EVALUATION OF ACCESSIBILITY LEVELS IN THE BUILT HERITAGE ENVIRONMENT

The diagnosis of Heritage Environments accessibility has not been traditionally present in the processes of intervention in them. The aim of this study is to develop a methodology to make a suitable diagnosis of accessibility to their singular conditions. The comparison method proposed is based on achieving a balance between the needs of disabled persons in the use of the physical environment, and functional conditions and social action in Heritage Environments. The methodology is based on three previous assumptions: 1st) Taking into account the needs of environmental use by all groups of people with disabilities. 2nd) The roof of comparison is based on the parameters covered by Spanish standards of accessibility recommendations. 3rd) The qualification and quantification of the parameters of comparison should take into account the architectural and urban spaces specific to diagnose. It develops in two phases: Phase 1. Data collection of the reality of routes, spaces and elements that an environmentally sensitive heritage. Phase 2. Treatment of the data collected in the real estate environment that is developed in two areas: implementation of the software to the evaluation tables; results of the comparison of data of reality with the weighted basic accessibility requirements. The results indicate that universal access can also be integrated in the process of intervention at the Heritage Environments. For this it is imperative that the diagnostic method used conforms to the basic accessibility requirements, requirements that must be based on the balance between the unique architectural conditions Environments Heritage and the basic needs of all groups of People with Disabilities. The main conclusions of the study are: For the consideration of accessibility can be included in the intervention process in Heritage Environments from the beginning is necessary to adapt the basic requirements for accessibility to diagnostic method to use. The diagnostic method accessibility of Heritage Environments proposed in this study is based upon the comparison made between the reality of these and the requirements derived from the Spanish rules of accessibility recommendations. The data collection serves a three-tier system: data structure; type of elements; and their characteristics. The processing of data in response to the use of specific weights of the characteristics of each item and, this, for each type of disability: mobility, vision and hearing. The proposed accessibility levels are three: Facilitator, Facilitator not comfortable; Obstacle.