Universal Design Score Calculator

The composite score is a smooth, weighted 0-100 blend across six accessibility dimensions, so a space can still score reasonably well even if one clearance falls a bit short. Meets ADA minimum is a strict pass/fail check that only looks at three literal legal minimums — 32" door width, 44" corridor width, and 60" turning radius — so it's possible to have a moderate composite score while still failing the ADA minimum check, or a high composite score built partly on other dimensions.

The six dimension scores are combined using fixed weights rather than a plain average: door width and corridor width each count for 20% of the total, while turning radius, hardware, counters, and wayfinding are each weighted at 15%. Doors and corridors were judged the most consistently limiting factors for accessible circulation, so improving those moves the composite more than the same point gain elsewhere.

Below 32" the score scales linearly from 0 up to 50 at the 32" ADA minimum; from 32" to 36" it climbs from 50 to 80; from 36" to 42" it climbs from 80 to 100; and anything 42" or wider scores a full 100. The curve is piecewise rather than a single straight line, so crossing the ADA minimum only earns half credit — reaching genuinely generous Universal Design widths is needed to approach a perfect score.

The composite score (0-100) is bucketed into five discrete tiers: below 40 is Below Standard, 40-59 is Bronze (meets ADA), 60-74 is Silver (meets Universal Design), 75-89 is Gold (exceeds Universal Design), and 90+ is Platinum. The tier gives a quick label for reporting or comparing design options, but the underlying composite score is the more precise figure when tracking incremental improvement between iterations.