Hong Kong to Improve Accessibility to Pedestrian Subways

August 22, 2012 udcom

Hong Kong Chief Executive Leung Chun-ying announced a plan to improve access to Hong Kong’s footbridges and pedestrian subways through a multi-million dollar plan to install elevators. Currently underway in 10 locations, the project is expected to spend HK$100M in its first year, eventually reaching HK$1B in three years. Two hundred twenty sites have been identified for the improvements.

“This is a huge social investment, but I believe elderly people or people with disabilities will support our plan,” Leung said.

Universal Design (UD) is an approach to design that increases the potential for developing a better quality of life for a wide range of individuals. It is a design process that enables and empowers a diverse population by improving human performance, health and wellness, and social participation (Steinfeld and Maisel, 2012). It creates products, systems, and environments to be as usable as possible by as many people as possible regardless of age, ability or situation.