Build for All: Accessibility for All in the Build Environment and Public Infrastructure

Description
Activity 1: Production of a toolkit (public consultation document presented in cooperation with the Committee of Regions in Brussels 16.01.2006)
Activity 2: Preparation of training material (public consultation document presented in cooperation with the Committee of Regions in Brussels 16.01.2006)
Activity 3: Validation and information meeting/workshop towards National Disability Councils (5.10.2005)
Activity 4: European launch event (in cooperation with the Committee of Regions in Brussels 16.01.2006 - with a supporting message from EC President José Manuel Barroso)
Activity 5: Promotion of national training workshops

Münster 6.04.2006

Gdynia 8.09.2006

Rome 21.09.2006

Barcelona 9.11. 2006

a short overview of the meeting can be found here: http://www.designforall.org/en/novetats/noticia.php?id=337
Münster 6.04.2006; Gdynia 8.09.2006; Rome 21.09.2006; Barcelona 9.11. 2006)
Activity 6: Final European evaluation meeting of the Steering Committee (European Parliament Strasbourg, 15.11.2006 with the support of the Intergroups on Urban.Logement, Ageing and Disability - with a supporting message from Commissioner Vladimir Spidla)
Activity 7: Project assessment (ongoing)

Open Call for Proposals for Transational Projects VP/2004/008 - Pilot Projects on actions to mainstream disability policies

DG Employment and social affairs - Budget heading 04 04 10

Priority Areas of Activity - Strand C - Promoting 'Accessibility for All' with regard to the Built Environment and Public Infrastructures

Project Title:

BUILD-FOR-ALL

Aims and Objectives of this Project:

to strengthen the communication between the principle stakeholder groups at European and national level in order to promote sustainable dialogue and systematic consultation between professionals and user groups on how to mainstream design-for-all approaches to the built environment and public infrastructures with a view to achieving the integration and incorporation of such approaches in the design process, the internal policies and modus operandi of the participating stakeholders;
the preparation of a Toolkit (or guidance manual) on accessibility / design-for-all to be used by local authorities and tenderers in relation to calls made in the framework of the EU Directives on Public Procurement (Directive 2004/17/EC, Official Journal L 134, 30/04/2004 P.0001 - 0113 and Directive 2004/18/EC, Official Journal L 134, 30/04/2004 P.0114 - 0240). The Toolkit would act to raise awareness among public authorities and other stakeholders on how to achieve accessibility to the built environment and public infrastructure specifically within the context of the new EU Public Procurement Directives. These EU Directives allow public authorities to include social and environmental considerations in public contracts on works, services, and supplies. Technical Specifications for public contracts should take into account accessibility criteria for people with disabilities and older persons, and these criteria and social considerations may be included as certain conditions in the final choice of tenders. The toolkit would be a guide to public authorities about how to draft the technical specifications for public tenders in a way which meets fundamental accessibility criteria.
to prepare and provide training material to be used by professionals in the field (construction industry, architects, planners etc) and local and regional authorities in relation to public procurement, accessibility and the built environment.
to promote exchange of best practice and effective dissemination of information among key stakeholders on public procurement and accessibility issues.

The issues and/or situation to be addressed, including assessment of why the project is needed:

As the EU 2010 Report explains, an accessible built environment is an essential and principle requirement in order to attain an equal rights based society and to achieve social and economic inclusion for all persons. Accessibility and design-for-all is of concern to ALL persons not just persons with disabilities. It is an issue which must be addressed holistically and requires coordination and commitment by all relevant actors.

There exists a considerable body of material which informs us on how to achieve an accessible built environment. The know-how exists but the know-how is held by a diversity of experts across the different stakeholder groups with little consolidation of the different perspectives and areas of understanding. The project will facilitate the bringing together of this diversity of information. The project will also address a central problem which is the lack of commitment and implementation of these best practice methods by decision-makers.

The EU package of Directives on Public Procurement provides an important opportunity to bring about concrete changes on the ground via the provision of a tool kit to be used by public authorities in order to guide them in how to identify basic accessibility requirements in a call for tender relating to public works, products and services. This project will facilitate the development of action plans, the setting of targets and evaluation of progress by local and regional authorities including commitments which can be assessed according to how effectively they meet the needs of the user.

At the same time there is an important need to encourage better and more systematic dialogue between user groups, notably disability organisations and older people's organisations and the professional bodies central to decision-making and the shaping of the built environment and public buildings. This is essential in order for the professional bodies and authorities to develop the most appropriate working methods and approaches to designing a built environment which meets the needs of all users including disabled persons and older persons. It will promote a better mutual understanding of the challenges the different stakeholders face in this field of work. At this time the communication between users and professionals is rather ad hoc and there has not yet been developed a proper system of information exchange.

There are three main issues / requirements:

The need to provide public authorities with guidance in the setting of essential accessibility criteria - guidance on the accessibility requirements to be used in the technical specifications - and providing a methodology for step-by-step implementation of the accessibility as provided for by the EU public procurement Directives;
The need to inform private sector and professional stakeholders about how to meet the demands of the accessibility criteria;
The need to bring together the representative disability organisations and older people's organisations from European, national and local level together with their counterparts from the other professional and stakeholder groups - the local and regional authorities, the construction industry, the lifts manufacturers, the architects - in order to promote and create lasting and on-going constructive dialogue.

Activity 1: Production of a toolkit

4 working group meetings to prepare toolkit involving core-group of transnational partners. The tool kits will be translated into at least the two main official languages of the European Union (French & English) and made available in alternative formats, including Braille and on CD-Rom.

Target group for toolkit: Public authorities

Toolkit contents. Below are listed initial proposals and ideas to be developed upon further by the toolkit working group:

Presentation of the relevant EU Directives, EU reports and other relevant documents e.g the public procurement Directives; Equal Treatment Directive; EU Lifts Directive; Commission Communication 2003 Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities: A European Action Plan; Report, '2010: A Europe Accessible for All'
A description or briefing, in accessible language, about the contents, opportunities and implications of the EU Directives on Public Procurement in terms of promoting accessibility to the built environment and public infrastructures
An explanatory document to demonstrate the connection between European and national decision making in this field of work and the wider impact of EU decision making on the concerned target groups. A framework guidance manual and code of practice to assist public authorities in the design of their public procurement tenders, the technical specifications, and in order to incorporate essential accessibility criteria relating to the built environment and to provide guidance on the step-by-step implementation and assessment;
To provide a reference document which supplies contact details and references for a wide body of existing material on accessibility and built environment issues and information sources on expertise present across the EU.

Activity 2: Preparation of training material

3 working group meetings to produce comprehensive training material for the benefit of professional organisations in order that they are made aware of the implications and opportunities provided by the EU Directives on Public Procurement in relation to advancing accessibility to the built environment.

The training material will be translated into at least the two main official languages of the European Union (French & English), and made available in alternative formats, including Braille and on CD-Rom.

Target group for training material: Professional bodies.

Training material content. Below are listed initial proposals and ideas to be developed upon further by the Training material Working Group:

Presentation of the relevant EU Directives, EU reports and other relevant documents e.g the public procurement Directives; Equal Treatment Directive; EU Lifts Directive; Commission Communication 2003 Equal Opportunities for People with Disabilities: A European Action Plan; Report, '2010: A Europe Accessible for All'.
A description or briefing, in accessible language, about the contents, opportunities and implications of the EU Directives on Public Procurement in terms of promoting accessibility to the built environment and public infrastructures.
A document describing the principles and meaning of accessibility in the built environment - the advantages of incorporating this approach into all aspects of work in this field.
Guidance on how to design public procurement bids in a way which best incorporates design-for-all and accessibility principles - guidance on best practice approaches and methods;
Guidance on how to set up action plans, targets and evaluation of progress in relation to accessibility and built environment.
How to improve dialogue between disability representatives and decision makers.

Activity 3: Validation and information meeting/workshop towards National Disability Councils

Workshop targeted at the National Disability Councils (NDCs) to validate draft toolkit and training material and inform them about the important opportunities the EU public procurement Directives provide in advancing accessibility to the built environment and how the national disability organisations must actively promote and raise awareness about the best practice methods towards their local members, the public authorities and make the necessary links with the professional bodies. This Workshop is to be held in Brussels and all the EDF National Disability Councils will be invited to participate.

Activity 4: European launch event

Launch of tool kit and launch of the training material. The target audience will be the principle stakeholders the public authorities and the professional organisations and disability organisations from across Europe. Great effort will be made to secure a balanced geographical representation at the launch. EU officials will also be invited to attend in order to be informed about the project outcomes. The event is to be held in Brussels with an audience of approximately 100 persons anticipated. Hard copies of the toolkit and training material will be made available for all the participants at the launch. Keynote speakers will be the principle experts from all the key stakeholder groups to explain the aims and objectives of the project and the way in which the project outputs should be used in the most effective way.

Activity 5: Promotion of national training workshops

Target audience will be the principle stakeholders, that is, the public authorities and the professional organisations and disability organisations from national and local level. An audience of between 50-60 persons is anticipated. The outcome of these events being to develop and reinforce dialogue and systematic consultation between national and local stakeholder representatives. The project is to fund the sending of appropriate expert trainer to the national events.

Activity 6: Final European evaluation meeting of the Steering Committee

Evaluation of outcomes of the project and discussion on follow-up.

Activity 7: Project assessment

An external evaluator will make an assessment of the project's results against its stated objectives by means of questionnaires and selective interviews with project participants and target groups. The purpose of these assessments will be to ascertain how effective the training and guidance material has been in promoting the project's overall aims and objectives and give some initial indication of the expected impact of the project among stakeholders and actors.

Project assessment activities will be conducted as a series of separate evaluations in conjuction with the project's draft outputs, workshops and dissemination actions followed by a summary evaluation.