Project

Context, objectives, target audience.

 

Context
 

On 15^th February 2000 the Council of Europe adopted a resolution to introduce the principles of ìUniversal Designî to school programmes for professions involved in the built environment (Resolution ResAP 2000).

On 25^th ad 26^th April 2001 this resolution was approved at a meeting of European experts in accessibility. This meeting was organised under the Swedish Presidency of the European Union at Linkoebing.

Despite this new European legislation in favour of accessible architecture and Design for All, few training schemes are officially organised to provide the necessary knowledge to apply these laws and standards. Architects and authors of projects are the first to admit their lack of knowledge in this field. Yet accessibility is not something that can be improvised; it depends on definite standards.

The Aaoutils project is designed to fill this void by designing teaching tools that can provide a basis for specific professional training in architecture.

 

Objectives
 

The main objective of the Aaoutils project is to design innovative teaching tools based on the concept of architecture accessible to all (and thus also to handicapped or people or people with limited mobility) in an extension of the spirit of ìDesign for Allî. Using these tools, training schemes can be implemented both at nationwide and at the European level.

These tools should indirectly help to integrate handicapped people socially and professionally, which will make it possible to:

• Make architects and architectural students aware of aspects of accessibility and Design for All,

• Increase the number of young handicapped people in schools and universities. At present lack of accessibility to premises prevent many of them from attending the courses they wish.

• Provide better access to jobs for handicapped people by removing architectural barriers on working premises and access networks.

Accessibility must be made a priority architectural criterion, just like market criteria such as financial considerations, heritage conservation, the environment, energy saving, etc..

 
Target audience
 

In its initial stage this project is targeted at three categories of people:

• Architectural students

• Practising architects, in the context of ongoing training

• Architectural teachers

However the project has a great potential for extension to:

• Engineers and other construction professionals

• Designers

• Promoters, financial backers and housing authorities

• Ministries and the civil service

• Concerned handicapped persons

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