“…As designers are usually not users of the environment that they design , there is a lack of empathy for and interpretation of the requirements of diverse users and, subsequently, restricted practical solutions. Because successful universal design is typically built on the basis of gaining a better understanding of real-user needs (Clarkson et al, 2007;Darses and Wolff, 2006), the ability to capture user needs early and correctly is essential to reduce late discovery and to increase user satisfaction (Arthur and Grö ner, 2005;Harding et al, 2001). Thus, eliciting, capturing, and describing diverse user needs are as important as focusing on the representation, solution, and optimization of universal design requirements.…”