Abstract: Significant demographic and ideological changes affecting who we are, what we can do, and where we live require a world that is more accommodating to variances in mobility, vision, hearing, cognition, and manual dexterity. Universal design, in contrast to specialized design, is an approach to creating everyday environments and products that are usable by all people to the greatest extent possible, regardless of age or ability. Universal design implies responsiveness to the needs of diverse users. This paper explores how consumer participation is essential to ensure that design is responsive to user needs and that it is universally usable. Four areas of participation are examined: consumer involvement in defining user needs; consumer evaluation to inform industry and educate the consumer; consumer participation to impact regulatory requirements; and consumer assessment in design exploration and education. Moreover, consumer participation is a two-way exchange. It not only benefits designers by providing much-needed information for the design of products and environments, but also has direct and indirect benefits for those who participate. These benefits are also discussed.
Keywords: Universal design, Consumer participation, User needs, Design development
