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From user to citizen: Universal Design, belonging and the legacy of King Harald V

From user to citizen: Universal Design, belonging and the legacy of King Harald V The death of King Harald V on 28 August 2026 marks a long period in Norway’s inclusive history. His reign coincided with profound social change. Norway became more diverse, ideas about equality and participation evolved, and Universal Design moved from a relatively specialist concept concerned with accessibility to a principle embedded across legislation, public policy and planning. King Harald did not create Norway’s Universal Design policies, nor was he responsible for their implementation. But looking back following his death, there is an interesting alignment between the direction Norway took through Universal Design and the inclusive understanding of Norwegian society that Harald increasingly articulated during his reign. Both, in different ways, were concerned with a similar question: Who gets to belong in the ordinary life of a society? From accessibility to Universal Design Like many countries, No...
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Same but Different: What positionality can teach us about Universal Design

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  In August 2025, I attended a workshop in Melbourne called Decolonising Research Methods, led by Dr Bhiamie Williamson from National Indigenous Disaster Resilience (NIDR) at Monash University.  National Indigenous Disaster Resilience - Monash Arts The workshop was mostly attended by academics, but I wasn’t there as a researcher; I was interested in how some of the ideas Bhiamie was exploring might apply to my work in disaster preparedness and community resilience.  One activity in particular has stayed with me. Bhiamie introduced us to the idea of “same but different”. He explained this as a deeply Indigenous understanding, and as a way of exploring positionality. At first it might sound obvious - of course people are both similar and different. But the exercise that followed revealed how much complexity sits inside that simple idea.  Same but Different - a group activity In groups of about 15 people, we were given a large sheet of butcher’s paper and asked to disc...
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AI, Universal Design and Government: getting it right from the start

  Artificial intelligence is already shaping how government communicates, designs services, analyses information and supports decision-making. That creates real opportunities - but it also creates real risks. If AI is introduced without enough thought, it can make services harder to access, harder to understand, less transparent and less fair. It can create new barriers for people with disability, amplify bias, erode privacy and reduce trust. A universal design approach helps shift the conversation. Instead of asking only whether AI is efficient or innovative, it asks:  who might be excluded, who might be harmed, and what needs to be built in from the beginning so the system works for a wider range of people? For Victorian government organisations, that approach also supports compliance with existing obligations around accessibility, discrimination, privacy, human rights and accountable public administration. Current Victorian guidance on generative AI in the public sector, Au...
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The nexus between universal design, ethics and the use of Al

Artificial Intelligence is rapidly becoming part of everyday systems - from customer service chatbots and automated decision tools to content generation and data analysis. As these systems become more embedded in how organisations operate, an important question emerges: How do we ensure AI works for human diversity rather than reinforcing existing barriers? This is where universal design and ethics become essential. Both provide lenses that help us think more carefully about how technologies are developed and used. Universal design starts with human diversity Universal design is based on a simple idea: people are diverse . We differ in our abilities, experiences, language, culture, knowledge, preferences and circumstances. Good design acknowledges this diversity from the beginning rather than treating difference as an afterthought. In practice this means asking questions such as: Who are we designing for? Who might be excluded? What assumptions are we making about users?...
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  Designing for Everyone: A Guide to the 7 Principles and 8 Goals of Universal Design I. Introduction: What is Universal Design? Defining Universal Design: Designing for All, from the Outset Universal Design (UD) represents a transformative philosophy centered on creating products and environments that are inherently usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. 1 This foundational approach ensures that the diverse needs of potential users are considered and integrated from the very inception of a design project, rather than being addressed as an afterthought or through costly modifications later on. 3 The concept of Universal Design was first articulated in the mid-1980s by Ronald Mace, a prominent architect and advocate for people with disabilities. Mace's pioneering work focused on advancing the design of barrier-free buildings, laying the groundwork for a broader understanding of inclusive environments. 2 ...
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