Principle Six: Low Physical Effort

The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

Guidelines:
-Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.
-Use reasonable operating forces.
-Minimize repetitive actions.
-Minimize sustained physical effort (Story et al., 1998, p.44).


An example of stairs requiring high physical effort (Kocatepe, Ankara)

Design should have features that require little or no physical force to use them, when a low level of force is required; it should be used without assuming an awkward or hazardous body position (MOPD, 2001, p.24) But in the picture above, the stairs have no stairheads although there are more that 30 steps and it does not fit in universal design principles.