How does Skövdebostäder work with accessibility today?
At Skövdebostäder, we work with accessibility in several ways. Here we have summarized a few examples.
How we work with physical accessibility in new housing projects:
- We consult an accessibility-certified expert in our construction projects who reviews our drawings.
- We are adapting the area to make it accessible to wheelchair users. This involves, for example, adjusting the height of door handles and the design of thresholds and doorways. The ground must have the correct gradient, and we are building extra-wide parking spaces.
- We adapt the area to make it accessible for people with visual impairments. For example, walls and entrance doors must have the right contrast.
How we work with accessibility in general:
- Our senior living has extended accessibility so that our tenants can continue to live there even if their mobility is reduced.
- When we renovate our older neighborhoods, we make them accessible wherever possible. On Timmervägen , for example, we Timmervägen renovated a community center where, among other things, we have adapted the restroom and installed a ramp at the entrance.
- We are working to ensure that our website is accessible. Part of this involves ensuring that the code and systems work well with different types of assistive tools, while another part involves editorial work with texts and images. We have previously conducted a survey of our website to test its accessibility and identified areas where there are shortcomings. Work to rectify these is now underway.
Accessibility-adapted bathroom in a converted common area on Timmervägen.
What does Skövdebostäder want to achieve in the future?
In our sustainability strategy, we have developed the following overall goals:
Physical accessibility
- We will have inventoried all residential environments based on physical accessibility by 2030 at the latest.
- We will work based on Accessibility Levels – Guidance for Inventory and set target levels for each living environment, which will be described in the roadmap for the target area. We are also developing action plans to achieve target levels for living environments.
Digital accessibility
- We will comply with the accessibility requirements in the current web directive (WCAG) in all our digital services.
- We will assess the company's current knowledge of accessibility, so that we can then measure and set measurable goals and activities to achieve them within the roadmap for this target area.
What can I do as a tenant?
The issue of physical accessibility is primarily about how we as landlords can adapt the residential area. As a tenant, you can contribute by keeping the stairwell and the area free of items that are in the way. In addition to being important from a fire safety perspective, it is also important for neighbors or visitors with disabilities to be able to get around.
Why is the issue of accessibility important?
Accessibility is a matter of equality – and it is important that everyone can live in and participate in society. It is also a human right to have somewhere to live, and as a public housing company, we must offer housing for all residents of the municipality.
