For the first time, the Ministry of Education conducted the selection of excellent campus barrier-free buildings in colleges and universities. Yunnan University of Science and Technology and Zhangzhou Normal University won gold medals.

For the first time, the Ministry of Education has conducted the selection of excellent campus barrier-free buildings in colleges and universities. Each school can receive 10 million yuan for the gold award and 5 million yuan for the silver award. Deputy Minister of Education Zhu Junzhang said today (14th) that this is the highest amount of awards awarded by the Ministry of Education in his many years of experience in the field of higher education. It represents the determination of the Ministry of Education and schools to jointly promote a barrier-free environment on campus. If the results are good in the future, additional awards will not be ruled out.

This year, a total of 7 schools won the award. The gold award was won by the Library of National Yunlin University of Science and Technology and the Science Building 1 of National Changhua Normal University; the silver award was won by National Taichung University of Education Qiu Zhen Building, I-Shou University Comprehensive Teaching Building and the Third Postgraduate Dormitory of National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University; the Zhengxin Building of Sun Yat-sen Medical University won the Excellent Work, and the Commercial Building of Chung Yuan University won the Outstanding Improvement Award. In addition, 15 outstanding personnel and 5 groups of outstanding collaborative teams won the award.

Zhu Junzhang said that the barrier-free environment of the campus has gradually expanded from early facility settings to circulation lines, ease of use, maintenance management and school characteristics. This selection is not to "assess schools," but to encourage schools to share their experiences and promote a new trend of equal rights in campus education.

The library of Yunnan University of Science and Technology, which won the gold medal, has re-adjusted the bookshelf passages to retain wheelchair access and turning space, and installed barrier-free navigation information, height-adjustable electric tables and wheelchair charging sockets. Barrier-free toilets are provided on each floor of Science Building 1 of Chang Normal University. The lighting switches are set at a height that wheelchair users can operate. Braille information is also provided on the stair handrails. A barrier-free dormitory cleaning application system is also established.

The Commercial Building of Chung Yuan University was completed in 1977. Since there was no suitable space for adding an elevator outside, after the school completed the structural reinforcement, it used the original upper and lower connecting space in the center of the stairwell to add barrier-free elevators that can reach all floors and mezzanines.

Xie Changyun, chief of the Special Education Department of the Ministry of Education, said that the selection was conducted by architects, experts, scholars, and representatives of social welfare groups, and the selection was based on barrier-free facilities, main circulation routes, quality of use, features, and maintenance management. Awards are not the end of the improvement work. Each school should continue to review the availability of facilities, information guidance, and emergency response to protect the rights of students with disabilities to receive education and participate in campus life.