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Introduction
The scene is set at Hong Kong. It is necessary to
put the issues to test, to see what have been accomplished
in barrier free access, to review what the concerns of users
are and plan the way forward. The views and feedbacks of
user groups as well as expert professionals working in the
field have been solicited to examine the status of accessibility
in Hong Kong. Towards this end, technical studies and surveys
have been conducted on two ArchSD projects. Visits were
made to a number of ArchSD and local projects to collect
information on best practices and users’ comments.
The survey results and user feedbacks have been analysed
to establish indicators for future improvement. The surveys,
case studies, interviews, feedbacks and references to overseas
projects form the backbone of the study. They are the basis
for recommendation on design considerations and best practices
in Section 5 and 6.
Case studies:
Two community facility projects have
been selected for illustration and comprehensive study:
Hong Kong Central Library, and Tai Po Waterfront Park. Both
projects have a high usage rate by a wide spectrum of people
of different ages and abilities. They are selected as case
projects to review the actual performance of the facilities.
The study is mainly based on provisions of
access for the disabled and barrier free access, which is
the design standard and guideline used for these two projects
at their planning and construction stage, as a basis to
review relevant design elements. An evaluation on the effectiveness
of various provisions in relation to categories of users
of different age groups and/or with different abilities
and needs is included. Comments and opinions from the users
of the two facilities are also collected for future improvement
to similar design. Findings of the survey for each of the
above two projects are documented in Section 4.1 and 4.2.
Interviews:
The interviews are intended to gather practice feedback
and experience from users of disability groups, as well
as professionals in the rehabilitation field with architectural
background. The users and staff of TWGHs Jockey Club Rehabilitation
Complex, which provide services for persons of different
disabilities; and the consultant Architect of Environmental
Advisory Service, who has extensive experience on the built
environment for persons with disabilities, were interviewed.
User requirements and points to note in design planning
are derived from the daily life experience and suggestions
of the users as well as professional views of architects
and occupational therapists. The interviews and user feedback
are documented in Section 4.3. |