ACCESSIBILITY

The business case for accessibility

Towards an integrated and accessible build environment

Mobility can be compared to a continuous chain composed of various interconnected links of vertical, public and individual transport and easy access to the build environment. A very simplified example of such a mobility chain could be the journey from home to work, involving the following links: leaving home; getting from home to a public transport interchange by car; making a journey on public transport; making a journey from the public transport interchange to work; making one's way within the workplace to one's workstation. In reality mobility chains are often much more complex with people making trips for different purposes: going to work, going shopping, collecting children from school, doing leisure activities, and so on.

All members of society should have access to an integrated mobility chain. It is important that all those who are part of the mobility chain cooperate to improve accessibility because if just one of the links in the chain is broken, full access is no longer available.

We should not forget that physical and sensorial disabilities are often related to age and, as is well-known, the proportion of the elderly populations in Western countries is growing and will continue to do so well into the 21st century, so the need for accessible mobility will become even greater in the future.

Enhancing economic potential - A win-win situation

People with reduced mobility are both our customers and our employees, so from this perspective there is also a business case for all involved in the mobility chain to increase mobility and employability of people with disabilities. There are clear benefits for the economy when people with impaired mobility join the workforce, increased income expands their spending capacity.

And finally and most importantly, improved accessibility leads to better quality of life for all, including people with disabilities.

Indeed people are all equal when it comes to accessibility and mobility rights.