An Evaluation of Public Space Accessibility Using Universal Design Principles at Naresuan University Hospital

Abstract

The objective of this research is to study how well Naresuan University Hospital complies with the requirements of seven Universal Design (UD) principles in relation to the requirements and physical restrictions of deaf, blind, mobility impaired and elderly users. To achieve this the requirements and physical obstacles of the facilities within the public zone of the hospital were analysed. The research uses qualitative and quantitative methods to implement a heuristic evaluation method (HEM) along side a scenario access audit which required a participation of a group of people with different types of disabilities, experience the level of accessibility of the service functions in public areas of this hospital. The UD principles investigated were: equitable use; flexibility in use; simple and intuitive use; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; size and space for approach use. The results of this research present a specific summary of the observations, which found that significant obstructions occurred in the main communication and circulation spaces. This problem has been classified into two parts consisting of: (1) Obstructions to general service accessibility caused by inappropriate use of space, and (2) insufficient and inappropriate facilities covering all types of disability.