As colleges and universities prepare for approaching federal accessibility deadlines, universal design offers an inclusive, proactive model for making policies, systems and job environments work for everyone. Universal design doesn’t necessarily focus on individual accommodation, but instead anticipates all varieties of human variation. North Carolina State University’s Center for Universal Design defines universal design as “the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.”
For HR professionals, universal design is a workforce strategy that embeds accessibility, flexibility and clarity into the structures that shape the employee experience.
Why Universal Design?
Universal design is proactive. Proactive design means fewer people need to request specific accommodations. While compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act is essential, employees often must navigate formal accommodation processes or disclose disabilities, which may be a professional risk in environments where disability is stigmatized or poorly understood.
Universal design is foundational. Universal design complements ADA compliance by reducing the need for individual accommodation through inclusive baseline design. When flexibility and clarity are embedded into standard HR practices, fewer employees must request accommodations to perform their jobs effectively.
Universal design is inclusive. Universal design recognizes disability, neurodiversity, caregiving responsibilities, language differences, and varied work styles as ordinary aspects of the workforce rather than deviations from a norm. Disability is fully integrated into equity efforts rather than treated as a separate or secondary concern.
3 HR Applications for Universal Design
1. Employee relations. From an employee relations perspective, many staff issues arise not from misconduct but from unclear expectations, inconsistent policy application and rigid systems. Traditional HR policies often rely on informal norms or manager discretion, which can unintentionally advantage employees who are more comfortable navigating ambiguity or advocating for themselves.
Universal design addresses these challenges by promoting transparency, consistency and flexibility within policy frameworks. Clear job expectations, outcome-based performance measures, and predictable access to information reduce conflict and increase trust in HR processes.
2. Promotion and performance evaluations. Performance evaluation and promotion systems represent particularly important opportunities for universal design. Evaluation criteria that emphasize visibility, constant availability, or subjective traits such as professionalism can disadvantage staff whose work styles or personal circumstances do not align with dominant norms.
Universal design encourages HR leaders to articulate performance expectations clearly, allow multiple methods for demonstrating competence, and align evaluations with documented job responsibilities. These practices support fairness and reduce the influence of bias while benefiting a wide range of employees, including staff with disabilities, caregivers and those in less visible roles.
3. Organizational culture. Universal design also contributes to organizational culture by shifting accessibility from individual responsibility to a shared institutional value. When systems and policies are designed to work for a wide range of employees, the burden of requesting support is reduced and psychological safety is increased. This shift supports retention and engagement, outcomes that are central to HR strategy in higher education.
For HR leaders, universal design functions not only as a compliance enhancement but also as a mechanism for building inclusive and sustainable workplaces.
A Scalable Approach to Inclusion
In higher education, where staff roles are complex and resources are often constrained, universal design offers a scalable approach to inclusion. Rather than relying on case-by-case interventions, HR offices can apply universal design principles across onboarding, training, performance management, and workplace flexibility. This systemic approach reduces administrative burden, limits inconsistencies across departments, and supports equitable treatment of the workforce. When adopted intentionally, universal design enables institutions to move beyond minimum compliance toward workplaces that are equitable, inclusive and resilient.
About the author: Rodney Parks, Ph.D., is registrar and assistant vice president at Elon University.
Share your HR success story. We invite higher ed HR professionals to submit articles on innovative programs and effective solutions. Inspire your colleagues by showcasing what’s working in higher ed HR. See submission guidelines.