Built Environment

Project summary Objective This project seeks to elevate the level of accessibility currently achieved by new school designs. Outputs will include: Clarification and itemisation of existing accessibility requirements of the Educational Facilities, Standards and Guidelines (EFSG). Updated review documentation and processes to ensure existing requirements are being consistently implemented. New accessibility EFSG requirements to include… Continue Reading »

AUSTRALIA: The City has put its support behind the national Sport4All program, as one of six Victorian LGAs to sign up to the initial pilot in the state. Sport4All aims to help sporting clubs and schools become more accessible and inclusive to enable people with disability to have choice and control over where and how they… Continue Reading »

The New European Bauhaus is a creative initiative that aims to combine sustainability, inclusion and aesthetics. It is an environmental, economic and cultural project instigated by the European Commission. EDF is a partner of this initiative. We team up with the EU Commission, inspiring networks, associations, and organisations that are committed to act as promoters and… Continue Reading »

Accessibility Standards Canada is proud to release its second annual report, which recounts a year that saw real progress in advancing their mandate. The Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, tabled the report in Parliament on June 18, 2021. The annual report provides a detailed account of the department’s accomplishments, engagement… Continue Reading »

USA: Randy Dean’s passion project started three years ago out of a beat-up plastic suitcase. A strobe light screwed into a case, a 6-volt battery, a switch and Dean’s desire to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing evolved into the Beach Emergency Evacuation Lights System. On Friday, the Los Angeles County Department… Continue Reading »

KAZAKHSTAN: According to the Ministry of Healthcare, there are about 705,000 people with special needs including 94,000 children in Kazakhstan. Some 37 centers for adults and 23 for children with disabilities operate nationwide. Overall, more than 500 medical organizations provide inclusive health services. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke about the importance of the inclusive and public… Continue Reading »

FINLAND: The Finnish Prime Minister’s Office has commissioned a study on the status and needs of accessibility legislation in Finland. Finland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016. The agreement mandates non-discrimination and defines accessibility from a human rights perspective as a prerequisite for independent life of a disabled person.… Continue Reading »

GHANA: Government, in partnership with the World Bank, has handed over twenty thousand (20,000) wheelchairs to the Ghana Federation of Disabilities Organisations as part of ongoing interventions to improve their livelihoods and wellbeing. The manual and powered wheelchairs, to be distributed by the Ministry of Health through the various District Health Directorates, will enhance personal mobility,… Continue Reading »

Australia: A national reform to the construction code would require new houses and apartments to meet minimum accessibility standards, following a push from the ACT government. Most of Australia’s building ministers agreed to the accessibility standards at a national meeting on Friday. ACT Sustainable Building and Construction Minister Rebecca Vassarotti advocated for the changes to the… Continue Reading »

PORTUGAL: At the opening session of the second day of the high-level videoconference on the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030, under the Portuguese presidency of the Council of the European Union, Costa considered the adoption of this instrument as “a milestone in the construction of Europe”. The prime minister highlighted some… Continue Reading »