Seminars

This workshop aims to build analytical and technical skills of national personnel of selected developing countries, to study, assess and apply latest thinking on accessibility concepts and technologies in ways that both complement and are appropriate to national skills, needs and priorities.

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Related topics:

Introduction to Universal Design (distance presentation by Elaine Ostroff at Internet Accessibility - an ASEAN Perspective, July 1999, Bangkok, Thailand)

Design Manual for Environmental Accessibility (presented by Solidere, Beirut, Lebanon)

Environmental Accessibility and Universal Design in Developing Economies

Providence, Rhode Island, USA, 13 and 19 June 2000

The Workshop is convened by International Commision on Technology and Accesibility Africa Chapter (ICTAA) and the Southern Africa Federal Council on Disability (SAFCD) in cooperation with Adaptive Environments, to be run in conjunction with the International Conference Designing for the 21st Century II, and to be held in cooperation with the Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island (USA) from 14 to 18 June 2000.

This will provide an opportunity to interface with leading experts in inclusive design and accessibility policies, practice and education will be presenting, as more than 1000 people from 30 countries are expected to participate in the conference. The expected outcome is a forum for developing economies to engage with a rich exchange of views and lessons in application of accessibility concepts and technologies, which can be translated to a broader global framework. The participants of this workshop will be able to choose from over 120 conference sessions, in a variety of formats all designed to maximize interaction. This will have important multiplier effects in terms of further design, development, application and assessment of accessible environments appropriate to all countries. Workshop exchanges and participation at the international conference will contribute to further development of networks among the various communities interested in environmental accessibility and universal design in developing economies. Workshop participants will submit recommendations on options to strengthen national capacities and institutional capabilities to promote, plan, design and implement accessible environments for their countries and regions.

The Workshop will consider the following topics:

1. International norms and standards concerning accessible environments;
2. National strategies and policies to promote accessible environments;
3. Issues in national legislation and administrative guidance;
4. Planning, design and technical standards for accessibility;
5. Promoting and awareness and support for environmental accessibility and universal design; issues in popular participation in decision-making and public information campaigns;
6. Issues in monitoring and evaluation of accessible environments.

Invited participants will contribute a background paper to the Workshop, which would include: (1) a brief introduction to the national policy and programme setting for environmental accessibility and universal design; (2) the current national situation related to environmental accessibility, including significant examples of good practice as well as obstacles encountered; and (3) key issues and trends in planning and design of accessible environment.

This workshop is endorsed by the Office of Disabled Persons, the Presidency, Republic of South Africa and is co-financed by a grant from the United Nations Voluntary Fund on Disability as project INT/00/D13.

Copyright (c) 2000 WorldEnable
Last updated 06/26/00.