Avaliação da acessibilidade em escolas municipais de Uberaba, MG

Architectural barriers generate difficulties, significantly impair people’s access to different environments, and limit accessibility. In the Brazilian public school system, these questions become more relevant when the process of school inclusion of students with special needs for mobility is analyzed. The process of school inclusion is intrinsically associated with the accessibility condition of schools. Through the ‘Accessible School Program‘, schools have received financial incentive to adapt their physical spaces according to accessibility. Objective:\udTo describe the accessibility of the schools that have taken part in the ‘Accessible School Program’ in the municipality of Uberaba, Minas Gerais state. The study also aimed to identify the materials purchased and the adjustments and repairs implemented, evaluating whether the changes attend the technical standard of accessibility and agree with the recommended proposals. Methodology: This is an exploratory-descriptive study of quantitative nature; it was conducted in two phases through documental research and field study. Eleven municipal schools that participated in the ‘Accessible School Program’ were identified. Results: Most of the schools presented problems in almost all the items evaluated: sidewalks, common inside area, door squares, restrooms, locker rooms, swimming pools, parking,\udcinemas or theatres, auditoriums, stadiums, gymnasiums, concert halls, conference rooms and school furniture. Conclusion: The public schools evaluated present limitations regarding accessibility; the physical barriers erected in the past have not been eliminated and they still represent obstacles to be overcome by students with special needs