ABSTRACT

This chapter discusses different features and challenges of universal design and the relationship between universal design (UD) and assistive technologies (AT). A vital principle is that mainstream information and communication technologies (ICT) shall always be compatible with associated AT. The chapter addresses the relationship between the two approaches, 'design for me' and 'design for all', by the way of discussing the space between the individual and the built environment when it comes to design and the positioning of the technology within this space. The space is located along a horizontal continuum between universal on the one side and targeted particularism on the other. The driving force behind the UD approach to ICT is welfare policy and an understanding of disability as a relational phenomenon. The chapter presents dilemmas, challenges and frictions between AT and UD, and UD can also be in conflict with aesthetic qualities.