PEBA: what are they?
THE Architectural Barrier Elimination Plans (PEBA) are fundamental tools to ensure mobility and accessibility for all citizenswith and without disabilities. Established for the first time by Law 41/1986, art. 32, paragraph 21, and subsequently integrated by the Urban Accessibility Plan (PAU) pursuant to Law 104, art. 24, paragraph 9, the PEBA have the task of monitor, classify and plan interventions to remove architectural barriers in a given territory.
These plans should be adopted by every Italian municipalitybut the reality is often different: many municipalities have not yet implemented a PEBA, thus violating citizens’ right to mobility. The PEBA that each public administration must draw up must include:
- Barrier Mapping existing architectural features: identification of physical obstacles that limit (or totally prevent) the mobility of people with disabilities;
- Planning of interventions: definition and planning of actions needed to remove barriers, with definition of priorities;
- Economic evaluation: Estimate of the costs of the works to be carried out and identification of the available financial resources;
- Time planning: planning of the implementation times, with precise deadlines;
- Active participation: involvement of associations, local authorities and citizens in the planning and monitoring of interventions.
Failure to implement PEBAs may result in legal consequences significant, as demonstrated for example by the 2022 condemnation of the Municipality of Pomezia by the Court of Rome for the non-total accessibility of numerous public places and spaces in the city, due to the late adoption of the PEBA.
The Technical Table for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers
On 29 July 2024, a T was established at the Ministry of Infrastructure and TransportTechnical Advisor on Architectural Barrier Elimination Plans (PEBA), marking a crucial moment in the fight for accessibility. The Table, chaired by Mario Barbutopresident of the Italian Union of the Blind and Partially Sighted, sees the participation of representatives of professional orders such as engineers, architects and surveyors, technicians from various ministries, firefighters, and representatives of municipalities and provinces of Italy, as well as the State-Regions conference and disability associations.
The main objective of this body is to review existing regulations on architectural barriers, assess the current status of PEBA implementation in ItalyAnd propose updated guidelines that can guarantee a uniform regulation and the implementation of these plans throughout the country.
An innovative aspect of this table is the willingness to explore the use of new technologiesincluding Artificial Intelligence, to improve the effectiveness of interventions and to constantly monitor the presence of architectural and sensory barriers.
PEBA Technical Table: standards, incentives, training, technologies, information, communication
According to Mario Barbuto, the key words on which the working group will have to focus, with the aim of achieving concrete results, are: standards, incentives, training, technologies, information, communication.
As Alessandra Locatelli, Minister for Disabilities, underlined, “The presence of such a significant number and variety of institutional, administrative and technical actors allows us to aim for a real regulatory and technical turning point to take steps forward towards that finally inclusive and barrier-free world for which we continue to work every day.”
Among the main objectives of the Table is theadoption of updated guidelineswith the involvement of the Permanent Conference for Relations between the State and the Regions. These guidelines will have to ensure uniform regulation of PEBAs, in line with the principles of inclusion and universal design. Furthermore, the Table aims to introduce Incentive tools for PEBA implementing bodiespromoting good practices through training courses that spread a culture of accessibility and inclusion.
