WHAT IS UNIVERSAL ACCESS ANYWAY?

Universal Design is the designing of products so that they can accessed by anyone, whether or not they have a disability. Universal Design is not a substitution for accessibility.

Accessibility is an effort on the part of the designers and manufacturers to design a product or building that can be accessed by a person with special needs resulting from conditions such as:

-Color blindness
-Deafness
-Low vision
-Language impairment

There are numerous steps that must be considered with the aid of an expert in order to make facilities and products more accessible to users.

-A thorough understanding of the complex legislation accompanying the ADA (American Disabilities Act) is required to successfully and legally meet their needs.

-All necessary changes must be carefully identified, planned, and budgeted.

-All reasonable solutions must be devised.

-Barriers to the changes should be prioritized and addressed in that order.

-All actions should be documented and constantly reevaluated.

-Put an action plan in place.

-Continue to follow the rules set forth by the ADA.