In a world that aspires to be increasingly inclusive, December 3 – International Day of Persons with Disabilities – reminds us of the urgency and beauty of thinking about and building environments where everyone can have a good quality of life.
Sustainability & CSR
Design for All approach: a reflection on accessible architecture and freedom of movement on international day of persons with disabilities
To mark this day, we interviewed Caterina Cavo, a visionary architect and architectonic barriers supervisor at inclusione andicap ticino (inclusion handicap ticino). Among its various activities, this association is also involved in promoting and implementing Design for All, a methodological approach to the design of products, spaces, and services that aims to achieve social inclusion, equality, and equal rights.
In inclusione handicap ticino, IBSA has found a serious and reliable partner to strengthen its programme promoting inclusion and accessibility. The partnership, which began in 2025, has helped to support:
• well-established projects and initiatives such as last May's inclusive sporting event, Lo sport che unisce (Sport that unites),
• premières such as the first Swiss conference dedicated to inclusive living, which was held in Lugano on October 7.
In this interview, Dr. Cavo shares how design can become a powerful tool for equity and why it is important to build a future where inclusion is not a privilege but an inalienable right for everyone.
DESIGN FOR ALL APPROACH
You are a leading player in promoting Design for All in Switzerland. What is the difference between removing architectural barriers and the Design for All approach?
The difference is substantial. When we adapt spaces by removing architectural barriers, we find a specific solution to a specific problem. For example, a ramp is installed to overcome a difference in level, and tactile lines are applied to the floor to help blind and visually impaired people find their way around. This allows people with disabilities to enter a building and access its main functions, but not to fully enjoy the spaces (from Latin frui, ‘to benefit from’). This is because designs are usually made for the standard user—ideal and not real.
With Design for All, designs are made for a diversified user base (men, women, tall people, short people, elderly people, people with and without disabilities), so that their needs and desires are met in the design of environments. Direct participation is also fundamental: consulting users is key to obtain information and input that otherwise, in the traditional and de facto pyramidal work process, we would not have. For further information, please visit our website www.designforall.ch.
THE ROLE OF INCLUSIONE ANDICAP TICINO
What is the role of inclusione andicap ticino and the Design for All Competence Centre in Ticino, Switzerland, and in relation to the international movement? What challenges do you face in promoting true culture of inclusion in the construction and urban planning sector?
In 2021, inclusione andicap ticino founded the first Design for All Competence Centre in Switzerland, becoming the reference point for this discipline in our country. We are affiliated with the international network EIDD - Design for All Europe, which allows us to continuously exchange ideas with experts from all over Europe. The main challenge for us is dealing with cultural issues: we actively work to promote a culture of inclusion (to quote a master of architecture: from the spoon to the town), providing practical tools to bring inclusion into design practice.
We immediately acted on several levels:
- conceptually – by drafting a Design for All Manifesto that lists, in a preamble and 10 points, the founding principles of Design for All;
- on methodology – developing a Design for All Process, i.e., guidelines for architects and engineers to design spaces that are “suitable for everyone” (forthcoming);
- practically – developing thematic factsheets with the aim of clarifying the differences between barrier-free and inclusive environments, showing examples of architecture for All.
NATIONAL CONFERENCE “ABITARE DESIGN FOR ALL” (LIVING DESIGN FOR ALL) IN LUGANO (SWITZERLAND)
On October 7, 2025, the Asilo Ciani (Kindergarten Ciani) in Lugano hosted the national conference Abitare Design for All (Living Design for All) and the presentation of the inclusione andicap ticino 2025 award. What was the aim of this event and why did you choose to focus on the theme of inclusive living? What response did you receive in terms of participation and media coverage?
The new conference is one of the educational initiatives of the Design for All Switzerland Competence Centre. After the 2023 The People Process conference, which showed how the Design for All approach can be effectively applied in different areas, from private to public, from healthcare to protected and classified historical heritage, we decided to further explore the debate on ‘‘housing”.
The topic of housing is extremely relevant today; the market offers standardized types of housing that cannot meet a variety of needs. Today, we need to develop alternative models that respond to social changes and the challenges of land management. With the conference, we did not want to offer rigid solutions, but rather to stimulate new ideas and reflections. We received an excellent response from the public and great interest from the media, demonstrating how much this issue is perceived as a priority.
STRATEGIC SUPPORT FROM COMPANIES
Your activities benefit from generous donations, for example from companies like IBSA. How do innovation and the spread of Design for All benefit from this support?
Support from private providers with strong local roots, such as IBSA, is essential. It enables us to develop our activities, expand the culture of inclusion and explore new approaches. We are proud of IBSA's trust in our project, and it encourages us to work with even greater enthusiasm.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST
To conclude, could you share your thoughts on the importance of continuing to develop the Design for All approach and ensuring a fully inclusive society?
To understand the idea of inclusive environment, the best way is to create it, bring it to life for citizens and make the principle of inclusion indispensable. Our experience shows that a place – but also a product or service – designed for everyone is easy to use and generates well-being. Accessibility is part of the design, but it should not be visible. In places designed according to the principles of Design for All, people feel comfortable, can move around easily and interact better.
