An Investigation of Educational Barrier- Free Environment -Using I-Lan Country as an Example

• Main Authors: Tsai-Ching Yeh, 葉采青
• Other Authors: Shwn-Jen Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/43846609031092499970

碩士 === 國立陽明大學 === 復健科技輔具研究所 === 91 === Background and Purpose. An educational barrier-free environment is important for students with special needs to fully participate in all appropriate school activities. It is also a basic element to meet the requirements of an inclusive education. Although educational barrier-free environment is quite common in the developed countries, the educational barrier-free environment in Taiwan is not well established yet. The purpose of this study was to investigate the status of the educational barrier-free environment based on accessibility in students with special needs of the elementary and junior high schools in the I-Lan County. Study Design. a descriptive study. Subjects and Methods. Thirteen elementary schools and 12 junior high schools were investigated. The architecture design and internal settings of the school environment was investigated via a self-designed checklist of the standards of the educational barrier-free environment by a trained physical therapist and an assistant. Analysis. Descriptive analysis, such as frequency count, was used for this study. Results. All investigated schools in the I-Lan County failed to meet fully the standards of the educational barrier-free environment. The percentage that met the barrier-free criteria of the pathway width above 90 cm of the indoor and outdoor passages of the investigated schools were 97.4% and 97.0%; and the percentage of the passages that met 4 barrier-free criteria, i.e. not roundabout, no curb, the width of the pathway above 90 cm, and the smooth ground surface was only 30.0%. The space of the classrooms that used by students with special needs was almost enough, but the percentage that met the barrier-free criteris of the door width above 90 cm was only 32.6%; the percentage that met no curb on the door passway of classrooms was 52.0%; the tables and chairs in the classrooms for special academic activities that could be used by wheerchair-dependent students were only 6.4%. All restrooms, ramps, stairs, elevators, and other public facilities fully meet the barrier-free standards. Conclusions: Most parts of the educational environment in the elementary and junior high schools of the I-Lan County failed to meet the barrier-free standards.