Universal Design in San Juan de Lurigancho

Abstract

People with disabilities face mobility challenges, and it is imperative that urban planning and design thinking prioritize them. The universal design accounts for the different capacities of human beings by addressing everyone’s needs without adapting or having a unique design thereafter. However, nowadays, although disabilities are widely known, infrastructure and policy do not seem responsive in Peru. This research aims to reveal the actual status of urban design that involves accessibility around a Special Needs School in San Juan Lurigancho, Peru. Firstly, a literature review on official government documentation and census data plus statistics by an official organization CONADIS to allocate the available resources, current policy, and guidelines. Secondly, a comparative analysis shows the difference between resources and infrastructure near educational facilities for students with special needs in the United States and Peru. Lastly, the survey results also ran in the USA and Peru, seeking the perception of students in architecture around accessibility. The conclusions indicate that the urban infrastructure around a Special Needs School in San Juan de Lurigancho, Peru, and Barrio Hollywood, USA, does not entirely address the needs of disabled students and lacks the right design. Despite the economic deficiencies in both cases, the current approaches lead to a similar urban infrastructure.