Built Environment

SPAIN: The Extremadura Regional Government has signed a new agreement with the CB Foundation , the Caja de Extremadura Foundation , the Extremadura Federation of Municipalities and Provinces (Fempex) and the Association for the Care and Social Integration of People with Physical Disabilities in Extremadura (Apamex), with the aim of promoting universal accessibility in cultural spaces. The agreement has been… Continue Reading »

CANADA: More than a quarter of first-year students at Carleton self-identify as having a disability, and about 11 per cent have registered with the Paul Menton Centre for Students with Disabilities. An additional six per cent of university staff report having some type of disability. Ensuring that all of our students, staff, and faculty fully… Continue Reading »

British Columbia kicks off its third annual AccessAbility Week with $500,000 in grants to not-for-profit organizations for local accessibility projects. The grants, which range from $10,000 to $40,000 depending on a project’s size and scope, will be distributed by Disability Alliance BC (DABC).“AccessAbility Week is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate diversity and inclusion, and… Continue Reading »

City Hall on Monday unveiled a 24-million-euro project to repair and maintain sidewalks across Athens with the aim of making the capital safer and more accessible for pedestrians. According to City Hall’s statement, the project aims to fix and maintain 200,000 square meters of sidewalks over the next three years, using so-called “cool materials” which reflect… Continue Reading »

The Job Task Analysis survey is being carried out by IAAP to streamline the application process and scale the CPABE program. Target audience: individuals currently working in the built environment with a focus on accessibility whether through auditing /assessment, design, or leadership positions, those who champion accessibility and Universal Design. Survey closes May 21st. Please forward the… Continue Reading »

NAMIBIA: Imagine every day and every activity being a challenge or simply not being able to take part in everyday life. People with disabilities face this prospect daily, simply because buildings and infrastructure have not been made with them in mind. Leaving buildings, offices, schools, shops and infrastructure inaccessible to them because of lack of wheelchair… Continue Reading »

CHINA: China has on Sunday released a blue paper on efforts made for handicapped people, highlighting improvements in the barrier-free environment across the country. The Chinese Academy of Disability Data Sciences, the sole academy engaged in data on handicapped people in China, released the blue paper that was compiled by 29 experts from government, enterprises, colleges… Continue Reading »

NORTH KOREA: North Korea has adopted a bill requiring all buildings to be wheelchair accessible, according to state media.North Korea said the law would improve facilities for the disabled, Pyongyang’s state-controlled news agency KCNA reported Wednesday. “Construction regulation standardizing barrier-free buildings has been adopted,” KCNA said. The report added, “A barrier-free environment is an environment in which… Continue Reading »

THAILAND: The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has launched a program to improve flyovers in high-traffic areas with pedestrian crossings which will also include facilities to help the elderly safely cross Bangkok’s busy roads. The report says that road-crossing signals will be established along with flyovers with lifts for the elderly and disabled, particularly in high-traffic areas. Flyovers… Continue Reading »

INDIA: Vidya Sagar, the prominent Chennai NGO has finished a three-month course to create a pool of professionals who can support people with disabilities and the elderly to become independent in their homes. Accessibility in public spaces is coming in for attention and that’s needed and welcome. But what about accessibility within homes and other personal… Continue Reading »