A Study of Current Tendency of Universal Design

유니버설 디자인의 최근 성향 분석 연구

The purpose of this study was to scrutinize the current tendency of Universal Design. The analysis unit was presentation in the proceeding of "The first International Universal Design Conference" which was held at New York in June, 1998. Sixty the presentations in the conference were analyzed using Content Analysis technique. The analysis criteria were academic vs. practical, themes, subjects, levels of UD concepts, design principles applied, and type of disability. The results were as follows. Compared with its early characteristics such as practical approach, architectural living environment, barrier free for the disabled, especially for person with mobile disability using wheelchair, and the emphasis of accessibility, UD characteristics shown in the conference evidenced a dramatic shift from them toward the new century : Its subjects became a wide range of people including the disabled departing from 'the disabled' only; The range of disability was expanded to include visual and audial disability departing from mobility only; Themes appeared very diverse such as both small and large scale environments, products, dissemination, and theory from the 'architectural environment'; Various design principles were added to early accessibility ; Commercialism was added to early Welfarism. Therefore, this conference provided empirical evidence that UD changed considerably from its early development in many aspects. It indicated the potential of UD as a big wave in the 21st century design.