The Cultural Department of the City of Brno, in cooperation with students from the Faculty of Architecture at the Brno University of Technology (BUT), has launched a new pilot project to improve the accessibility of Brno’s cultural institutions.
The new project, Architecture without Barriers, sees the students and the city working with participating organisations, including the Brno House of Arts, Jiří Mahen Library, HaDivadlo, and the Brno City Museum at Špilberk Castle, to remove challenges facing people with disabilities who wish to visit them. The partnership also has an international approach to the subject, thanks to the participation of ERASMUS students.
During the project, students experienced first hand the barriers to access faced by people with disabilities visiting cultural institutions. They moved around selected rooms in a wheelchair or with a stick, and identified barriers inside and outside buildings, which enabled them to better understand the problems faced by less mobile visitors.
The research resulted in detailed reports with proposals for removing barriers and improving access to cultural spaces for the general public. The students presented their work to representatives of the organisations involved and to the Brno Barrier-Free Advisory Board. This committee is now working with the cultural organisations to implement the measures.
The suggested measures don’t always require structural changes. Often, minor adjustments are sufficient, such as correct marking of exits, accessible toilets or lifts, reflective marking of glass surfaces, and staff training. For example, common problems with accessible toilets include the inappropriate placement of cleaning equipment, tangled emergency cords, folded or incorrectly placed grab bars, and stepped litter bins. For exhibition activities, the programme can be made accessible, for example, using tactile models with descriptive audio guides.
The project also aims to emphasise that the importance of accessibility of institutions is not about the frequency of use of the space. If accessible conditions are not created, people with different disabilities will not be able to go to a cultural organisation or take part in a programme, which gives the false impression that they are not interested in the service. It is not only the environment itself that is important, but also sufficient information for visitors with disabilities about the measures that will ensure they can visit cultural events in comfort.
The project was received positively by all participants. Cultural organisations received a free assessment of the accessibility of their premises and suggestions on how to improve the quality of services for people with disabilities. Future architects were able to experience the issue of accessibility in practice, providing valuable experience in their future profession. The City of Brno received a comprehensive overview of the accessibility of the premises of its organisations and their surroundings, based on which it can provide effective methodological or financial support to remove barriers and improve cultural services for the public.
