What is universal design in the context of map accessibility?

Universal design in map accessibility is an aspirational approach originating from architecture that focuses on making maps usable by all people to the greatest extent possible. Rather than just addressing blindness, it considers a broader range of impairments including common vision problems and cognitive challenges. Amanda Tickner emphasizes this paradigm as a goal rather than a specific set of guidelines, recognizing limitations while striving for improvement. This approach prioritizes enhancing comprehensibility for everyone instead of merely accommodating regulations, making it a more effective framework than focusing on specific disabilities alone.