Universal Design Guidelines

General Information

Universal Design is a human-centered approach to design that is user-friendly and equity focused. Universal Design principles provide products and environments that are accessible, more easily understood, and used by the most diverse range of people regardless of their age, size, or ability. When UD principles are applied, all people benefit from its ease of use.

7 Principles of UD

  1. Equitable use with no stigma attached.
  2. Flexibility that accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.
  3. Simple, intuitive use.
  4. Perceptible information such that the design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.
  5. Tolerance for error.
  6. Low physical effort.
  7. Size and space are appropriate for a user regardless of the user’s mobility, size, or posture.

UD Considerations for Accessible Presentations

PowerPoint Presentations

  1. Text considerations:
    1. Use font sizes of 18 point or larger
    2. Fonts should be simple, sans serif fonts
    3. No italics or underlining
    4. Do not write words using all capital letters
    5. Line spacing should be at least 1.5 point
  2. Slide design:
    1. Use a simple background with high contrast
    2. All slides should have titles
    3. Alternative text should be provided for all images and charts
    4. Information should be organized in short phrases or sentences and in bulleted or numbered lists
    5. Minimize the amount of information conveyed on each slide
    6. Tables should have headers, merged cells should be avoided, and content should have appropriate contrast
    7. Images should have alternative text
    8. Any imbedded videos should be captioned
    9. Avoid using color alone to convey information
    10. Animations should be avoided, especially those involving flashes of light
  3. Review your PowerPoint presentation using the “Check Accessibility” option
    1. The reading order of the slide is also available under “Check Accessibility”

UD Considerations for Accessible Documents

  1. Text considerations:
    1. Use font sizes of 12 point or larger
    2. Fonts should be simple, sans serif fonts
    3. No italics or underlining
    4. Do not write words using all capital letters
    5. Use bold or larger font sizes for emphasis
    6. Text should be oriented horizontally
  2. Document design:
    1. When appropriate, use headings and subheadings
    2. Use a consistent layout
    3. Use left-aligned text
    4. Provide white-space in the document to increase readability
    5. Images should be used sparingly and only if they are relevant to the text
      1. Place images to the right side of the paper so the reader is not disrupted when reading left to right
      2. Wrap text around the image

References:

US Department of Labor: Universal Design Resources

US General Services Administration: Universal Design and Accessibility