Universal Design Conference

About Universal Design 

Centre for Universal Design Australia and COTA Queensland are delighted to bring you the 3rd Australian Universal Design Conference. After the success of both the inaugural conference in 2014 and a second conference in 2016, we have once again set our sights across the wide world of universal design. This year the theme is, “Home and Away: Creating Inclusion Everywhere” with a focus on housing and tourism. The theme extends to services, ICT, media, as well as design of the built environment and open space. This conference comes with a promise to broaden delegates’ thinking about the many ways UD can be utilised and applied.

Keynote speakers will cover topics such as the economics of inclusion, future transport, inclusive tourism, and house and home. These topics are accentuated by peer reviewed papers presented by advocates of universal design from across Australia and globally.

About the Conference

Universal design is a process of thinking and designing inclusively, whether it is a house, website, product, service, or a learning program. Universal design is itself explained in a diversity of ways across the world: “design-for-all” and “inclusive design” are other terms used. Designing universally means being inclusive of a diverse population.

Universal Design is an international movement recognised by the World Health Organisation, and the United Nations through the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability. They both cite universal design as a way to create greater social and economic inclusion for everyone.  Australian state and federal policy documents also recognise universal design as the way forward in the National Disability Strategy. With the roll-out of the National Disability Insurance Scheme and policy changes planned for older people, everyone needs to be ready to embrace the principles of universal design in their daily work.