Buildings without barriers

A barrier-free environment serves all people in all situations and stages of life, not just wheelchair users, as it might seem at first glance. Persons with a stroller, the elderly, to people after an injury, to the long-term sick, people with hearing and visual impairments, all of whom need to be allowed greater social integration, independent movement and way of life.
The present publication is highly topical as it responds to Decree No. 398/2009 Coll. of 5 November 2009 on general technical requirements ensuring barrier-free use of buildings. However, this is not just a verbatim quotation of the current decree, the authors draw attention to some of its essential parts and comment on them so that every reader can understand how to create a quality design of the environment that respects the needs of persons with reduced mobility or persons with sensory or mental disabilities. The cited decree is accompanied by many illustrative pictures that help to understand the individual, not always clear, provisions. The book is not only for those, who are involved in the actual construction process (architects, Designers, builders, staff of building authorities), but also to the builders and users themselves. It can also be used to teach high school and university students and can also help organisations representing the interests of people with disabilities.