Accessibility plays an important role in environmentally conscious building construction criteria. Access4you represents this issue in Hungary. HuGBC interviewed Balázs Berecz, the founder of the organization, which recently joined the Association, on the occasion of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. (original interview in Hungarian: https://www.hugbc.hu/hirek/a-jovo-epuletei-akadalymentesek/4478)
The 3rd of December is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. Where are we now in equal opportunities and inclusion in Hungary?
15%-16% of the world’s population, or roughly 1 in 6 people, have a disability. This high proportion is not perceived in everyday life for two reasons. Firstly, some disabilities are invisible and, secondly, due to the lack of accessibility and/or reliable information on accessibility, people with special needs are under-represented in many areas of life (work, consumption, leisure, etc.) because they are not or only partially present in everyday life.
Although there has been a positive shift in social openness, for example, more and more people with disabilities are appearing in the media, and we are receiving more and more inquiries, there is still room for improvement. The positive trend that is starting must be followed by action.
Access4you has recently joined more than 100 members of HuGBC. Why was this important for the company?
We are proud to be part of a visionary, credible professional community whose members are committed to achieving a sustainable built environment. I believe that includes social sustainability and accessibility as important elements. We want to represent this mindset and this cause within the Association and to connect with members, provide support and take tangible, responsible action.
One of the Association’s public benefit tasks is to share knowledge and experience. What does Access4you contribute to this?
Our mission is to create an inclusive, sustainable and collaborative social environment. On the one hand, we want to emphasize to the members that accessibility and the information provided about it does not only promote the social (re)integration of a narrow group of people. Not only people with disabilities but also people with strollers, elderly people with limited mobility and temporarily disabled people due to an accident or surgery have special needs. We also help them to identify steps they can take to support their own sustainability/inclusion efforts in a way that contributes measurably to the ‘S’ pillar of ESG.
„Access4you’s business model is that accessibility information is free of charge and has open access, while the audit and trademark fees are paid by the owner or operator of the location in the database as the responsible data provider. The model offers an economically sustainable way to promote accessibility.” What is the background to this way of thinking?
Social services are underfunded and lack a steady revenue stream (tenders, donations, 1%, etc.). Thus, meaningful and long-term (sustainable) results cannot be achieved. This can be seen today not only in this country but also across Europe.
Inclusion of people with special needs, and their actual (re)integration into everyday life, is on the one hand, a moral obligation. However, on the other hand, this social group, which represents the largest minority on the planet, also has a significant economic weight, either as consumers or as labor market players, which represents a huge business opportunity for the economic parties open to this.
What are your plans for the future, and what role would you like to play in the HuGBC?
Our company entered the international market earlier this year. The Access4you EU certification mark is now available in several European countries, and our network of internationally accredited partners is constantly expanding. Our aim is to add more and more sites to our database, both in the domestic and European markets, making planning and everyday life easier for the affected people in as many countries as possible. Within the HuGBC, we want to represent the ESG ‘S’ pillar and help the members and the Association’s goals by sharing knowledge and thinking together. We are excited to work together!
Original interview: https://www.hugbc.hu/hirek/a-jovo-epuletei-akadalymentesek/4478
Translation: Dalma Ecseri
Access4you is a social impact startup: we survey and evaluate buildings to provide detailed, credible information about the built environment for the special needs community. Based on the results, we issue a certificate stating that the location is entitled to use the ‘Access4you’ European certification mark, and the detailed data of the site will be publicly available in the access4you.io database and mobile application.
For more information: https://access4you.io/b2b