A Status of Universal Design in Danish Architectural Policies

In 2009, Denmark ratified the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and thereby acknowledged that Denmark, through policies, plans and programmes, is to work for equal opportunities for persons with disabilities and promote Universal Design in the development of standards, guidelines and e.g. architectural policies. An architectural policy is an acknowledged tool for enhancing the quality of buildings and their surroundings. An important quality of architecture is the ability to include everybody, regardless of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, culture or disability. In 1994, 2004 and again in 2014, Denmark published a national architectural policy. Inclusion as an architectural quality was included, but the focus and terminology changed with every new policy. Based on a desk study about architectural policies, this paper presents how Universal Design is included in Danish municipal architectural policies. On a local level, 34 of 98 Danish municipalities have formulated an architectural policy. None of the architectural policies applies Universal Design, but a few operate with the concept of accessibility, primarily focusing on accessibility for all. This paper discusses how the absence of Universal Design in the architectural policies can be interpreted and how Universal Design can be introduced into future policies.