Principles of Universal Design  

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Thus, the seven UD principles speak of: 

  1. Equitable use – a design that also an item to be used by all, including by people in wheelchairs for instance; this means insuring flat surfaces, or access to elevators 
  2. Flexibility in use – a design that can be adapted to the needs of everyone 
  3. Simple and intuitive use – any item should be designed so that its use is as simple and intuitive as possible 
  4. Perceptible information – a design that takes into account the various channels and methods used by people to acquire information 
  5. Tolerance for error – as people are less precise than machines, design should take this into account to avoid harming people 
  6. Low physical effort – a design should not cause fatigue or stress to the people using it 
  7. Size and space for approach and use – enough space should be provided so to enable people to reach an item, to manipulate it, regardless of their mobility condition 

Illustration of the seven principles of Universal Design 

Photo source:  principles_ud.png (1502×1117) (wordpress.com) 

In their study “Universal Design Principles Applied in Museums’ Historic Buildings”, Filová, Rollová & Čerešňová (2022) analyzed the application of UD principles in 52 European museums, out of which 12 were listed as examples of good practice: Graz Museum Schlossberg in Graz, Joanneum Museum in Graz, Kunsthalle Wien, Vienna Museum of Science and Technology, Silesian Museum in Katowice,  Techmania Science Center in Plzeň, Archidiocesan Museum in Olomouc, National Museum in Prague, Kulturpark in Kosice, Slovak Museum of Nature Protection and Speleology in Liptovský Mikulás, Esterházy Palace in Bratislava and Old Town Hall with the Museum of the City History in Bratislava. 

Following the same idea, of the application of universal design principles in museums, Andrew Saluti, in his conference “Redefining Universal Design for the 21st Century Museum: Pedagogy and Practice” given as part of the ICOM‐ICME 52nd Annual Conference of 2019, even speaks of the Universal Museum, starting from the seven UD principles.