
Universal Design in Healthcare
A clinic, like no other institution, offers its services to people in different states, with different types of diseases or disorders, both young and old. The concept of Universal Design recognizes that each person is unique and has different abilities and disabilities, as well as vision, hearing, mobility, intellectual abilities, height, weight, sex, gender, age, ways of perception, communication abilities, and psycho-emotional state. In health institutions people are often in altered states. For example, they may be upset, alarmed, excited or anxious. Thus, they are likely to be less attentive and careful. Architects and designers of health institutions should take this fact into account. Universal Design approach is crucial in health design since it makes provisions for such cases.