Creation of a barrier-free environment as the basis for the full life of the disabled population

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Creation of a barrier-free environment as the basis for the full life of the disabled population

Olena Baldyniuk

Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, Associate Professor of the Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Work of Uman State Pedagogical University named after Pavlo Tychyna, Uman, Ukraine

Abstract. The article is devoted to the search for innovative forms of creating a barrier-free environment as the basis for a full-fledged life of the low-mobility population. It has been found that the low-mobility population groups include people who experience difficulties in independent movement, receiving services, necessary information or orientation in space, in particular, people with disabilities, people with temporary health impairment, pregnant women, senior citizens, persons with baby carriages. It is emphasized that an important condition for creating a barrier- free environment is universal design, the goal of which is to make life easier for everyone by creating communications and environments that are used by a large number of people of all ages, sizes and abilities.

Keywords: barrier-free, barrier-free environment, accessibility, low-mobility population groups, universal design, principles of universal design.

barrier free universal environment low mobility population full-fledged life

Formulation of the problem. The standard of living of any democratic society is determined by the place of existence in which it is located. The environment is a set of all elements and conditions necessary for human life, it must meet all standards of comfortable living. First of all, the problem of creating optimal conditions for life affects the less mobile population groups. An accessible environment for people with reduced mobility includes all the necessary conditions for such people to feel equal to everyone else and to be able to freely exercise their social rights. Therefore, the organization of an accessible environment for low- mobility population groups is a complex task.

Analysis of recent research and publications. The question of the architectural and planning solution of buildings taking into account the requirements of people with reduced mobility, ergonomic and other factors within the framework of the problem of creating a spatial urban environment for people with limited functional capabilities is revealed in the scientific works of I. Danchak, Yu. Sklyarenko, O. Prokopenko and others.

The problems of integration of people with disabilities and the creation of a barrier-free environment for their life activities, ideas of their social independence are revealed in the writings of N. Gadyrova, G. Ivashchenko, L. Kim.

The purpose of the article: to analyze the role of a barrier-free environment as the basis for a full-fledged life of the low-mobility population.

Presenting main material. Low-mobility population groups are defined as «persons who experience difficulties in independent movement, obtaining services, necessary information or orientation in space, in particular persons with disabilities, persons with temporary health impairment, pregnant women, senior citizens, persons with baby carriages» [8].

These include people with disabilities (with disorders of the musculoskeletal system, vision, hearing). The elderly can also be classified as groups with low mobility; pregnant women; children up to 7 years old; persons accompanying minor children; people with non-standard body sizes: significantly more or less than the average body weight, short or too tall; people who have received a temporary injury or are ill, etc. [6].

The causes of low mobility can be: industrial and road traffic injuries, injuries received during military operations, old age, consequences of alcoholism and drug addiction, various diseases and congenital physical defects, negative consequences of environmental pollution.

The main common features of low-mobility population groups are:

- difficulties when moving;

- the need for social support;

- increased risk of discrimination [2, p. 25-27].

It is this part of society that most needs improvement of living conditions. A significant share of these conditions is directly related to construction and is laid down at the stage of architectural design. This includes problems related to transport and pedestrian accessibility in the city, accessibility of social and cultural objects, leisure facilities, park areas and equipment of other places that remain difficult to visit for people with reduced mobility.

There are barriers that hinder people with limited mobility, namely:

- no access to websites (especially for visually impaired people);

- difficulty in obtaining information (missing subtitles, sign language translation, audio commentary, inscriptions in Braille; small, non-contrasting font of the texts);

- difficulty of orientation due to lack of information; poorly constructed premises or objects [10, p. 107-112].

The creation of comfortable conditions that do not limit in any way groups of the population with limited mobility is called "barrier-free environment". In Europe, architects and builders have long been applying the rules of barrier-free space design in practice. Today, this direction is also developing in Ukraine. Based on the experience of foreign colleagues, specialists try to be guided by these principles, adapting them to the conditions of our realities.

The lack of a barrier-free environment not only creates problems for millions of citizens, but also leads to a general deterioration of the well-being of every person. Problems exist in general access to infrastructure (both physical and digital), as well as in every sphere of human life, in particular, difficult access to public transport and objects of the physical environment, lack of adaptation of information, sites and applications for all citizens, public rejection, barriers in access to education, work [7].

Mobility depends decisively on the environment, on contacts with the environment, living and working conditions, as well as on the possibilities of movement in public places. Adequate public relations, an environment accessible and adapted to the needs of people with reduced mobility, devices and appliances designed to assist in movement should provide these people with maximum mobility, which is the basis of their independence and integration with society. The life situation of a person with limited mobility depends not only on his disability, but also on other factors. Willpower, other character qualities and personal traits determine the possibility of adaptation to a new situation. Individuals with the same degree of mobility, but with different personal characteristics, have different attitudes to life and differ significantly in terms of the level of socialization and adaptation.

Any environment that is designed must first of all provide the less mobile groups with the possibility of an independent way of life. Regarding the implementation of this task, only general principles can be recommended, which in specific cases should form the basis of creating an individual living environment in accordance with a specific life situation. The following aspects are important for solving this problem:

- mobility, its degree and radii;

- professional connections and opportunities;

- topography of the environment, the territory of pedestrian traffic;

- sphere of leisure and joint activities;

- service sector;

- specifics of resettlement (accommodation, new construction, reconstruction, forms of living);

- housing requirements for people with limited mobility [1].

When creating an environment for groups with low mobility, the use of technical means, auxiliary devices, special equipment, etc. is insufficient. Formation is always equivalent to the desire for expediency and integrity and requires combining individual experience with prevailing social views. In construction, not only the performance of technical and economic tasks is necessary, but also the functional and spatial formation of the environment. At the same time, it is impossible to establish single unchanging rules, and it is necessary to create well-founded principles that should be guided by all participants of the specified process [3].

In the case of the formation of an environment for low-mobility groups, the requirements of targeted design come to the fore, which make it mandatory to carry out sociological and functional studies before the project, aimed at determining the specific features and requirements of future users of the environment [1, p. 14].

In the urban environment, almost all buildings and structures represent a complex of various obstacles to the movement of people with reduced mobility. Stairs, curbs, vestibules, elevators, escalators, doors, corridors and other elements of building interiors and exterior spaces are difficult obstacles for these people. Currently, such terms as accessible, adapted architecture, universal design, barrier- free access are used to describe the elements of architecture for the needs of citizens with reduced mobility. Each of the terms has its own meaning, but they are often used interchangeably and sometimes incorrectly, although they all relate to the specifics of creating barrier-free access. When developing any project, it is necessary to strictly adhere to the principle of creating an unobstructed environment. This means that the architectural decision of each functional-planning and volumetric element of the building must be based on the need to ensure the possibility of independent access of persons with reduced mobility to all main and auxiliary premises and the corresponding equipment, as well as the use of the services provided by the specific object [1, p. 14].

The formation of the living environment of low-mobility population groups must be carried out simultaneously in the following ways:

- reconstruction, modernization, adaptation of existing buildings and structures in order to ensure the possibility of using them for persons with limited mobility;

- design and construction of new buildings and structures taking into account the requirements and needs of the less mobile categories of the population;

- formation of new and adaptation of existing landscaping elements (pedestrian paths, visual information, small forms, etc.) taking into account the specified requirements [5].

An important condition for creating a barrier-free environment is universal design, that is, the design of products and environments that can be used by people without the need for adaptation and special design. The goal of universal design is to make life easier for everyone by creating communications and environments that are used by a large number of people of all ages, sizes and abilities.

In April 2021, the government approved the National Strategy for the Creation of a Barrier-Free Space in Ukraine for the period until 2030, which defines the key priorities in meeting the needs of vulnerable categories of the population, the main problems and directions for their solution.

In this document, barrier-free is considered as "a general approach to the formation and implementation of state policy to ensure unhindered access of all population groups to various spheres vital activities" [7].

The universal design is designed for the vast majority of people. This approach addresses accessibility issues and suggests making all elements of the environment accessible. This can be achieved through detailed planning at all stages of the design. Universal design requires a deep consideration of human capabilities throughout life. Creating a universal environment for everyone means creating a safe and convenient, comfortable environment for everyone without exception.

Universal design is based on the following principles:

1) equality use of facilities and premises by all categories of users, so that additional, accessible facilities do not put individual visitors in a worse position;

2) flexibility in use, when the same device could be used by everyone equally easily;

3) simplicity, when the action does not require additional skills, experience, or knowledge of the language, but can be performed on an intuitive level;

4) perception of information and signals, including by blind, deaf or people with a reduced level of attention, with intellectual disabilities;

5) tolerance for mistakes, when an accidental or unintentional action will not create a great threat;

6) minimal efforts, when the device or element of the environment causes minimal fatigue during long-term action, as well as a small one-time effort;

7) sufficiency of dimensions and space, including a place for aids used by people with special needs, as well as taking into account the reach zones, which are different for different people [9, p. 47].

Another adaptation approach involves adapting the environment to the needs of a person with reduced mobility. Experience shows that healthy people do not think about the need to change or adapt housing for people with limited mobility so as not to deteriorate its appearance. The design of devices is mostly carried out independently, everyone finds a way and a way out in their own way. It is performed by unskilled labor without using large construction resources and funds.

Accessibility in the formation of the environment includes the provision of unhindered movement in space and the ability to use public assets and benefits. Accessibility standards vary slightly from country to country. Many countries have already developed their accessibility standards, taking into account best practice. In this way, unified standards are formed for a civilized country.

The implementation of the principles of universal design obliges to ensure accessibility in the state for people with limited mobility of the following objects:

- residential buildings belonging to the state, municipal, departmental housing fund;

- various administrative buildings;

- all kinds of cultural centers (libraries, theaters, museums, etc.), including objects of religious worship;

- educational and scientific institutions;

- objects of health care and social protection;

- objects of trade, household services, catering;

- financial and banking institutions;

- hotels, hostels and other places of temporary accommodation;

- sports and physical culture and health facilities, places of rest;

- objects related to public transport services - railway and bus stations, airports, etc.;

- stations and stops of urban and suburban transport;

- production facilities;

- buildings and structures of communication and information;

- sidewalks, street crossings, roads, as well as other territories and squares [4].

Ukrainian government has intensified the implementation of the project to implement a barrier-free environment in large cities for the modernization of real estate objects and infrastructure for the needs of citizens with reduced mobility. Thus, in many cities of Ukraine, programs are being implemented to equip underpasses and public buildings with ramps, handrails, and elevators. Tactile tiles are actively used on sidewalks, public transport stops, crossings, parks and squares. For people with visual impairments and people with a lack of hearing, bright yellow tapes are applied, sound notification systems for citizens are installed. Transport with a low floor runs in cities, stops are provided with interactive boards, special handrails and video surveillance. An important place is also given to the formation of a barrier-free environment for the development of accessible travel and tourism.

Conclusions. The modern practice of designing and building housing and the urban environment is still mainly based on ergonomic information about the "average" person in terms of his physical parameters and capabilities. However, there are categories of people whose opportunities are limited to a certain extent: people with functional limitations, women with children, people in wheelchairs, people of short stature, children, etc.

Thus, creating a barrier-free environment is extremely important for all members of society, regardless of age, social status, gender, physical limitations, etc.

The needs of groups with limited mobility in various types of services can be met through special measures for the appropriate arrangement of administrative buildings, cultural and leisure facilities, trade and public catering, as well as the creation of opportunities to use public transport.

References:

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