Benchmarking the Effectiveness of Universal Designs

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Evaluating the effectiveness of universally designed environment is typically done through case studies conducted by experts in field settings. The logistics and costs associated with field case studies, however, inevitably constrain not only the individuals who can participate, but also the environments that can be studied - further compromising case studies’ already limited generalizability and frustrating evidence-based universal design practice. This chapter discusses an alternative standard for evaluating the effectiveness of universally designed environments that removes these constraints and enhances case studies’ generalizability by moving them from the field to the internet.