universal design

a quality of a product or built environment conceived to make it optimally usable and comfortable for people of all ages and abilities. Universal design as a concept goes beyond mere accessibility and removal of barriers, in accordance with the mandates of laws such as the Americans With Disabilities Act, by emphasizing the inclusiveness of design to accommodate a wide range of physical and cognitive abilities. Also called transgenerational design. See also barrier-free environment. Compare design for adjustable range; design for the average.

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Psychology term of the day

January 30th 2025

oceanic feeling

an expansion of consciousness beyond one’s body (limitless extension) and a sense of unlimited power associated with identification with the universe as a whole. According to psychoanalytic theory, this feeling originates in the earliest period of life, before the infant is aware of the outside world or the distinction between the ego and nonego. Oceanic feelings may be revived later in life as a delusion or as part of a religious or spiritual experience.