Accessibility - Handicap International

Unbreakable chain of movement
The unbreakable chain of movement entails that a person with any type of disability can
move freely within their home and go from their bed to town to any building or space they
choose by any means of transport and return home without facing barriers or being exhausted.
One missing element is enough to cancel out all efforts and improvements conducted
elsewhere, and can result in shutting out people with disabilities by making the environment
inaccessible to them. The “continuity” of the “mobility chain” therefore appears
to be the key element for facilitating free movement within the built environment for all.
Universal Design 12
“Universal design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people,
to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialised design. The
intent of universal design is to simplify life for everyone by making products, communications
and the built environment more usable by as many people as possible at little or no
extra cost. Universal design benefits people of all ages and abilities.” What this concept
implies is that spaces should not be adapted but should be designed and built in a more
inclusive way that meets the needs of all people, including people with disabilities.
- It is based on seven principles:
- Equitable Use
- Flexibility in Use
- Simple and Intuitive Use
- Perceptible Information
- Tolerance for Error
- Low Physical Effort
- Size and Space for Approach and Use
12. As defined by Ron Mace, Center for Universal Design, NC State University, North Carolina, 1997
34