Universal Design: Book Recommendations
As you may have noticed, we love talking about universal design around here. We’re hoping you’ll learn to love it, too. We do a lot of reading on the subject, and we’d like to share these book recommendations with you. If you’re looking for advice on how to implement universal design in your own spaces, look no further. These helpful resources should get you started.
Inclusive Design: A Universal Need
Linda L. Nussbaumer
This is a handy guide for anyone interested in curating spaces that consider both accessibility and aesthetics. The book covers the benefits of an inclusive approach in the areas of residential and commercial environments, product design, and technology.
Linda L. Nussbaumer has a PhD in interior design and holds an NCIDQ certificate. She has written multiple interior design books and was awarded the Joel Polsky Prize in 2014 for the textbook, Human Factors in the Built Environment.
Rosemarie Rossetti
This comprehensive manual offers practical tips for making home a place that’s welcoming and accommodating to all. Whether you’re in a position to make small changes, take on a renovation project, or design a home from the ground up, the Universal Design Toolkit can help you through the process.
In the book, Rosemarie Rossetti draws from her own experiences, as she and her husband designed and built their home, the Universal Design Living Laboratory, which is the highest rated universal design home in North America. After a 7,000-pound tree crashed onto her, Rossetti became paralyzed from the waist down. She is an expert in universal design as well as a speaker, author, and consultant.
The Accessible Home: Designing for All Ages and Abilities
Deborah Pierce
This book leads readers through every step in the process of creating an accessible home. It dives into 25 different case studies, providing examples for varied needs.
Deborah Pierce is an award-winning architect who designs for all abilities and asserts that accessible homes can be both beautiful and functional.
If you’d like to learn more about universal design but don’t have the space or resources to access these books, we’ve collected some useful, free resources:
Creating Accessible Homes, HGTV
Americans Need Home Design That Welcomes Everyone, Architectural Digest
A House Built for Aging In Place, Fast Company
Photo by
Mikhail Nilov
