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Brasil Acessivel
Minister of Cities
Brazil

The Problem

The Program has helped municipalities and state governments develop and establish actions towards accessibility for people with mobility difficulties or disabilities in the public transportation system, urban equipment and public areas, which is inserted in the concept of sustainable urban mobility developed by the National Secretariat of Transportation and Urban Mobility. This concept is key to the universal access to all public areas, respecting the different needs and difficulties people have to live as a society.

Solution and Key Benefits

 What is the initiative about? (the solution)
Brasil Acessível is a program designed to help municipalities considering: sizes; characteristics of their current public transportation system; incidence of disabilities; level of knowledge; technical capacity; budget; and organization of people with disabilities.
Therefore, the program is already helping in the mobility and accessibility of people by disrupting the three existing barriers: economical, social and phisycal (archtetonical). These barriers inflict more difficulties for the poor and less protected, whose accessibility in public areas are greatly reduced.

Actors and Stakeholders

 Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
The municipalities and the state governments are invited to join Brasil Aceesível, but to do so they must create a Municipal (or State) Accessibility Program with the possibility of the support from the Ministry of Cities. This Program should contain all the stages of work, targets, and evaluation indicators. Then, the municipality has officially joined Brasil Acessível and three stages follow. In the first stage, is is offered the capacity building of the staff as well as it’s gathered the local legal landmark and the condition of accessibility of disabled people and the elderly. In the second stage, the municipalities will create a Mobility Plan, in which the necessary changes in the regulatory landmark will be made in a way to avoid the creation of architectonical barriers. It will also contain all planned interventions in the short, medium and long terms. In the third stage, the mobility plan will be put in place.

(a) Strategies

 Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
 a.      What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Until the 1940´s, people with disabilities in Brazil were socially segregated. Thee were many shelter homes and philantropic institutions that were mostly isolated form the society. Then, the period between 1950´s and 1980´s, is known as the period of rehabilitation and social integration. Disabled people were still cared for in big institutions, which determined it’s own patterns, as they believed to be helping people adjust to life in society. However, this period is characterized the creating of several organizations defending the rights of disabled people, increasing awareness of their condition and capacities.
After the 1990´s, social inclusion became the focal point, as people with disabilities started to be cared for aiming their independent life. Each person determines his own goals considering his free will.

(b) Implementation

 b.      What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
The priorities and purposes of Brasil Acesível are to generate accessibility as part of a urban mobility policy that promotes social inclusion, guarantees equal opportunities and allows people with disabilities and the elderly to exercise their right to citizenship as related to their fundamental rights.
Therefore, the main objectives of the Program are as follows: guarantee accessibility; generate equal opportunities; guarantee fundamental rights; contribute to social inclusion; stimulate the organization of people with disabilities; improve and put in place the existing regulatory landmark; develop partnership projects; create local public policy; adapt public spaces and eliminate barriers; put in place accessible transportation systems; and develop technologies.

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

 c.      What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
The Sensitization of local authorities, through the accomplishment of seminaries, publication of informative material of qualification. Accomplishment of regional plenárias for consolidation of the program. These plenárias had been carried through in Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Rio De Janeiro and Recife. From 2007 the cities will be invited to adhere to the program and to search its proper strategy of implementation. Also the qualification of professionals of the area of the civil construction is part of the strategy of implementation of the program (in performance), that it will be made through course in the long-distance modality (Internet) and of the professional futures architects (currently in formation), through accord with the Brazilian Association of Education of Architecture and Urbanismo (ABEA). The financing of projects related to the subject, also is foreseen in the program as application strategy.

(d) Use of Resources

 d.      What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
The increase of the existence of local programs of accessibility, in the demand of support request the projects of the local administrations, next to the federal government. The qualification of some professionals, excessively professional architects and of the municipal administrations The dissemination of decree 5296/04 (decree of the accessibility).

Sustainability and Transferability

  Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
The program is come back toward the municipal administrations and talks back know-how generated by the program next to the technician and local community. It is a program elaborated for the federal government that can all be applied by the 5563 cities of the country.

Lessons Learned

 What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The implementation of the accessibility in the politics you publish had one strong dependence in the knowledge dissemination technician and envolvement of the community in the solution of its problems. The existence of laws is important, to put insufficient for the advance of the subject, without envolvement of the professionals of architecture, local authorities, community and of the people with deficiency. The program is based on “as to make”.

Contact Information

Institution Name:   Minister of Cities
Institution Type:   Government Department  
Contact Person:   Renato Boareto
Title:   Director  
Telephone/ Fax:   55(61) 2108 1692
Institution's / Project's Website:   55(61) 2108 1692
E-mail:   renato.boareto@cidades.gov.br  
Address:   Esplanada dos Ministerios - Bloco A
Postal Code:   70050901
City:   Brasilia
State/Province:   DF
Country:   Brazil

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