O gerenciamento para a acessibilidade ambiental de pessoas com mobilidade reduzida: institucionalizando a inclusão em uma escola universitária

Abstract

This Master thesis is about an investigation of routine actions and institutional procedures that may complement resources for accessibility and social inclusion of people with mobility problems in university environments. Those institutional procedures are defined here as "inclusive practices." By development of case studies, this research evaluated three university schools at UFMG. After analysis of conditions for environmental accessibility, there is evidence of existing problems in all buildings, particularly in the Faculdade de Letras - FALE (school of languages) and Faculdade de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas - FAFICH (school of philosophy and human sciences). In the Escola de Ciênciasda Informação - ECI (school of information sciences), there is the lowestnumber of serious problems related to accessibility. As one would expect, the psychological atmosphere for use and place-making reflected similar results for accessibility in each school building. Panel discussions and independent interviews with users tested useracceptance and feasibility of application of certain inclusive practices for the accessibility related problems. As results, the evidence shows that the number of inclusive practices is small and generally unknown. However, inclusive practices may be effective as they possibly enhance functional and social performance. That provides equal opportunities immediately for use of school environments. However, inclusive practices cannot develop if people understand them being only momentary and faulty as compared to concrete physical interventions for accessibility. Research participants pointed out that inclusive practices are important educational tools for awareness and positive attitude against system wide problems regarding users reduced mobility.