The inclusive design movement is known by many names: design for all, universal design, accessible design, trans-generational design, participatory design, and barrier free design among them. Regardless of the nomenclature used, the concept distills to the fact that designs should function for the largest proportion of the population as possible. Architect Ron Mace, the creator of the term "Universal Design," was chief among those guiding the movement. As a wheel chair user himself, he understood the frustrations of an exclusionary world. He ultimately dreamed that one day designers might forget the term "accessible design," which invokes the idea of "designing for people with disabilities (PWD)" or "designing for the elderly." To his way of thinking, design that enables a majority of the population is simply "good design." We are at the dawn of that day. The inclusive design movement is transitioning from a "fringe consideration" into an integral part of the design process for the following reasons.
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