Universelt design

Temapakke om universelt design.

Theme Package

Universal Design - what you need to know

The further you explore this page, the more you will learn

We have gathered a selection of materials, experts and case studies on universal design for those who wish to deepen their understanding of the concept and how to apply it in practice. We have brought together the very best of what we know for you, whether you are entirely new to the field or already well acquainted with it.

Choose your starting point

A basic introduction

A more nuanced understanding

Advanced Perspectives and Applications

En grundlæggende introduktion

In the video, Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research at the Bevica Foundation, offers a concise and precise introduction to universal design.

Drawing on both research and practice, she explains what universal design is, why the concept is relevant today, and how it can be applied as a fundamental approach to creating solutions that work for as many people as possible from the outset.
‍

Knowledge Article

Make the World More Diverse through Universal Design: Four Steps to Get Started

By embracing universal design, we can shape our environments so that more people have the opportunity to participate and contribute. You can be part of this too. Here, Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research at the Bevica Foundation, presents four practical first steps.

Read the article here

Article

Universal design is a relatively new concept in Denmark. It concerns the creation of environments, products and services that can be used by everyone, regardless of ability or specific needs.

It is grounded in principles of accessibility, inclusion and flexibility, ensuring that design benefits as many people as possible without the need for subsequent adaptations.

Perspektiv

The article explores how a lack of accessibility in public spaces excludes people with disabilities from society, and why universal design is a necessary solution to ensure equal access for all.
‍
The article is based on an interview with Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research at the Bevica Foundation.

Definitionen af handicapkonventionen

Handicapkonventionen forpligter lande til at sikre, at personer med handicap har samme menneskerettigheder og friheder som alle andre, og at de ses som aktive og lige deltagere i samfundet frem for modtagere af velgørenhed eller behandling.
Den understreger, at samfundets barrierer – ikke individets funktionsnedsættelse – ofte skaber handicap, og derfor skal love, politikker og praksis ændres, så inklusion og lige adgang fremmes. I konventionens artikel om definitioner nævnes universelt design som en strategi, der betyder at udforme produkter, miljøer, programmer og services, så de kan bruges af alle uden behov for særskilte tilpasninger, samtidig med at hjælpemidler ikke udelukkes, når de er nødvendige.

Læs mere her

In the video, Valerie Fletcher provides a brief introduction to Universal Design as a fundamental design approach. She explains how Universal Design is rooted in human diversity, why the concept has often been misunderstood, and how it can be applied to create solutions that genuinely work for as many people as possible from the outset.

“Universal Design represents a view of humanity that recognises that to be human is to live with changing and diverse functional abilities throughout life.”

Camilla Ryhl

Research Director

Fra principper til praksis

I det følgende præsenterer vi centrale begreber, principper og metoder. Du får indblik i, hvordan universelt design kan fungere som et strategisk greb, et analyseværktøj og en ramme for samarbejde på tværs af fagligheder.

Der er ingen færdige svar, men vi ønsker at styrke din evne til at stille de rigtige spørgsmål og se nye handlemuligheder i dit eget arbejde gennem universelt design.

Universal design, and... Visiting Professor at the Royal Danish Academy, Jos Boys explores the concept of Universal Design.

Listen to the podcast here

Tools

Conversation Cards

In collaboration with DTU and the Association Folkemødet, the Bevica Foundation has developed universal design conversation cards that help stakeholders within the events and cultural sectors identify their blind spots and thereby make their events more inclusive.

Currently only available in danish.

Get them here

Artikler

Videnskab.dk

På Videnskab.dk har Bevica Fonden bragt flere artikler, der sætter universelt design i et forskningsbaseret perspektiv. Artiklerne formidler ny viden, konkrete eksempler og aktuelle diskussioner om, hvordan universelt design kan bidrage til at skabe løsninger, der fungerer for flere i praksis.

Find artiklerne på videnskab.dk

The Scholarship Programme

Tværfaglighed

Deltagerne i Bevica Fondens Scholarship Programme holdt korte oplæg under award ceremony, hvor de præsenterede deres forskningsidéer og centrale problemstillinger. Oplæggene giver et indblik i, hvordan forskere på tværs af fagområder ønsker at arbejde med universelt design som en fælles tilgang. Du kan se oplæggene på de enkelte deltageres profiler og få indblik i den tænkning, der ligger bag deres projekter.

Se alle profiler her

CRPD

Forpligtigelsen

Bevica Fonden tager Danmarks forpligtelser i FN’s Handicapkonvention (CRPD) som et fundament for sit arbejde. Når Danmark ratificerede konventionen i 2009, forpligtede landet sig blandt andet til at fremme forskning og udvikling af universelt designede varer, tjenester, udstyr og faciliteter samt til at understøtte inklusion og lige deltagelse i samfundet for mennesker med handicap. Det er netop denne forpligtelse, som Bevica Fonden har integreret strategisk i sin mission. Bevica arbejder målrettet med at styrke og udbrede viden om universelt design – et designtilgang, der sigter mod at gøre produkter, bygninger, services og systemer brugbare for flest muligt – som en direkte konsekvens af konventionens perspektiv om inklusion og lige muligheder. Fonden søger at omsætte konventionens værdier i praksis ved at støtte forskning, uddannelse, partnerskaber og offentlig samtale, så universelt design bliver en grundlæggende præmis i både praksis og beslutningsprocesser i det danske samfund.

Find artiklerne på videnskab.dk

Here, Marcus Aminaka Wilmont, Director of the Fashion, Clothing and Textile Master’s programme at the Royal Danish Academy, offers insight into how universal design can be translated into concrete practice within fashion education. Starting from a critique of standardised sizing and fit, he demonstrates how the design process can be rethought so that bodily diversity, materials and movement become integral to the work from the outset.

Examples from teaching and pilot projects with students illustrate how universal design can function as a practical approach to developing garments that accommodate a wider range of bodies and challenge entrenched assumptions about fit and clothing.

Begrebet

De 7 principper for universelt design

Principle 1: Equitable Use.
Principle 2: Flexibility in Use.
Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use.
Principle 4: Perceptible Information.
Principle 5: Tolerance for Error.
Principle 6: Low Physical Effort.
Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Læs mere om de 7 principper her

Begrebet

De 8 mål i universelt design

1. Body Fit
2. Comfort
3. Awareness
4. Understanding
5. Wellness
6. Social Integration
7. Personalization
8. Cultural Appropriateness

Læs mere om de 8 mål her

“When you bring people from different disciplines together, they can see things from different perspectives.”

Ed Steinfeld

Architect, Gerontologist and Professor of Architecture and Director of the IDEA Center

Fordybelse og viden – forskning, metoder og perspektiver

Denne del henvender sig særligt til studerende, forskere og fagprofessionelle, der arbejder analytisk eller akademisk med universelt design, eller som ønsker et solidt vidensgrundlag at bygge videre på. Vi placerer universelt design i en større samfundsmæssig, historisk og videnskabelig kontekst, og åbner for diskussioner om etik, magt, normalitet og deltagelse i den verden, vi har skabt. Vi har samlet det bedste af det, vi kender, så du kan arbejde videre med universelt design på et kvalificeret og oplyst grundlag.

In the video, Camilla Ryhl, Director of Research at the Bevica Foundation, delivers a comprehensive and coherent presentation on universal design. Drawing on many years of research and practical experience, she unfolds the historical roots of the concept, its core principles and its contemporary relevance.

The presentation offers a deeper understanding of how universal design can function as a fundamental approach to creating inclusive frameworks that support participation, dignity and equal opportunities for people with diverse bodies, senses and ways of functioning.

Book

The Sustainable Architecture of the Future Requires Universal Design

“The book offers insight into the history and intention of the concept, the relationship between architectural quality and universal design, and how the concept can be interpreted and operationalised,” says Camilla Ryhl.

Online lecture

“Universal Design and Human Diversity – a Danish Perspective”

Dette er titlen på forskningsdirektør i Bevica Fonden Camilla Ryhls præsentation på et webinar arrangeret af VIVE med titlen “Universal Design: From vision to practice in everyday life in the Nordic countries”. Webinaret fokuserede på den visionære tilgang til universelt design og omsætningen af idéen og værdierne til praksis i hverdagen i de nordiske lande. Camilla Ryhl præsenterede den historiske baggrund for universelt design og delte erfaringer fra Danmark.

Se webinaret her

Swedish approach

Per-Olof Hedvall

Listen to Per-Olof Hedvall share his perspectives on universal design as a value-driven approach that extends beyond technical standards and centres on participation, flexibility and culture. Drawing on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, he highlights who is included, who is missing,

Watch the video here

I denne video fra Zero Project Conference 2026 deltager Camilla Ryhl, forskningsdirektør i Bevica Fonden, i en session om universelt design.Sessionen giver en introduktion til centrale principper og viser gennem dialog og eksempler, hvordan universelt design kan omsættes til inkluderende løsninger på tværs af omgivelser, produkter, services og information.Sessionen er en del af #ZeroCon26, organiseret af Zero Project og afholdt i United Nations Office i Wien.

Reference List for Further Reading

Other good sources of knowledge

At the Bevica Foundation, we do not gather all knowledge in one place. Instead, we continuously refer to other relevant knowledge environments, research communities and sources that, in our view, contribute important perspectives, experience and new insights within universal design.

Center for Universal Design Australia - Australien

IDEA - USA

Institute for Human Centered Design - USA

KS (kommunesektorens interesseorganisasjon) - Norge

www.peohedvall.com - Sverige

Rumsans - Danmark