Rogaland County Council and Universal Design

摘要

Rogaland Council has adopted Universal Design as an overriding principle for all planning and development in the county. Private stakeholders and public agencies collaborated in the development of a successful County Plan for Universal Design that has been recognised as an example of good practice by Norway's public authorities. The plan provides guidelines for both state and municipal planning and operations in several policy areas from public transport to educational and cultural buildings to sports and recreation areas. One of the main contributions of the plan is an evaluation methodology built on the "TEK-10" national standard, and developed with the participation of authorities, experts, staff from municipalities and representatives of organisations for people with disabilities. This method is used to assess the accessibility and compliance with Universal Design principles of different destinations. This information is then published in the dedicated website www.tilgjengelighet.no which serves as an information channel for the general public about accessibility to various locations in the county. A community engagement method has been developed for including user groups in the design process for both new buildings and renovation projects. Representatives for user groups are chosen by the Council's Disability Committee, and these help to inform the planning and construction process. The plan also emphasises the development of knowledge and skills in Universal Design through educational programmes for secondary schools and colleges as well as training opportunities for councillors. This paper summarises the plan's rationale and the progress made until