‘Design for All’ and ‘Universal Design’ share a similar inclusive design philosophy. “Universal Design” means the design of products, environments, programmes and services to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. “Universal Design” does not exclude assistive devices for particular groups of persons with disabilities where this is needed.

Terms such as "design for all", "universal design", "accessible design", "barrier-free design", "inclusive design" and "transgenerational design" are often used interchangeably with the same meaning.

This document does not cover management and maintenance issues, but provides basic information in Annex B.

All figures are provided as examples. They are described by their title and key and do not provide additional information. Some figures show negative examples to be avoided; these are identified by the insertion of a red cross on them. A list of all the figures included is this document is given in the informative Annex C.

In the case of refurbishment or adaptations of existing buildings or infrastructures, a specific study including feasibility determines the extent to which the functional requirements and recommendations can be met.