Research project assesses accessibility legislation and policy needs in the built environment
The Finnish Prime Minister’s Office has commissioned a study on the status and needs of accessibility legislation in Finland.
Finland ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2016.
The agreement mandates non-discrimination and defines accessibility from a human rights perspective as a prerequisite for independent life of a disabled person. The UN treaty mandates signatories to develop and enforce minimum accessibility standards to provide equal access to all built outdoor areas and buildings.
The Finnish Government Decree on Accessibility of Buildings which was enacted in the beginning of 2018, forms part of the national implementation of the UN Convention and sets a baseline of minimum standards. The decree clarifies accessibility requirements for land use, building sites and construction. There is, however, no regulation specifying accessibility of public outdoor areas. More information is therefore needed to determine the accessibility legislation and policy needs in order to meet the obligations of the UN Convention.
There is also no overall status reporting or data collection of the state of accessibility of the built environment in Finland. Some studies have been carried out on accessibility of residential building stock, but there is no comprehensive information on for example accessibility of public spaces or amenities.
The study reviews existing legislation on accessibility in the built environment from the perspective of the obligations of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. In addition, it includes a review of the current state of accessibility of the built environment in Finland through statistics, surveys and a subject matter expert panel. To document and review international best practices the study also includes a comparison of select accessibility practices in the Nordic countries, Canada and select central European countries. The international scan is carried out by the Inclusive Design Research Center at OCADU, Toronto.
The project started in March, and the results will be published in November 2021. The principal investigator is Professor Laura Arpiainen from Aalto University's Sotera research group. The team also includes accessibility specialist Satu Wäre-Åkerblom from Helsinki and Dr. Vera Roberts from OCAD University's Inclusive Design Research Center in Toronto.
Contacts:
Laura Arpiainen, Professor, Aalto University, laura.arpiainen@aalto.fi
Satu Wäre-Åkerblom, Accessibility specialist, Åkerblom Architects, satu.wareakerblom@gmail.com
Niina Kilpelä, Senior Architect, Ministry of the Environment, niina.kilpela@ym.fi
Read more news
New macular degeneration treatment the first to halt disease’s progression
Aalto University researchers have uncovered a promising way to treat the dry form of the age- related macular degeneration (AMD) in the early diagnosis phase that could potentially stop its progression. The novel treatment approach aims to strengthen the protective mechanisms of affected cells using heat, explains Professor Ari Koskelainen.
AI use makes us overestimate our cognitive performance
New research warns we shouldn’t blindly trust Large Language Models with logical reasoning –– stopping at one prompt limits ChatGPT’s usefulness more than users realise.
Publishing Research Data Alongside Research Articles
Data availability statements are increasingly required by scientific journals. They include information on what data are available, where they can be found, and any applicable access terms