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AccessibleEU debates about the importance of making Higher Education accessible

Event's banner with text AccessibleEU European Event. Accessibility and Higher Education. Wednesday October 30, 2024.

AccessibleEU, in collaboration with the University of Porto, has organised Accessibility and Higher Education, where several experts will debate about the importance of making Higher Education accessible. The conference, which is taking place at the University of Porto next Wednesday, 30 October, aims to be a melting pot of ideas and innovation, bringing together a vibrant mix of university professors, students, administrative and service staff, researchers, and managers from inclusion service offices. Furthermore, it aspires to sketch out a European roadmap for the future, advocating for a holistic approach to ensure that accessibility in higher education not only meets current standards but also anticipates the needs and aspirations of the future. The event will take place at the University of Porto, next Wednesday, 30 October, from 9:00 to 17:30 WET. Fuente: AccessibleEU Centre

Second edition of AccessibleEU’s online course “Accessible Technology Design”. Registration open!

This year, the course introduces a module on cognitive accessibility. Registration is open.

The 2º edition of AccessibleEU’s online course introduces a new module on cognitive accessibility. Students will learn about how to apply accessibility requirements to make designs accessible to people with intellectual disabilities and people experiencing cognitive issues due to other causes.

This online course will teach the basics of universal accessibility in digital environments. Students will be able to:

Define accessibility and inclusive design as goals to achieve.
Understand the principles of Universal Design.
Distinguish the differences between legal and technical regulations.
Know the legislation and standards in force in Europe.
Understand that accessibility benefits every person and that it is a necessary objective.
Learn that the limitations are in the design and not in the person.
Learn about errors in design that cause exclusion.
Understand why multiple designs should be avoided for the sake of accessibility.
Learn about the principles of Cognitive Accessibility and why it is important.

Registration is already open on AccessibleEU’s online campus, and students will be able to access the course once it officially begins on 9 September. After that, they will be able to complete it at their own pace. The course has an estimated dedication time of 25 hours and it is imparted in English.

New module on cognitive accessibility

This new unit explains how to design for persons with intellectual disabilities. Students will learn about the different characteristics of this disability which will be used as basis to describe key design concepts and guidelines.

This module will also show how designing for intellectual disability can benefit people with other disorders such as cognitive decline or acquired brain injury. In fact, everyone can benefit from this type of design as it promotes easy understanding and communication.

Additionally, a description of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance criteria that positively impact persons with intellectual disabilities is provided.

Source: AccessibleEU

AccessibleEU publishes the guide Getting to know the European legislation on accessibility

AccessibleEU’s guide Getting to know the European legislation on accessibility is already available for viewing and downloading in all EU languages. The guide offers a compendium of the most relevant European legal acts with provisions regarding accessibility, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The goal is to inform readers of what is covered by the legislation and who are the actors responsible for implementing it. It can be downloaded free of charge from AccessibleEU website section Guidelines and support materials.

EDF releases its EU Law Enforcement Toolkit

The document clarifies which mechanisms is the most appropriate according to the circumstances. Since enforcement is a combined effort of both European and National bodies, it makes a distinction between these two administrative and judicial levels.

During the Assembly representatives from Ombudsman team, Equinet, National Equality Bodies and EDF will be explaining how these mechanisms work and support people with disabilities and their representatives.

The toolkit is available for downloading from EDF’s website.

Principles of the Inclusive Circular Economy

The Inclusive Circular Economy is one more step within the current trend in the world of the circular economy, which is committed to a business model with a triple function (economic, environmental and social) to guarantee future sustainability for all the people of the planet. Its principles are:

Preserve natural capital. Make use of natural resources, such as tides, wind and sun, as they are naturally restored more quickly and impact less on the environment.
Inclusive participation. The circular economy generates all kinds of opportunities to include people with disabilities in the workplace. People with disabilities are an excellent asset that companies should not give up. Their strong commitment and motivation, their different ways of acting and seeing things make them very efficient workers and generators of a good work environment. The Companies that have people with disabilities in their workforce promote sustainability and social inclusion without giving up profitability.
Optimize the use of resources. We live on a planet in which the natural resources to which there is access are limited and likely to be exhausted (fresh water, gas, oil,…). Therefore, we must optimize its use and carry out actions that guarantee reduction, recycling and reuse.
Prioritize accessibility. In the linear economic model, speed and appearance prevail and there are many obstacles and barriers for people to with disabilities access the labor market. Prejudices, unconscious biases, training and information or the lack of accessibility, both physical and mental, stop companies from hiring people with disabilities. On the contrary, the Inclusive Circular Economy is committed to taking advantage of the talent and opportunity offered by people with disabilities. Universal accessibility is the tool to ensure that people with disabilities participate fully and safely in the world of work on equal terms.
Reduced environmental impact. The key to caring for the environment is to reduce the amount of waste we generate. The emission of greenhouse gases and CO2 into the atmosphere must be reduced, which increase pollution and pollution in cities and damage the ozone layer, causing a great impact on people.
Product repair. In general, all products, and mainly mechanical and technological ones, break down over time. But it is also common that, for reasons of fashion and marketing, they are replaced even when they are in operation or are thrown away without attempting to repair them. A simple fix or part change can keep them running longer. This action contributes to maintaining the circularity of the entire economy. It is important to prevent a product that can still work from ending up in the trash early; repairs and second-hand use should be prioritized. Furthermore, these activities would generate a good number of inclusive jobs.
Bet on elongation. Lengthening, which advocates extending the use of products with efficiency and correctness, should prevail over planned obsolescence, which sets an expiration or use date on products and invites them to change and consume quickly. In this way, the amount of waste is reduced. Furthermore, when creating products and services, ecodesign will be chosen, which is based on practices ranging from The use of biodegradable materials allows defective parts to be replaced or repaired to prolong the life of the product. It’s about people having fewer things, but they are more durable and respectful.

To carry out all these issues, it is essential to involve all citizens and have their participation. This activity must have a global conception and cover the entire diversity of the population without leaving out people with disabilities, who also have the right and obligation. Considering that training and awareness on the matter must also be done in an accessible way to reach all people.

Source: NAN Architecture

Accessibility in Open Space workspaces

Open space offices represent an innovative design in the world of workspaces.

They are characterized by the absence of permanent physical divisions, such as walls or cubicles, that segregate employees into individual spaces. Instead, workers share a work area common, creating an environment of collaboration and fluid communication.

These offices usually have desks and workstations distributed in a large, open space. The arrangement of furniture and equipment is carefully planned to optimize interaction between workers and foster a collaborative work environment. Instead of having private offices, managers usually work alongside the rest of the team, thus promoting a culture of equality and transparency. One of the main advantages of open space offices is their ability to facilitate communication and collaboration between team members.

Sensitivity and awareness of the needs and challenges of people with disabilities are essential to creating an inclusive and respectful work environment. Improvements to the limitations of open space offices:

Acoustic improvement. Noise is an important issue that can affect everyone who works in that environment, regardless of whether they have a disability or not. Some aspects to consider:
- Impact on concentration and productivity: Constant noise can make it difficult to concentrate and affect workers’ productivity. Background chatter, phone calls, clicking keyboards, and other noises can be significant distractions, making it more difficult for people to focus on their tasks and complete them effectively.
- Stress and fatigue: Persistent noise can cause stress and fatigue in workers. Being exposed to high levels of noise for long periods of time can increase cortisol levels in the brain. body, which can cause a general feeling of malaise and exhaustion.
- Difficult communication: Noise can make effective communication between workers difficult. Telephone or face-to-face conversations can be difficult to maintain due to background noise, negatively impacting collaboration and coordination between team members.
- Need for quiet zones: Many companies are incorporating quiet zones or quiet work areas where workers can temporarily retreat to perform tasks that require intense concentration or privacy.
- Mitigation strategies: Some companies are implementing strategies such as installing acoustic panels to reduce sound reverberation or using noise-canceling headphones for workers who want to block out ambient noise. Additionally, behavioral guidelines should be established to minimize distractions, such as limiting personal conversations in shared work areas. ISO 22955: Quality of open office spaces (published in May 2021) provides technical and methodological guidance on the topic of acoustic quality in open offices. It tries to provide a solution, from an acoustic point of view, to the coexistence of the two theoretically contradictory realities in the office: oral communication and individual concentration work. That is, it integrates the cognitive perspective of sound into the design and provides clear instructions and values of certain acoustic parameters, depending on the activity, in order to ensure high quality acoustic design. The standard is intended to support design and planning decisions from the conception of the office to its use. It also seeks to help the different actors working in the planning, design and construction of offices to provide users with a good level of acoustic comfort. The ISO 22955 Standard is not mandatory, but its application to carry out good acoustic conditioning in open offices will provide important benefits such as: increased job satisfaction, greater productivity, greater well-being and less fatigue, fewer errors and greater precision, reduced stress levels and increased speed in completing tasks.
The lighting. Correct lighting is essential to create a comfortable work environment. Natural light will be prioritized, so the tables will be placed perpendicular to the glass facades of the building to achieve maximum use, but without causing glare on the computer screens. Vinyl will also be installed on the window glass to protect photosensitive people. In the case of artificial light, systems such as DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) will be used that allow control of brightness and color temperature, increasing or decreasing the intensity automatically according to the intensity of natural light and personal sensitivity. . This allows for much more regulated and comfortable lighting and great savings in light consumption. You can also have circadian lighting that adjusts to imitate natural light, which means that the lighting works in harmony with our body’s natural circadian rhythms, achieving an improvement in mood, productivity and concentration.< /li>
The furniture. Harmony and order is essential. To do this, you must have ergonomic and functional furniture, height-adjustable chairs and tables, chests of drawers with wheels, armchairs for resting, tables for working standing up, poufs and stools, closets to store coats and backpacks and meeting areas.< /li>
The decoration. Using personalized, impressive and attractive decoration, strategic use of colors to motivate and stimulate creativity, using biophilic and sustainable design with green and wooden walls and recycled elements, fosters a healthy work environment that is respectful of the environment and that provides a strong corporate identity.
Accessibility. Committing to inclusive offices by encouraging the promotion of diversity of profiles within the work environment ensures that all workers feel valued and respected.

Source: NAN Architecture