Universal design in diabetes: An idea whose time has come

Purpose—The purpose of this article is to introduce diabetes educators to the emerging concept of Universal Design (UD): the design of products, environments, and services to be used by persons with a wide range of abilities, without needing adaptation or specialized design. Method—Drawing from the use of the term “Universal Design” in a variety of types of writing, this article covers: definition of UD, contrast of “average person design” with UD, and implications for diabetes self-management education (DSME). Summary—Implications for DSME are: (1) Diabetes consumer medical devices (such as blood glucose meters and insulin pumps) can be designed using UD principles, with a goal of successful use by the largest number of persons possible; and (2) Diabetes educators can use UD principles in the design of diabetes education programs to reach the largest number of learners possible without the need for special accommodations. Conclusions—Adoption of UD principles by designers of diabetes medical devices could benefit persons with disabilities, increase the potential market for the manufacturer, and have unexpected benefits for people of average abilities. Adoption of UD principles for DSME programs would not require a paradigm change, since diabetes educators already do many activities that could contribute to UD of an education program. By replacing “average person design” of DSME programs with UD, diabetes educators can promote full participation in DSME for individuals with the wide range of abilities normally present in target populations, without the need for added adaptations or specialized design.