The project of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities “Monitoring of barrier-free environment” is finished.
The presentation of its results took place on February 6, 2013. Office for the rights of persons with disabilities presented “Guidelines for monitoring the accessibility of architectural objects, buildings and constructions for persons with disabilities” and the instrument for monitoring of accessibility of construction objects for persons with disabilities and other categories of weak persons.
The coordinator and the participant of the project were the speakers at the presentation: employees of the Office for the rights of persons with disabilities, participants of the coalition “Accessibility”, invited experts. The coordinator of the project Galina Krot presented the instrument of barrier-free environment monitoring: “The instrument itself is based on СТБ 2030-2010 “Environment for physically weak persons. Basic provisions”. A person without special education will have difficulties in understanding construction norms. But the guidelines are written in such a way that you don’t need to have special architectural education. In order to hold monitoring you don’t need some special tools, it is enough to have a pencil, questionnaire, calculator, tape measure and a digital photo camera”.
Natalia Lazovskaya, BNTU teacher, Candidate of Architecture and invited expert said: “BNTU students who took part in tests couldn’t understand the problem at first, because it is so far from them. But those who have already become parents and walk with a stroller appreciated our “barrier-free” environment. A healthy person cannot immediately understand why 5 centimeter curb is a huge problem. I consider that it is necessary to run such tests and to invite target groups – persons with disabilities, cyclists, mothers with strollers. A person who faces this problem every day better understands what exactly should be evaluated and changed. That is why during the project we tried to simplify the questionnaire in order that everyone can use it notwithstanding the absence of architectural education.”
Galina Krot told about the further usage of the created monitoring instrument: “We are sure that the created instrument will be very interesting and useful to the society and the state. Our books and guidelines will be distributed in NGOs, centers of social support, some number of copies will be sent to different ministries and departments. It is important that the instrument is aimed at the usage by persons with disabilities. Now any person can test the object he is interested in without professional assistance. After the test a person will decide what to do with the results: to create a catalogue or a map, appeal to the authorities or to court. We say: “From accessibility to equality!” Everyone should understand that creation of the conditions for equal living is a necessary and important part of the existence of every society”.
We remind that the realization of the project “Barrier-free environment monitoring” has started in July 2012. The project is aimed at the creation of barrier-free environment monitoring instrument and its usage. In frames of the project coalition “Accessibility” and invited experts held analyses of existing instruments of barrier-free environment monitoring, prepared and published “Guidelines for monitoring the accessibility of architectural objects, buildings and constructions for persons with disabilities” and created the instrument for monitoring of the accessibility of different objects for persons with disabilities and other categories of physically weak persons.
