"Universal design" is fancy terminology for products created to assist people who may have difficulty with their hearing, vision, memory,
mobility, and more. Based on a nationally accepted standard of seven design principles, these products accommodate a wide range of abilities and continue to meet the needs of people as their abilities change. They are intended to benefit everyone, not just the elderly or physically challenged. These products and designs are comfortable to use, convenient and safe.

These products can accommodate a wide range of abilities and are intended to benefit everyone, not just the elderly or physically challenged. They are comfortable to use, convenient and safe.

Often people think it will cost thousands of dollars to retrofit an existing home to be more usable for someone who has physical challenges. Some changes, such as redesigning entrances to provide an alternative to steps and widening doorways is costly. However, replacing door knobs with lever door handles makes accessibility much easier. This isn't expensive and provides a person with arthritis or a busy homemaker with an armful of laundry a much easier option.

Single-lever controls compared to dual controls on kitchen and lavatory faucets provide easier usage and make adjustment of water temperature and output simple.

Compare products you are considering for safe and easy use. For example, if you were buying a rain gauge, look for one that is large with large print. A more traditionally designed gauge will be smaller with small print that is harder to read at a distance. A universal designed calculator will have large buttons making it easier to enter numbers accurately. It will also have a high contrast and large display so that it is easy to read. By comparison, the more traditionally designed calculator will have small buttons and a low contrast and small display making numbers more difficult to see.

Kitchen tools need to be easy to use. For example, a standard vegetable peeler is often a small, metal-handle tool that can be slippery and uncomfortable to grip. A universal design peeler will have a cushioned handle that is comfortable to grip. A standard measuring cup will often have small lettering making it difficult to read. A universal designed measuring cup will be easy to read and you can see accurate measurements when the cup is sitting on the counter.