Linking “sustainability” with universal design is not a new idea, especially when thinking about social sustainability. A new book, Towards Green Campus Operations, includes a chapter that moves away from “green” to social sustainability. The argument is that an accessible campus is part of sustainability. The more accessible the campus is, the more likely the students are to enroll and, more importantly, finish their course. This is good for the university and sustains their student intake and retention.
The authors also argue that academics need to be educated about this issue too. The chapter, titled, “Educational Institutions and Universal Accessibility: In Search of Sustainability on University Campus”, is available through Springer Link. You will need institutional access for a free read from SpringerLink. Or contact the authors on ResearchGate for a copy.
From the abstract
The paper reports proposals and solutions for the design and implementation for universal accessibility at the university campus. Finding an accessible route that overcomes large dimensions, urbanized areas and rugged topography was challenging.
The theme was conducted with a focus on social sustainability, as it is a requirement to obtain the universal and legitimate right to higher education. Also, the benefits of the university campus as a community educational, environmental and leisure urban equipment.
The article demonstrates that universal accessibility, more than a legal requirement for educational institutions, contributes to social sustainability. The spatial adequacies allow the universalization of the possibility of entry and stay of persons with disabilities or reduced mobility in the university campus, expanding their training at an higher level.