THE LIMITS OF ARCHITECTURE – CITIES WITHOUT BARRIERS

In 2013, the Czech Statistical Office conducted a survey on disabled citizens. According to the survey, there are over one million people with various types and degrees of disability in the Czech Republic. This may be the result of illness, congenital health problems or injury. At the next meeting of the Borders of Architecture we were looking for answers to the questions. What pitfalls do they encounter in their daily lives and how is public space prepared for them? 

Architect Jan Tomandl and athlete Zbyněk Švehla accepted the invitation to the debate.

The most common barriers to disabled people's movement in public space

People with disabilities face a variety of problems in their daily lives that are below the threshold of perception for mainstream society. These can be small things, such as cable covers at Christmas markets being covered with boards that are insurmountable for wheelchair users. However, it is often more serious situations where, for example, bus operators/drivers cannot operate the platform and refuse to help the disabled person. Platform control buttons located in inaccessible places can also be a problem. A positive sign is that passers-by often offer to help.

Wheelchair users use their instincts to navigate in unfamiliar spaces, sharing information on social media. For example, timetables with information about wheelchair accessible cars, about the accessibility of wheelchair accessible toilets, when the transport company publishes a list of failures of their facilities.

Jan Tomandl specializes in the architecture of buildings for Parkinson's patients. The requirements for these buildings are often in conflict with the standards because these patients have specific needs. In his practice he collaborates with the neurology clinic of the Charles Square Hospital. He pointed out that there is a lack of serious studies on the topic of handicapped or Parkinson's patients in the Czech Republic, and if a study does come here, its conclusions are not accepted in local practice. Masaryk University also addressed this topic in its analysis.

Zbyněk Švehl's family in particular helped him in the first period after his accident. His relatives rebuilt his flat and built a ramp to enter the block of flats. The freedom of movement in his own flat is essential for him, as is the possibility of going for a "walk" on his own. Sport allows him to put aside the feeling of being unfree and get active.

Is it easy to find accessible housing? According to Zbyněk Švehla, it is possible to apply for a housing allowance for the reconstruction of an apartment/house at the Labour Office, where the person is registered as a disabled pensioner. Prague also allocates special purpose flats. According to Jan Tomandl, special purpose flats are implemented according to the legislation in force. A disabled person applies for an apartment and the city gradually offers him 3 apartments from which he can choose. In the 1990s, these flats were placed on the outskirts of the city close to each other, special buses even went there. This created a feeling of isolation instead of the desired integration. Functional legislation only came into being after 2000, and the flats built before then are often outdated and their design flawed. In modern developments, it is necessary to think about the details. They have to have a slight ramp into the house, space for wheelchairs, window handles or breakers must not be high etc..

Which disability designation do the panelists think is the most sympathetic? Zbyněk Švehl doesn't like any, however "wheelchair user" is probably the most descriptive. According to Jan Tomandl, it is individual, depending on how sensitive the person is.

Recommendations for improvement and legislation

The first materials on this topic appeared in 1985, but they were only recommendations. Today, the implementing regulation to the Building Act No 389/2009 on general technical requirements ensuring barrier-free use of buildings is in force.

It is outdated in some aspects (e.g. it deals with payphones but not with ATMs), but it is basically well drafted. However, it lacks a control mechanism, a concerned construction authority to oversee implementation. 

The "paradise" for wheelchair users is the new department stores where most of the access areas are level and have accessible toilets. The situation is worse and more pressing for doctors, whose surgeries are not easily accessible or equipped to treat a disabled patient.

There is a working group at the Prague City Hall in charge of developing barrier-free accessibility in Prague (more about the "Barrier-free Prague" project). According to the project, by 2025 all transport should be barrier-free, including lifts in the metro and ramps to bus stops. This will certainly not be achieved, as some metro stops do not even technically allow for the installation of lifts. However, there are certainly efforts to change and remedy the accessibility of Prague for wheelchair users.

Grants for apartment/home modifications cover only a part of the costs, and they impose some difficult to meet conditions. In Prague the subsidies work quite acceptably, the situation is worse in our small towns, which often do not provide subsidies. 

Zbyněk Švehla often travels to Ostrava and he believes that wheelchair accessible transport is very well organised there. He is unable to assess other towns, he visits them for a short time for a specific purpose and therefore cannot make a comprehensive assessment of their accessibility. 

What is the position of the Prague organisation of wheelchair users? They have no role in the legislation. They provide a consultation space for architects and planners
and are involved in working groups organised by the city. However, they do not inspect projects and, according to the draft of the new Construction Act, they will not become an interested body in construction proceedings. 

 Jan Tomandl described the current reality, where there are many different solutions, but they are not always and everywhere consistently applied,
and so some spaces remain inaccessible to the disabled. The result is, for example, multiple primary schools where a child in a wheelchair has difficulty moving around, instead of easy movement in one well-equipped school.

Examples from abroad

Zbyněk Švehla cites good examples in Canada and the USA, where accessible toilets, good parking spaces and other facilities with wheelchair access are often available in remote places where one would not expect them.

Countries in the EU are addressing this issue through national regulations. There is a "European Strategy for Assisting People with Disabilities 2010-2020" (more here) and a number of standards that are considered to be compliant, individual countries have the option to incorporate these into their legislation. Good examples are Sweden (in terms of legislation and quality control of projects), Denmark, Germany and Austria.

Wishes for the future

In conclusion, Zbyněk Švehla stated that he is committed to the Child Injury Program. He describes to children at meetings in schools how he was injured
and tries to encourage them to be careful. This lets him know that not every school is wheelchair accessible. He would like to see a comprehensive view of the issue from the authorities and a complete wheelchair-accessible metro, electric wheelchair rentals and wheelchair-accessible intercity lines, which are almost non-existent today.

Jan Tomandl would appreciate a reasonable discussion on the topic. He feels the need to look for constructive solutions. However, it is not possible to find a blanket solution, as each disabled person is different and handles different tasks. It is therefore difficult to create universally valid legislation.