Universal design for people with disabilities : A study of access provisions in public housing estates

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review the major pieces of statutory control regulating unobstructed access. In order to ensure that all residents including those with disabilities can access places that the public is entitled or allowed to enter or to use, adequate provision of unobstructed access is required. Design/methodology/approach – A comprehensive literature review is conducted to identify whether there is room for improvement in the building laws regulating access for people with disabilities (PWDs), in order to achieve universal access design. In order to ascertain that the universal access design is achieved in public housing estates, a set of checklists are prepared and a number of checkwalks are conducted. After completion of the on‐site survey, data analysis is adopted and the results are summarized for future reference. Findings – This study presents the result of a meaningful and beneficial study which has investigated the accessibility of PWDs in public housing estates serving the majority of the Hong Kong population. This case study is valuable because it identifies the inadequacies of current access provisions for PWDs and highlights the areas requiring further improvement. Based on the review of existing legislative controls and the case studies, some possible solutions for improving present building regulations are generated. Originality/value – This study investigated the accessibility of PWDs in public housing estates that affect a large proportion of residents in Hong Kong. Assessing the accessibility of PWDs in the public housing estates is a good indicator of the effectiveness of current controls over unobstructed access in Hong Kong.