The and first- and second-prize winners of the Breaking Down Barriers contest (Photo Courtesy of DRD) HCM City (VNA) - Students from the Van Lang University in Ho Chi Minh Citywon first prize in the Breaking Down Barriers contest that called for designsand upgrades of public works for people with disabilities.
Thegroup’s proposal involved building modern classrooms without podiums and withblackboards designed to be lifted up and down by a system of pulleys easilyaccessible for people with disabilities.
Studentsas well as teachers with disabilities find it difficult to walk up to a podium.
Theproposal also included a design that allows students to easily enter and exitclassrooms.
Vu ThiHuyen Trang, head of the team of students, said their objective was to helpboth teachers and students with disabilities.
Moreover,the team wants to encourage architects to pay more attention to these barriers.
Thesecond-prize winner was a proposal on upgrading the city’s general sciencelibrary by students at the University of Architecture.
Another 10initiatives that focused on upgrading parks, cinemas and other entertainmentestablishments all impressed the jury.
ProfessorLe Thanh Son, head of the University of Architecture’s Interior Design Faculty,said the initiatives were creative and highly practical.
Thecontest attracted 1,000 students after it was launched three months ago.
It wasorganised by the city-based Disability Research and Capacity Development Centre(DRD) in co-operation with the University of Architecture.
Luu Thi AnhLoan, the centre’s acting head, said that people with disabilities accountedfor nearly 15 per cent of the country’s population.
They arethe most vulnerable group, facing discrimination and limitations in healthcare,education and other public services.
Thecontest called for more community awareness about people with disabilities insociety, Loan said.-VNA
