By Reham Fties, UNHCR Land and Buildings Officer
Physically accessible entrance to UNHCR’s compound in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. ©UNHCR/Boro Lassina
Over 20 years of my professional life has been fuelled by my passion for architecture and humanitarian work. After a decade of working as an architect in the private sector, in 2015 I joined UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, in Cairo, Egypt. In 2022, I relocated to Budapest, Hungary, continuing my commitment to help build environments that are welcoming, functional, inclusive and accessible.
As an architect, I see my work as a unique blend of art and science – including design solutions that adapt to diverse needs while remaining grounded in scientific principles. I strive to achieve balance in this blend and help create spaces that facilitate carrying out UNHCR’s mandate of protecting forcibly displaced and stateless people and ensure that the organization’s personnel can fully and equally perform their duties in the workplace.
UNHCR operates its buildings across the globe with a diversity of office types that can result in accessibility inconsistencies further complicated by varying economic constraints. Many UNHCR offices also function as reception facilities, which serve as the first point of contact for people seeking protection and humanitarian assistance services, so physical accessibility is a key consideration in these buildings. Despite the challenges, UNHCR is committed to removing barriers in its premises for the people it works with and for, in line with the United Nations Disability Inclusion Strategy (UNDIS).
As part of UNHCR’s Global Infrastructure Section (GIS), I work together with a team of highly inspired and talented architects and engineers, placing physical accessibility at the heart of everything we do. Our team provides technical expertise in engineering, guidance on property acquisition and leasing, and facilities management for UNHCR’s global offices. In 2023, we set out to map physical accessibility features in UNHCR offices, then explored options to measure and classify the results.
Design study in Belgium (on the right: Reham Fties, on the left: Chaido Georgouli ). © UNHCR/Chaido Georgouli
The initial phase of this journey focused on data collection. We created a self-assessment tool for local facility managers within our cloud-based real estate information database called Oracle UNIFIER. The results showed an urgent need for improvements – over 70 per cent of UNHCR’s buildings were missing essential accessibility features.
To help facility managers better assess our buildings’ physical accessibility, we set a benchmark: offices must meet at least seven essential compliance criteria to be considered physically accessible.
Image on the left: The seven essential compliance criteria UNHCR offices must meet to be considered physically accessible. © UNHCR/Reham Fties
From data to impact: Developing a handbook and launching the Global Accessibility Project
We knew that data alone would not be enough to drive change. We needed practical tools to link insights to actions. With the aim of offering clear technical guidance on integrating physical accessibility features, we developed the Handbook on Physical Accessibility for UNHCR Offices. It covers accessibility in various environments, from outdoor facilities to interior spaces, including clear technical specifications to help guide physical accessibility improvements while offering cost-efficient solutions.
However, we realized that funds to carry out accessibility improvements were the real roadblocks on this journey for most offices. While we could not offer a solution that would remove this blockage everywhere, we decided to focus on offices with the most critical needs through a pilot called the Global Accessibility Project (GAP).
We reached out to 140 offices that were missing up to three essential accessibility features. Of those, 30 were selected from across six different regions. Over the following months, we worked in close collaboration with local colleagues to assess needs and design cost-effective, context-specific solutions funded by the project. The main principle of GAP was “doing more with less” by repurposing existing infrastructure wherever possible. The design works were both affordable and impactful, using materials easily found in local markets. While the project aimed to maximize efficiencies, we faced some challenges along the way.
“We supported our colleagues remotely through online meetings during the project. We provided technical drawings and one-on-one consultations to each participating office to ensure all works complied with physical accessibility standards. Then, based on the guidance, our colleagues managed the works locally. We are proud that, despite the remote setup, we successfully advanced the project and strengthened collaboration across locations.” remembers one of my architect colleagues, Chaido Georgouli.
GAP transformations and results: Major strides towards physical accessibility
The circumstances at some locations were difficult, including aged infrastructure and challenging terrain. Yet, where there is determination, meaningful progress follows. Our colleagues were determined to transform their environments to be more accessible – even in remote locations and within buildings originally designed without physical accessibility in mind.
In Kasulu, Tanzania, movement around the compound was not easy due to uneven terrain surrounding the building. To meet this challenge, we proposed simple concrete ramps, linking as many buildings within the compound as possible. We improved bathroom accessibility by widening doors, repositioning fixtures and adding grabrails. The same approach was later applied in UNHCR’s office in San José, Costa Rica. “Today, our compound looks and feels different. Everyone feels welcome and included,” Getruda Richard Mnyenyelwa, UNHCR’s Administrative Officer in Kasulu, Tanzania, told me following the transformation. Similarly, in Takum, Nigeria, we added low-cost concrete ramps at key points of interaction: at the main entrance, where people seek protection services, and the community meeting hall, a vital space for dialogue and engagement.
In Qamishli, Syria, we focused on repurposing existing ramps, installing handrails, rearranging sanitary fixtures in toilets and adding an evacuation chair, a device designed to safely evacuate people with a physical disability during an emergency. Emergency preparedness was also key in Peru, Lima, where UNHCR’s building has no elevators. To ensure safe evacuation for people with mobility impairments an evacuation chair was also procured for this location.
Concrete ramps connecting buildings in UNHCR’s compound in Kasulu, Tanzania. © UNHCR/Getruda Richard Mnyenyelwa
A physically accessible bathroom in UNHCR’s office in San José, Costa Rica. © UNHCR/Anastassiya Bugayeva
At the end of the project, we were able to support physical accessibility improvements in 20 offices in the span of just four months. Through this pilot project we learnt that with collaboration, determination and smart, cost-effective solutions, we can transform UNHCR’s buildings into safer and accessible environments – even with a modest budget. I am proud of the work we were able to achieve together with my architect colleagues and local facility managers. The results empower UNHCR’s personnel to work alongside one another more efficiently, enhancing support for people forced to flee their homes around the globe.