Implementing Access through Universal Design in Five Brazilian Cities: Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Belo HorizonteEugene Williams, Self-Employed Consultant, Board Member, Adaptive Environments, USA Representatives from five Brazilian cities recognized as advanced in implementing universal access through Universal Design will present the strengths and weakness of their city's approach. Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte have developed unique approaches based on social and physical geography, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the relationships between access advocates and municipal government, particularly in the area of enforcement. Panelists will describe the physical and social areas of their cities where universal access through universal design has been implemented and why those areas were chosen; outline the process through which universal design has been applied to these areas; and define implementation and enforcement mechanisms. Panelists will highlight successful examples of implementation of universal design in areas that include transportation, public spaces (cultural, recreational, commercial, and governmental), urban renewal projects, and housing using visual images when possible. The moderator will facilitate a comparative analysis of strengths, weaknesses, challenges and responses of the five cities' approaches. Emphasis will be placed on implementation and enforcement processes and mechanisms. Panelists will discuss similarities and differences with a focus on the following questions: what works; what doesn't work; can a model be developed from a synthesis of experiences? The session will inform participants on the following topics: the state of application of universal design on accessibility in five major Brazilian cities; the differences in approach shaped by each city's unique physical and social characteristics; the strengths and weaknesses of implementation and enforcement mechanisms; and the possibilities of developing a model from a synthesis of these experiences. The session will highlight the significant advances in the application of universal design in Brazil and contribute to the dialogue on the search for a model or models of effective implementation and enforcement of universal access through universal design. The panelists are all members of disability rights and advocacy organizations that have worked closely with municipal governments in their respective cities. Mr. Passafaro and Mr. Lippo have also served as executive directors of governmental agencies. Mr. Passafaro directs the Permanent Commission on Accessibility (CPA) of the municipal government of Sao Paulo; Mr. Lippo directed the Foundation for Persons with Disabilities (FADERS) of the state government of Rio Grande do Sul. Mr. Menin directs the Association of Persons with Disabilities of (the state of) Parana (APDF) and works closely with the municipal government of Curitiba on accessibility issues. The Centro de Vida Independente of Rio de Janeiro has been instrumental in requiring accessibility in municipal projects. Belo Horizonte has a close alliance of disability rights advocates and design professionals working with the municipal government. Mr. Williams has worked in Brazil for eighteen years, has done field research on accessibility through universal design in Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro in the past year and has professional and personal relationships with the panelists. |