Post-occupancy Evaluation Focused on Accessibility: Experience …
703
7 Universal Accessibility on UPF Campus
At the UPF, the concern with accessible routes on campus began in 2014, when the
superior administration understood the importance of the adequacy of the campuses
spaces to the new demands cited by the City Statute, the MEC Guidelines, and standardization. To do so, it would be necessary to meet the legal and social requirements
regarding universal accessibility, the democratization of spaces for public use and
democratic teaching in HEIs, responding to guiding principles for the design of an
accessible route. The Laboratory of Urban and Regional Studies (Laburb) was asked
to analyze the Campus I to adapt the urban space and buildings for accessibility.
The initial project work resulted in research on universal accessibility in educational
institutions, focusing on UPF Campus I in the city of Passo Fundo, State of Rio
Grande do Sul, south of Brazil.
The central campus of Passo Fundo University is a regional educational reference,
bringing into it vehicles from many towns of northern RS, from automobiles, buses,
and bicycles, besides vehicles for supply and load. Due to all these characteristics, this
campus becomes a reference as an educational institution in the state, with around 14
thousand students, considering that 26 present disabilities (visual, hearing disabilities
and wheelchair users). Counting on greater access and demand of students for college
education and to the system of campuses of UPF, it came up the need for adapting
spaces to the new demand of XXI century, City Statute, Guidelines of MEC and
universal accessibility. It lacked more significant attention to several legal and social
requirements with relation to accessibility and democratization of public spaces and
democratic teaching in the institution from these guidelines.
8 Methodological Research Procedures
To implement accessible routes on campus, the UPF Campus I Universal Accessibility Pilot Project was designed as part of the campus’s sustainable urban mobility,
including the adequacy of roads and public spaces, the adequacy of rides and access
to buildings and adapting the transport system to the principles of universal accessibility.
The methodological steps included: (1) Bibliographic review of the universal
accessibility standard, legislation, and reference bibliography; (2) Case studies of
accessible spaces in university campuses and urban areas; (3) Diagnosis of accessibility and urban mobility of Campus I; (4) Elaboration of urban design and detailing
of infrastructure models for accessible routes, sidewalks, ramps, bus stops, road
crossings; (5) Research of construction materials to adapt the campus to the proposed models; (6) Work together with the team of the construction sector to adapt
the designed models to the physical, structural, technical and financial feasibility
conditions. (7) Post-occupation evaluation of the adapted routes.
703
7 Universal Accessibility on UPF Campus
At the UPF, the concern with accessible routes on campus began in 2014, when the
superior administration understood the importance of the adequacy of the campuses
spaces to the new demands cited by the City Statute, the MEC Guidelines, and standardization. To do so, it would be necessary to meet the legal and social requirements
regarding universal accessibility, the democratization of spaces for public use and
democratic teaching in HEIs, responding to guiding principles for the design of an
accessible route. The Laboratory of Urban and Regional Studies (Laburb) was asked
to analyze the Campus I to adapt the urban space and buildings for accessibility.
The initial project work resulted in research on universal accessibility in educational
institutions, focusing on UPF Campus I in the city of Passo Fundo, State of Rio
Grande do Sul, south of Brazil.
The central campus of Passo Fundo University is a regional educational reference,
bringing into it vehicles from many towns of northern RS, from automobiles, buses,
and bicycles, besides vehicles for supply and load. Due to all these characteristics, this
campus becomes a reference as an educational institution in the state, with around 14
thousand students, considering that 26 present disabilities (visual, hearing disabilities
and wheelchair users). Counting on greater access and demand of students for college
education and to the system of campuses of UPF, it came up the need for adapting
spaces to the new demand of XXI century, City Statute, Guidelines of MEC and
universal accessibility. It lacked more significant attention to several legal and social
requirements with relation to accessibility and democratization of public spaces and
democratic teaching in the institution from these guidelines.
8 Methodological Research Procedures
To implement accessible routes on campus, the UPF Campus I Universal Accessibility Pilot Project was designed as part of the campus’s sustainable urban mobility,
including the adequacy of roads and public spaces, the adequacy of rides and access
to buildings and adapting the transport system to the principles of universal accessibility.
The methodological steps included: (1) Bibliographic review of the universal
accessibility standard, legislation, and reference bibliography; (2) Case studies of
accessible spaces in university campuses and urban areas; (3) Diagnosis of accessibility and urban mobility of Campus I; (4) Elaboration of urban design and detailing
of infrastructure models for accessible routes, sidewalks, ramps, bus stops, road
crossings; (5) Research of construction materials to adapt the campus to the proposed models; (6) Work together with the team of the construction sector to adapt
the designed models to the physical, structural, technical and financial feasibility
conditions. (7) Post-occupation evaluation of the adapted routes.