Science Shop Students Produce Guide For Improved Disabled Access
06 October 2011
A ‘good practice guide’ for disabled access to new and refurbished buildings has been produced by a team of University of Ulster graduates. And Disability Action are so impressed by the students’ work that they plan to use it as part of the blueprint for their proposed Centre of Excellence at the former Ebrington Barracks in Derry.
The team were also asked to draw up their own architectural designs for the Centre and Disability Action were very impressed by the high standard of technical drawings.
The charity says the guide, produced by four graduate students, “is not a tokenistic effort” but will be a helpful tool for builders and planners in other developments.
The young architects, Natalie Smith, Helen Burnett, Duane Fitzsimons and Louise Johnson became involved in the project after graduating recently from their BA (Hons) Architecture course.
University of Ulster Lecturer in Architecture, Mike McQueen, explained that they signed up to a short Professional Experience Course, as it was so difficult to find a post-grad placement.
From there they were introduced to the Science Shop, a community research resource which allows students from a variety of disciplines at the University to work with community and voluntary groups throughout Northern Ireland.
“Normally, our graduates would find a placement at a conventional architectural practice, to achieve recordable experience in order to obtain their professional qualification,” he explained.
“But because of the recession a lot of practices have been paying off staff and as many are no longer taking on students there is a shortage of graduate places.
“This group of students were particularly interested in community engagement issues, so I started to look at initiatives which they could plug into.
“I had worked with the Science Shop before and I knew they were incredibly organised, working very successfully with students who are self motivated and have that entrepreneurial, self-starting ethos.
“I got in touch and we came up with several options, eventually deciding on Disability Action as a client.”
Claire Mulrone, Science Shop Administrative Manager, explained that the students gave up their free time during the summer to complete the two-part project for the Professional Experience short course.
“Firstly, they had to work together as a team to develop a good practice guide for disabled access in the built environment,” she said
“The second challenge was to put forward their own interpretation of architectural drawings for a proposed new Disability Action Centre of Excellence which is to be built on the Ebrington site in Derry.
“It was a great opportunity to apply their knowledge in a practical way and gain additional experience.
“The guide will be sent to architects, builders and people who are involved in redevelopment so that they are aware of their obligations to make their premises accessible to the disabled.”
Disability Action Access Manager, Orla McCann, congratulated the students on their efforts and said:
"Disability Action was delighted to work with the Science Shop and the University of Ulster on this project. As a direct result of the combined efforts of this group of students we have gained a valuable and much needed resource which will help us to encourage best practice provision in the accessibility of the built environment."
In addition the students put what they had learned to the test in their individual designs for a proposed Centre of Excellence to be built on the Ebrington site in Derry, Disability Action is determined that this Centre will be built and have now got some innovative ideas and design features that we can include in the new building. We wish the students luck as they continue with their studies and hope that they will carry and share their learning both in their academic and future professional lives as architects.
The four students were in competition to produce the best architectural drawings for the proposed Disability Action Centre of Excellence and student Natalie Smith was the judges’ favourite.
