Universal design as a means to creating a more inclusive society

Weall experience different and changing abilities throughout our lives. This is the shared experience we have in common. These changing abilities may be permanent disabilities, or they may be temporary.

This shared experience of diversity in abilities should be reflected in the design of all aspects that surround and shape our lives and, in the opportunities available to us. In most cases today, however, this is not the reality. Our society is largely designed for an idealised, standardised, fully able-bodied person. As a result, far too many are left behind, and we as a society fail to create an equitable framework for our lives and communities that accommodate our real diversity in abilities.

Universal design is a value-based concept that can be used to ensure equitable inclusion of people with impairments in the design of all aspects of society. The concept is embedded in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), which specifically obliges Denmark to “undertake or promote research and development of universally designed goods, services, equipment and facilities" (CRPD Article 4(f)). Moreover, through the UN Sustainable Development Goals, Denmark is committed to the transversal principle ‘Leave no one behind’, whereby no one should be leftout of sustainable societal development.

Therefore, in this PhD call the Bevica Foundation invites the development of new knowledge within universal design. This being both theoretical, innovation- and practice-oriented research. We invite applications from all academic disciplines that address professional and societal issues related to the equitable inclusion of people with impairments and disabilities, and that investigate universal design as a means to develop and address those issues.

The Bevica Foundation has set aside DKK 10.5 million to fund the PhD scholarships. The call includes both industrial and academic PhD scholarships.

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