Universal design improves quality of life for people regardless of age or ability.
Ten minutes later, she strains the pot of cooked pasta and finishes preparing the evening's meal in time for her husband, Bill, to come home from work. After evaluating and getting to know the couple, Weiner was able to transform a living space into something truly livable. After practicing interior design for more than 20 years, Weiner went back to school to become an occupational therapist, and then combined her two professions into a business in which she could be creative and practice health care. Universality Through Design Design is a crucial element of our livelihood, a determinant of what we can and cannot do in our activities of daily life, says Patricia Moore, MA, Med, visiting professor of design at Arizona State University. 1 Universal design seeks to enhance the routine activities of the greatest number of people, embracing a wide spectrum of age groups and physical differences.