility in use – Accommodate a wide range of individual preferences and abilities 
• Perceptible information – Communicate effective and necessary information to the user regardless of the user’s condition or abilities 
• Tolerance for error – Minimize hazards and the adverse consequences or accidental or unintentional actions 
• Low physical effort – Be efficiently used and in a comfortable manner with a minimum amount of fatigue involved 
• Simple and intuitive – Use of the design is easy to understand, is clear, and intuitive 
• Size and space for approach and use – maintain appropriate size and space for the approach and use of the design that will be implemented
  

Intended Goals of Universal Design

With any design, goals must be set and put in place to serve a purpose that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation.   

The following eight goals should be the ultimate focus of any individual, team, or organization when universal design is implemented: 

• Body fit – accommodating a wide range of body sized and abilities 
• Comfort – maintaining demands within desirable limits of body function and perception 
• Awareness – ensuring that critical information for use is easily perceived 
• Understanding – making methods of operation and the use of intuitive, clear, and unambiguous  
• Wellness  – contributes to health promotion, avoidance of disease, and protection from hazards  
• Social integration – treatment of all groups with respect and dignity 
• Personalization – incorporating opportunities for choice and the expression of individual preferences 
• Cultural Appropriateness – reinforcing and respecting cultural values, and working within the social and environmental contexts of any design project  

The ultimate goal of universal design is that it can be understood, accessed, and utilized to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of age, size, cultural background, or ability.

Healthcare Considerations on Universal Design

When contemplating the idea to develop a hospital, clinic, or medical office there are important areas to consider if universal design is to be followed.  

Space

The size of the space needed is a must as many medical facilities often take up large spaces.  Things such as physical space to see the patients is important, but also ensuring that there is ample space to store medical records and manage patient waiting rooms.  It is also important to think ahead about any future expansions that may be needed, and if so, is adequate space available. 

Cleanliness

Cleanliness and sanitation of the hospital, clinic, or medical office must be emphasized.  One must keep in mind how easy or difficult it may be to care for, sustain, and manage the cleaning of sanitation of keeping the entire facility sterilized.  Certain materials harbor bacteria and germs, and of course these would not be ideal for a medical facility. 

Accessibility

Accessibility is another important area as one needs to consider how individuals, an ambulance, a helicopter, wheelchairs, gurneys, crutches, and others can be accessible into and within the facility.  The ideas of accessibility must be at the top of the list and must ensure that ramps, elevators, and ambulance bays are in place for those patients that will be unable to walk right into the facility.   

Security

Security features is another important area as many medical facilities treat patients who may have mental disorders or those who have been injured.  Certain parts of the facility may need to be more secure than others to treat the patients and to ensure that safety is being maintained for everyone. 

Environmentally Friendly

Lastly, environmental impact is a huge issue and needs to be considered.  Many medical facilities have a lot of waste and use a large amount of energy.  By using solar panels or using environmentally friendly building products, the environmental impact that a facility has on the surrounding area can be enhanced.

The Bottom Line on Universal Design

As with any new design, there are many important ideas, thoughts, and precise details that must be implemented.  By using universal design, one is not only thinking about the overall design for the present, but it are also considering the design for the future and as growth occurs. 

Universal design is one of the most enticing and intelligent ways to approach any new design whether it be for an office, hospital, clinic, or something similar as it focuses on not just the “here and now” but the “changes in the future”.   

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