Description
The project focuses on Universal Design (UD) as a new approach and a new way of thinking, which has already been developed in Western Europe for decades, while Latvia has faced this term very recently. The project is very important for Latvia in terms of a new Building Law, which anticipates consultations with organizations representing persons with disabilities. Overall aim of the project is to promote growth of welfare, strengthen democratic values and human rights in Latvia by creating understanding of UD with the help of trained experts and multiplicators. The direct aim of the project is to develop ideas of UD, educate and train UD experts as well as to make activities to promote UD in real live and real environment. The main target group of this project are people with disabilities who will benefit the most from this project in long-term. The role of the project partner will be providing support, consultations, as well as educate and transfer of good practice. The benefits of the partnership will be new, innovative knowledge and experience that can be used in a long-term.
Summary of project results
The project aimed to develop a Universal Design (UD) ideas, educate and train UD experts, as well as implementation of UD activities in real life. The target group was the social exclusion and poverty and at risk people, including 1000 people with disabilities. As well as NGOs representing the above groups of people's rights and interests, including 20 employees. The original intention of the project was to create a long - term reproducible results, which successfully conducted. Nearly guests of trained experts have started negotiations with their governments about their service offering, considering the broad range of environmental, accessibility solutions. Through this project it was been possible environmental accessibility picking up a slightly higher level, talking already about universal design ideas. Project activities focused on people with disabilities, promoting equality and non-discrimination against this social group. Raising public and decision-makers awareness of people with disabilities to become equal members of the public were given the fight against poverty and social exclusion. Creating an accessible environment, it facilitates access to employment, provides mobility and equal access to health care, education, and skills development. However, social sustainability is also linked to mutual understanding and tolerance, which is largely paid attention to this project.
Summary of bilateral results
It was planned that the Norwegian universal design experts will participate as lecturers in training Latvian (activity no. 3 "universal design training"), but external circumstances, it unfortunately failed. Norwegian partners provided excellent activity No. 4 "to acquire new competencies" implementation by offering a variety of educational and experience exchange program in Norway in Kristiansand. Also Norwegian partners made a major contribution activities No. 6 "Universal design audit methodology for the creation of" implementation, providing advice, consultation and materials that helped to create a unique methodological material. Norwegian partners also attended and spoke at the project created by the conference "Environmental availability. The road to universal design. Challenges and Opportunities. ", which was organized in project activities No. 7 "Final Conference" program."Apeirons" as project coordinator accounted communication system - regular, comprehensive, timed reply e-mail, telephone or other communication tools. Such communication was aimed at informing partners about the project implementation progress of tasks it carried out, the next steps and future activities. Co-operation with the Norwegian Association of the Blind and visually impaired people value as good, and we plan to cooperate in the future.