What are universal barriers?

In the previous step, we learned about how people can experience temporary or situational barriers to accessing services. These are important to consider, but we can also think about access in terms of universal barriers.

Graphic by Ute Schauberger

In 2019, the UK government developed this framework of 11 universal barriers.

This framework was developed by Government Digital Service to try and understand the barriers faced by service users, but they can be used more broadly. We call them ‘universal’ because they encompass all the reasons why someone might struggle to complete any task, from preparing a meal to using a government service.

Here are the 11 universal barriers, each with an example of what a barrier of that type could be for someone trying to access a government service:

Awareness

Being able to complete a task starts with knowing what your options are. Sometimes, people do not even know a certain government service exists, how to access it, or what support is available to help them use it, such as a phone help line, or advice pages online.

Interface & interaction skills

Being unable to interact with people or technology is a barrier to accessing services. This could be for health reasons, a lack of suitable technology to use a website or complete an online form, or there could be a language barrier.

Time

Researching services, gathering information or documents, completing different forms, travelling, and sitting on the phone while on hold – all of this takes time, and people sometimes struggle to fit these tasks into their busy schedules.

Enthusiasm

Some people struggle with the idea of trying something new, or asking for help when they do not understand how to do something. There can also be times when people do not see the point in doing something – travelling to a meeting is inconvenient, or it does not seem like a priority. All of this can contribute to people not completing tasks.

Access

Many people lack access to crucial steps in service processes. This can include a lack of smartphone or computer, but it can also mean lack of access to a printer for forms that must be completed by hand. People can also struggle travelling to different locations, which is another access barrier.

Comprehension skills

Comprehension means understanding. If people are not able to understand instructions – spoken or written advice, signage, instructions on forms – then they will struggle to use a service. This could be due to a language barrier, cognitive impairment, or even simply just not being able to read small text on a screen.

Evidence

Many people lack documentary or photographic evidence of their identity or address, which can be a significant barrier for accessing services. This includes a wide range of people, from those who are homeless or in temporary accommodation to someone who simply forgot to renew a driving license or passport after getting married and changing their name.

Self confidence

Some people have a lack of confidence in their ability to understand processes, complete tasks they view as complicated, or deal with uncertainty and learn new things.

Finance

Money concerns are wide-ranging. Some people are unable to afford a phone or a computer that can access the internet to use online services. Others might be unable to take time away from work to attend an appointment, especially if there is the risk that they may have to wait several hours. Moreover, they might not have a car or the additional budget for travel on public transport to get there.

Trust

Trust can be a very difficult barrier to overcome. When people lack confidence in others, in technology, in government, or the system itself, it can be very difficult to convince them that something is worth using and will be safe, effective, and reliable.

Emotional state

People often experience periods of not feeling mentally strong enough to take on a difficult task. This can be for a number of reasons, but it is often made worse when people feel alone and unsupported. Help needs to always be available for people in difficult situations.

As with all decisions made during service design, you should never assume what it is your users actually need. The examples above are just that – examples.

Always do the user research to discover who your users are and what barriers they really face, so that you can help them overcome them.

However, frameworks such as the 11 universal barriers can be useful starting points, especially when it comes to helping you design your user research so you can ask the right questions. We will learn more about this in the next step.