DESIGN SOLUTIONS CREATING BARRIERS TO ACHIEVING UNIVERSAL DESIGN COMPLIANCE OF ACADEMIC BUILDINGS IN UNIVERSITIES IN NIGERIA
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IAEME
Abstract
Description
The concept of universal design is a design ideology that targets accommodating
the accessibility and usability needs of everyone regardless of their ability or disability.
It is however observed that in Nigeria, some educational facilities and environments
are to some extent inaccessible to the mobility impaired. This is as a result of avoidable
design solutions that are inadequate to meet the needs of all potential users. Where
educational facilities are inaccessible or difficult to reach for any user group, such
situation is capable of depriving those affected, the opportunity of acquiring the
education needed to advance in life. To this end, this study investigated design and
construction solutions that constitute barriers to achieving universal design
compliance of academic buildings in universities in Nigeria, with a view to finding ways
of improving accessibility to such buildings and their facilities for users, regardless of
their mobility status. The study was a multiple case study research that adopted
qualitative research approaches to collect, analyze and present data. The result showed
that the areas that constitute barriers to achieving universal design in the academic
buildings range from lack of equitable accessibility provisions, inappropriate access
provisions, nonflexible usability provisions among others. This indicates that for the
academic buildings to be able to adequately meet the accessibility and usability needs
of all category of users, there is a need to eliminate the identified designed barriers
preventing universal design compliance in them by retrofitting the structures with
inclusive design features. To this end, some recommendations which includes, carrying
out a phased renovation of the existing academic buildings, as well advising the
management of universities in Nigeria to ascertain that subsequent routine and
periodic maintenance works in their institutions comply with UD parameters before
implementation, were made.
Keywords
NA Architecture, Q Science (General)