Universal Design is the practice of creating environments, products, services and information that everyone can reach and use with ease — regardless of gender, age or physical and mental ability, and especially people with disabilities. It is an approach that removes barriers and builds a more equal society.
Why Universal Design Matters for People with Disabilities
People with disabilities often run into limits when trying to access buildings, public places, technology or information. Without the right design, they end up depending on others or unable to use those things fully. Raising awareness of Universal Design therefore matters, because good design can:
- Reduce inconvenience and barriers — for example ramps for wheelchair users, or large buttons for people with low vision
- Increase social equality — so people with disabilities can join in activities like everyone else
- Build confidence and independence — people with disabilities can handle daily activities on their own
The 7 Principles of Universal Design for People with Disabilities, in Brief
Cibes lifts — designed around Universal Design principles for people with disabilities
1. Equitable Use
Design so that everyone can use it on equal terms — for example a ramp built to the standard gradient, so wheelchair users can go up and down safely and enter through the same door as everyone else, with no separate entrance.
2. Flexibility in Use
Support a wide range of abilities and ways of using it — for example lift buttons that can be pressed with a hand or an elbow, or voice control for people with limited mobility.
3. Simple and Intuitive Use
Design it to be understood without much explanation — for example wayfinding signs using universal symbols such as the wheelchair icon, paired with large arrows, so people with mobility or visual impairments can see and understand them instantly.
4. Perceptible Information
Deliver information through more than one channel, to suit every user’s limitations — for example both light signals and audible alerts inside a lift, so people with hearing or visual impairments receive the same information.
5. Tolerance for Error
Reduce the risk of misuse or accidents — for example automatic doors with sensors that stop closing when a wheelchair or walking stick is in range, preventing trapping or collisions.
6. Low Physical Effort
Cut down the physical effort needed to use it — for example automatic sliding doors, or door-release buttons that take only the lightest touch, ideal for people with upper-limb impairments and older users.
7. Size and Space for Approach and Use
Provide enough room for wheelchair users and assistive equipment — for example public restrooms with a full 360-degree wheelchair turning circle and grab rails in the right positions.
Universal Design for People with Disabilities: Examples Across Public Spaces
Public spaces where Universal Design for people with disabilities has to be considered
1. Train and Metro Stations
Train stations are public spaces that everyone has to use, including people with disabilities and older passengers.
- Entrances and exits: ramps at the standard gradient, and automatic doors wide enough for a powered wheelchair
- Wayfinding signs: large type, contrasting colours and universal symbols
- Platforms: tactile paving to warn of the distance to the edge, plus handrails for older passengers
- Wheelchair lifts : wide enough for a wheelchair and a companion, with buttons in Braille and clear audio announcements
Wheelchair lift example: Cibes UNO
Cibes Lift UNO
A screw-driven lift glazed on every side, with an exceptionally strong and durable steel structure, a 1300 mm High-back wall, and European safety standard EN81-41. It is another model with a push-button control panel finished in tactile Braille, making it especially suitable for people with visual impairments. There are up to 41 lift sizes to choose from, and the Scandinavian design suits a wide range of homes.
Cibes Lift UNO
2. Shopping Malls
Spaces where everyone should be able to shop and relax on equal terms.
- Entrance: automatic sliding doors and a level route connecting from the accessible parking bays
- Walkways: wide and even, with no obstructions or changes in level
- Lifts: buttons at a height wheelchair users can reach, with audio and visual cues
- Public restrooms: a dedicated accessible cubicle with grab rails, non-slip flooring and a 360° wheelchair turning circle
Design like this lets people with disabilities and older visitors use the facilities without depending on anyone else.
3. Public Parks and Gardens
Places to relax that should be open to everyone.
- Paths: even and wide, with no raised edges, finished in non-slip materials
- Rest points: benches with space alongside to park a wheelchair, and shade over the seating
- Wayfinding signs: contrasting colours, large type and a tactile map for people with visual impairments
- Restrooms and entrances: a ramp from the car park and restrooms that accommodate wheelchair users
Design like this lets everyone — especially people with physical disabilities and older visitors — enjoy nature on equal terms.
4. Hospitals
Places where everyone has to be able to reach care safely.
- Entrance: a standard-gradient ramp and automatic doors for wheelchair users
- Examination and patient rooms: height-adjustable tables and beds, clear space around the bed for wheelchair access, and a nurse call button reachable from the bed
- Wayfinding signs: contrasting colours, large type and clear audio announcements
- Lifts: wide, with handrails, Braille buttons and a voice announcement at every floor
These details make sure people with disabilities and patients with physical limitations receive care on equal terms.
Example of a large lift that fits a hospital bed: Cibes Extra
Cibes Extra — a hospital lift
A screw-driven lift glazed on three sides. What makes this model special is its load capacity of up to 500 kg and as much as 1,000 kg, available in just 4 sizes. It is another model with a push-button control panel — large and clearly visible, in line with Thai regulations.
Cibes Extra installed at Phramongkutklao Hospital
The Cibes Extra floor comes in two finishes — aluminium and vinyl — which makes it well suited to hospitals, where the lift has to carry the weight of a patient bed.
5. Office Buildings and Government Offices
A Cibes Lift installed in an office
Spaces every group of people should be able to reach and use on equal terms.
- Entrance: a ramp and automatic doors for wheelchair users
- Service counters: built at two heights, so wheelchair users can be served comfortably
- Lifts and stairs: handrails, lift buttons within reach, and a voice announcement at every floor
- Restrooms: the accessible cubicle has grab rails, non-slip flooring and room to turn a wheelchair
- Alarm systems: both audible signals and flashing lights, so everyone is alerted
Design like this turns an office into a place where everyone can work and be served on equal terms.
