Towards an equitable Vaasa – accessibility of public buildings surveyed over the summer

Some 30 buildings were surveyed over the summer. The selected sites were primarily locations with high visitor traffic that should be easily accessible. Priority was given to schools and kindergartens so that they could be surveyed during the summer holidays. In addition, surveys were conducted at various cultural and sports venues, for example.

The surveys were carried out by university students Katri Pekkala and Iida Starck, who systematically reviewed the sites. They looked at features such as door widths, thresholds, ramps, clarity of signage, toilets and parking spaces.

– This has felt like truly important work. It has been eye-opening to see how significant an impact accessibility has on people’s everyday lives, says Pekkala.

Accessibility often hinges on small details, and centimetres can be crucial when it comes to aspects such as the height of thresholds and the width of doorways.

– There was a lot of variation between the sites, and large buildings involve many details to consider. The survey showed that there is still much room for improvement in our public buildings, adds Starck.

An app to support systematic surveying

The survey was conducted using an application developed by the accessibility consultancy Riesa, which was used to record the findings and deficiencies.

Typically, the surveys are outsourced to Riesa, but the City of Vaasa chose to insource the work, which proved to be a cost-effective way to cover a large number of sites in a short period of time.

– We gained a lot of valuable information that will help us to plan the next concrete steps for improvement. The plan is to gather information on the current state of accessibility at each site of the city’s website, says Elisabeth Hästbacka, Accessibility Coordinator.

Long-term work to promote accessibility

The surveys are part of Vaasa’s long-term goal to make accessibility a natural part of the urban landscape.

– Accessibility is not just about the occasional ramp here and there; it is a broader issue that improves quality of life and increases equity for all. For some, it is also a necessary requirement for mobility, says Hästbacka.

According to Hanna Pekkala, Property Manager for the City of Vaasa, the project has been an excellent first step towards improving accessibility in the city’s properties. The aim is to continue the surveys in the future.

– When all buildings are surveyed using the same methodology and criteria, we can achieve consistent and standardised assessments of their accessibility. This will help us to make better and higher quality renovation plans, says Pekkala.

This is not the first time accessibility surveys have been carried out in Vaasa. During the summers of 2020 and 2021, the focus was on public spaces such as pedestrian walkways, zebra crossings, traffic lights, as well as courtyards and entrances to public service buildings.