I think universal design tends to be the domain of people involved in the disability industry, if I can call it that, the people who are dealing with specific issues related to disability.
In the Olympic Village in B.C., there was an effort to introduce universal design into some of the units, and because of the way it was handled, I gather it wasn't received that well, because the generation of seniors moving into those places didn't want to be seen as seniors when their friends came round. There's a version of universal design that is more gentle and does not preclude the ability to adapt later, instead of making something that is very obvious in terms of grab bars and things like that.
I think your point is a very important one: universal design isn't just about the physical environment. It began with the physical environment, but it's actually a philosophy, and just as the age-friendly community is supposed to be good for people of all ages, certainly universal design has the same potential.