The Analysis of Accessibility in Bavarian Hospitals

The accessibility of people with disabilities is becoming more and more important in modern societies that attach importance to social participation and inclusion. Hospitals are also increasingly confronted with the necessity to design their hospital settings in such a fashion that patients with disabilities can find their way around - if possibly without any external help. The needed adaptations have to be made under many different aspects: not only mobility impairments have to be taken into account, but also, for example, problems resulting from visual, hearing and cognitive impairments.

The aim of this project under the lead management of East Bavarian Technical University Amberg-Weiden is to make an assessment of the implementation of accessibility in Bavarian hospitals. In order to meet the complex requirements, the project is an interdisciplinary cooperation of experts from different fields: architecture, social science and medical technology. The final objective is to provide recommendations for action for the design of barrier-free hospitals.

The scope of duties of the iso-Institute in this project is primarily the planning and implementation of a full survey in the approximately 400 Bavarian hospitals. The hospitals will be interviewed on their understanding of a barrier-free hospital, on the status of implementation and on factors that could promote or hinder an implementation. For this purpose, a written questionnaire will be developed on the basis of an exploration previously carried out by the cooperation partners, in which the important dimensions of accessibility will be mapped.