communications update 10/20

The Executive Board has approved the “Barrier-Free at ETH Zurich” programme and has tasked the Vice President for Infrastructure, along with the other Executive Board domains, with its implementation.

In the last communication update (08/20), we informed you that the Executive Board’s decision was pending. The outcome is positive: the Executive Board has approved the master plan with its proposed packages of measures in its entirety. The decision sets in motion the new, comprehensive implementation programme “Barrier-Free at ETH Zurich”, which is made up of 14 interlinked sub-projects.

Now the serious business begins for ETH Zurich. Our aim is to create a barrier-free, inclusive university; over the coming years, ETH is set to become an institution that is open to all, where it is possible to study and work without obstacles or barriers. People with physical limitations or special needs – whether students, lecturers, researchers, staff or visitors – should be guaranteed the fullest possible access to ETH buildings and services.

Welcoming culture to overcome psychological barriers

Alongside structural modifications and technological measures, the cornerstone of the ETH-wide implementation programme is the institutional approach to barrier-free access and the establishment of an open and welcoming culture. Physical and technological obstacles must be addressed, but so do any psychological barriers that may exist as a result of unfamiliarity or ignorance of how to deal with disability or impairment.

14 sub-projects in three categories

Each category will take a varying amount of time to implement; for example, where structural modifications to existing buildings are concerned, it is vital to allow sufficient time for the gradual adaptation of ramps, lifts and stairwells. The measures involved in the technological and organisational categories – for example, preparing barrier-free teaching materials or developing a training concept for lecturers – should take a little less time to implement. The 14 sub-projects, which fall under the three categories “Construction”, “Organisation” and “Technology”, will commence in 2021 and will involve a number of organisational units at ETH Zurich.

The Vice President for Infrastructure, Ulrich Weidmann, welcomed the Executive Board’s unanimous approval and is eager for the implementation to begin: “Nowadays, society rightly expects an institution such as ETH Zurich to be inclusive; in other words, to remove barriers of any kind. Over the coming years, we will take important steps towards ensuring barrier-free access through our ‘Barrier-free at ETH Zurich’ programme.”