台灣推行無障礙空間已經三十多年，只不過，直到現在，社會普遍對於無障礙空間的討論，依舊只停留在輪椅族的需求層面，但在歐美各國的空間創作設計上，其實早已經朝向連老人、小孩、和孕婦也都適合的「通用化設計」層面發展。八年前，台灣的輪椅鬥士唐峰正，也從美國引進這樣的觀念，並且努力推廣。
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“我推崇腳踏車專用道，我在路上遇到腳踏車我會跟它打招呼，當腳踏車道愈來愈多的時候，我們輪椅就多了一條路可以走，這就是通用設計”
以改變生活便利性出發，通用設計比賽，唐峰正一辦就是八年。
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“通用設計，從字義上是通通都好用，它討論到第一個要公平，第二個要考慮到可以用各種方法用，第三個就是，它設計的東西是容易理解的，第四個就是你在使用的時候，它還會教你怎麼用會更好用，第五個是說，錯誤的使用，不會引發事故，還會恢復原狀，最後一個是空間的收納，跟適當的尺寸”
二十五年前，唐峰正投入爭取無障礙環境這條艱辛的道路，他走上街頭，四處勘查公共環境，對抗環境障礙的政策。
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“2006年我開始講論通用設計的時候，因為我就坐輪椅，大家都以為我講的是輪椅的事情，我即使去強化，我是幫助自行車，幫助孕婦，幫助老人家，當時還是非常地難”
新觀念要社會大眾接受，很難，於是小唐逆向思考，舉辦起了通用設計比賽
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“我當時從教育出發，是從各大專院校的工業設計或產品設計相關(科系)，去跟他們做推動跟說明，我們以辦通用設計獎比賽，用高額的獎金當誘因，讓學生開始去關注說，你的設計不應該只是很炫、很酷，應該要觀察使用者的需求，然後去幫他解決它可能的問題”
師大工業教育學系室內設計組學生簡伊汝，獨自一個人參加這次的通用設計比賽，她四處實地觀察，發現各式各樣的車阻，阻擋了機車進入公園，卻也阻擋了輪椅族與娃娃車，設計改良式車阻，成為她這次的參賽主題
透過辦比賽，小唐從改變年輕設計學子著手通用設計的觀念，在學術界，慢慢萌芽，進而影響政策，吸引建築產業的關注
[[高文婷 總工程師 台北市都市發展局]]
“通用設計重要的是，它的高低差必須要消除，除了入口進來是順平的之外，從室內到陽台也必須是順平的狀況”
從住家進門處開始，包括室內、廚房、廁所，所有的門檻，全都採順平的裝潢設計。
[[高文婷 總工程師 台北市都市發展局]]
“在浴廁的空間，順平會產生另一個問題，就是水的方式怎麼處理，所以特別注重截水的設計，像你看，它的截水溝就分兩部分，一個是在淋浴空間，第二道是在浴廁出跟房間之間”
住宅空間通用了，生活上使用的家具、櫥櫃，當然也不能有阻礙。
[[高文婷 總工程師 台北市都市發展局]]
“廚房空間最難的是，上面東西很難處理，所以我們有一個活動的廚櫃，所以就比較容易很輕鬆取用，上面的東西”
目前台北市有八十三間像這樣以通用化概念，設計裝潢的出租國宅。
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“像這樣的一個門，以前推門都很重，我用一隻手指頭，輕輕的，就可以把它推動了，這就是通用設計裡面的輕量化的考量”
許多人花積蓄買房，一住就是三五十年，從幼時推嬰兒車，到懷孕、年老後行動不方便，得推輪椅，所有住宅空間的需要，從蓋房子開始，其實就要考慮進去。
[[唐峰正董事長 自由空間教育基金會]]
“使用按壓開關的位置，一定可以找到一個取決於平均值，大家都可以用，更特別的是，它的按壓面積擴大，我不一定是用手指按，我也可以用手臂來按，這就是通用設計小小的一個改變，可以讓更多人方便使用”
從改變設計者的觀念開始，用有愛的心，創造無礙的生活環境，在逐漸步入老年化社會的台灣，通用的生活空間，不再是理想，而是實際需求。
an Tang, the chairman of the Foundation of Universal Design Education. Tang vigorously promotes the concept of universal design so that disabled people like him and anyone with special needs can lead easier, more fulfilling lives.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
I respect bike lanes, and when I come across a cyclist, I say hello. With more bike lanes, those in wheelchairs have another road we can travel. This perfectly demonstrates the concept of universal design.
For the past eight years, Dan Tang has promoted the Universal Design Award competition to spur innovation and greater convenience.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
Universal design implies ease of use, with the first consideration being fairness. The second is a variety of methods can be used, and the third is that the item is easy to understand. The fourth is that when you are using it, it teaches you a simpler way, and the fifth is if you use it improperly, it won’t result in an accident and can be easily restored to its original condition. The final consideration includes required storage space and the item’s dimensions.
Twenty-five years ago, Tang took to the streets to push for a disabled friendly environment. He surveyed all potential barriers and sought to promote policies which could overcome them.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
In 2006, when I began speaking about universal design, I was in a wheelchair. Everyone thought I was speaking about something specific to wheelchair users. I wanted to strengthen my message by saying I was helping cyclists, pregnant women and the elderly. Still, it was very difficult to convince them.
One way Tang began to try and persuade people was by hosting the Universal Design Award.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
I began with education. By working with industrial design and product design departments, I pushed the concepts that we were using for the universal design competition. I hoped that big prize money would allow students to understand that their design shouldn’t just look cool or be visually stunning but should actually meet the requirements of users and help solve their problems.
Chien Yi-ru簡伊汝, a student at National Taiwan Normal University’s Department of Industrial Education, participated in the competition. She undertook exhaustive research, later discovering that scooter barricades used in local parks also inadvertently prevented entrance by wheelchairs and baby strollers. She designed a new type of barricade which she submitted to the competition.
The Universal Design Award hopes to change design concepts among students. After impacting academia, it can change government policies and finally attract the attention of the construction industry
Kao Wen-ting
Taipei Dep’t of Urban Development
An important part of universal design is eliminating differences in flooring height. From the door and throughout the entire interior, the height should be uniform, including all the way to the balcony.
Door thresholds in the home should also be smooth, making it easy for anyone to move between the kitchen, bathroom and other parts of the interior.
Kao Wen-ting
Taipei Dep’t of Urban Development
In the bathroom, making the flooring a uniform height presented a problem of how to deal with water drainage. As you can see, there are two specially designed water drains, one by the shower area and one between the bathroom and the bedroom
Universal design is now common when it comes to designing interiors. It’s also applicable to furniture and cabinets.
Kao Wen-ting
Taipei Dep’t of Urban Development
The hardest place to design is kitchen space because items up top are hard to reach. We therefore designed these moveable racks which make it easier to grab items.
Taipei currently has 83 public housing rental units that were built using the concept of universal design.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
For example this door used to be very heavy to the push. Now I can use just one finger and lightly push it open. Making items lightweight is one concept of universal design.
Many people spend their savings to buy a house which is typically used for decades, covering all phases of life, ranging from child rearing to pregnancy and old age. The home must accommodate everything from strollers to wheelchairs. All of these considerations should be taken into account when building a new residence.
Dan Tang
Foundation of Universal Design Education
A button like this should be placed in an area that makes it easily accessible to everyone. Even more special is the expanded area. Rather than just using one finger, I can press it with my arm. This small change uses universal design to make people’s lives more convenient.
From changing the way designers think to creating barrier-free environments for Taiwan’s aging society, universal design is quickly becoming a reality and making life more convenient.
