The Eight Goals of Universal Design were developed to provide a clear and holistic picture of what the universal design approach aims to achieve.
They are a combination of body awareness (Body fit, Comfort, Awareness and Understanding) and wellbeing goals (Social integration, Personalisation and Cultural Appropriateness).
Body Fit - Accommodating a wide a range of body sizes and abilities
Comfort - Keeping demands within desirable limits of body function
Awareness - Ensuring critical information for use is easily perceived
Understanding - Making methods of operation and use intuitive, clear and unambiguous
Wellness - Contributing to health promotion, avoidance of disease and prevention of injury
Social Integration - Treating all groups with dignity and respect
Personalisation - Incorporating opportunities for choice and the expression of individual preferences
Cultural Appropriateness - Respecting and reinforcing cultural and the social and environmental context of any design project
(Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012)
These goals underpin the Universal Design approach and help to deliver a broad framework for the design of places, systems, information, policy, and strategy. The goals enable us to understand the wider purpose of Universal Design, instead of just trying to address it through technical standards or a checklist.