The challenges of interdisciplinary research on accessibility in the built environment

Par Angelina COSTA, enseignante-chercheure à Université Fédérale de Paraiba (Brésil).

Accessibility understood as a category of the quality of the built environment, in its broad sense, considering the perception, understanding and use of spaces,from a user-centered design approach

The existence of spaces “free of barriers” does not contemplate the set of aspects that involve the accessibility in building environment. It is necessary to consider other dimensions: communicational, methodological, instrumental, programmatic and attitudinal; as important as the architectural one; and allow the user to understand their function, organization and spatial relationships, as well as to perceive and participate in the activities that occur there. Brazilian legislation provides for the autonomy of persons with disabilities or with reduced mobility, in the exercise of their citizenship rights. The set of researches developed by the LACESSE team studies the user-centered design process, considering its participation, as well as a multidisciplinary professional collaboration; in order to guarantee accessibility as an essential category of quality.