Awareness and Capacity building for ChangEs in policy SchemeS for disability towards incLusive societies
People with disabilities, constituting around the 10% of worlds’ population, are an inseparable part of our society being in most of the cases excluded by social activities mainly due to the lack of information and the lack of the appropriate procedures that will promote inclusive, active citizenship. Under this scope it is necessary to […]
# 1 Municipality, Geographical Area (Town, Country, Population): Lucca, Tuscany, Italy. 85,000 inhabitants Website: http://www.luccaaccessibile.it/ Description (Accessibility statues – infrastructure, digital services, education and workforce, raise awareness campaigns) Member of the League of Historical and Accessible Cities (LHAC). Routes of the historic center have been structured and mapped ensuring accessibility to the history and […]
Inclusive participatory planning is a win-win process both for policy makers and planners and the involved stakeholders that are selected to join the decision making process. The benefits from planning perspectives are defined as follows: Stakeholders’ benefits include the following aspects:
Accessibility is a factor that should be taken into account in every aspect of the planning process and decision making in each municipal decision. Accessibility concerns may arise in the urban planning, public services, education, workforce, social and cultural life, tourism activities, etc., always defined by local needs and expectations of people with disabilities […]
The process during which individuals, groups and organizations are consulted about or have the opportunity to become actively involved in a project or program of activity (Chirenje, et.al., 2013). A policy maker is someone who creates ideas and plans, especially those carried out by a business or government (Mayors, school boards, […]
Raising awareness about accessibility and disability issues can be materialized into practice through various targeted practices and initiatives. Municipalities have already started integrating with their accessibility planning policy a wide range of strategies aiming to educate the public on related issues. Some indicative examples of effective accessibility raising awareness strategies are the following: […]
It is of paramount importance for regions and municipalities to make workplaces accessible and welcoming, and support people with disabilities in finding and maintaining meaningful employment. The essential elements which contribute to the successful creation of an inclusive workplace for people with disabilities are: Source: Employers’ Toolkit 2015, pp.16-17 For making workplaces accessible […]
Assistive Technology (AT) is any piece of hardware, software, equipment or product system “that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” (Assistive Technology Act, 2004) AT is a crucial element in digital access of people with disabilities. Many AT devices are like keyboards and speakers, they are peripherals […]
“Cities are not just complex adaptive or social–ecological systems, they are also spatial systems” (Hollands, 2008) and the accessibility and mobility in the public space is determined by the design and layout of the infrastructure (roads/buildings). These environments can either hinder or help people with disabilities to participate/be included. Problems people with disabilities face: […]
Why cities need to be inclusive? It is true that most of the cities worldwide are utterly unfriendly to people with disabilities. But some important facts have energized local actors towards an undergoing remarkable shift mainly due to the following aspects (Salman, 2018; Disability-Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development Network): Provincial accessibility standards: […]