Themes: Accessibility

The National Accessibility Programme (NAP), was a multi-year, multi-stakeholder research, development and innovation initiative aimed at addressing the challenges faced by persons with disabilities, such as marginalisation from the mainstream society and economy, through the use and implementation of ICTs. NAP was conceptualised and implemented by the CSIR Meraka Institute in partnership with a representative group of Disabled Persons’ Organisations (DPOs) and the former Office on the Status of Disabled Persons (OSDP) in The Presidency.

Universal design (often inclusive design) refers to broad-spectrum ideas meant to produce buildings, products and environments that are inherently accessible to older people, people without disabilities, and people with disabilities.

This publication is an attempt to provide for the first time in Lebanon a design manual on accessibility for the disabled. It is a design guidebook made for the purpose of providing architects and designers with the basic information and data necessary for a barrier- free environment. Its intent is to establish standards and recommendations that will not only influence the development and reconstruction of the BCD but assume national importance as well. The manual is expected to be a stimulus that will lead, in the long run, to the establishment of national building and planning legislation covering access for disabled people.