Editing Universal design (section)

=={{anchor|barrier-free}}The "barrier-free" concept==
'''{{Nihongo|Barrier-free|バリアフリー|bariafurii}}''' building modification consists of modifying [[building]]s or facilities so that they can be used by people who are [[disabled]] or have physical impairments. The term is used primarily in Japan and other non-English speaking countries (e.g. German: ''Barrierefreiheit''; Finnish: ''esteettömyys''), while in English-speaking countries, terms such as "[[accessibility]]" and "accessible" dominate in everyday use. An example of barrier-free design would be installing a [[Wheelchair ramp|ramp]] for [[wheelchair]] users alongside steps. In the late 1990s, any element which could make the use of the environment inconvenient for people with disabilities was (and still is) considered a barrier, for example, poor public street lighting.<ref name="Caves-2004">{{Cite book |last=Caves |first=R. W. |title=Encyclopedia of the City |publisher=Routledge |year=2004 |pages=4}}</ref> In the case of new buildings, however, the idea of barrier-free modification has largely been superseded by the concept of universal design, which seeks to design things from the outset to support easy access.

Freeing a building of barriers means:
* Recognizing the features that could form barriers for some people,
* Thinking inclusively about the whole range of impairment and disability,
* Reviewing everything - from structure to smallest detail,
* Seeking feedback from users and learning from mistakes.

''Barrier-free'' is also a term that applies to accessibility in situations where legal codes such as the [[Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990]] applies. The process of adapting barrier-free public policies started when the Veterans Administration and US President's Committee on Employment of the Handicapped noticed a large amount of US citizens coming back from the Vietnam War injured and unable to navigate public spaces'''.<ref name="Persson-2015" />'''The ADA is a law focusing on all building aspects, products and design that is based on the concept of respecting human rights.<ref name="Caves-2004" />  It doesn't contain design specifications directly.

An example of a country that has sought to implement barrier-free accessibility in housing estates is Singapore. Within five years, all public housing estates in the country, all 7,800 blocks of apartments, have benefited from the program.<ref>{{cite web |date=19 November 2012 |title=Making HDB Towns User Friendly |url=http://mndsingapore.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/making-hdb-towns-user-friendly/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121129104142/http://mndsingapore.wordpress.com/2012/11/19/making-hdb-towns-user-friendly/ |archive-date=29 November 2012 |access-date=18 March 2018 |website=wordpress.com |location=Singapore}}</ref>