Community Accessibility Initiatives in Pécs

The University of Pécs is committed to social inclusion and diversity; as a result, a comprehensive accessibility project was recently launched to identify accessibility needs across the university’s campuses and implement specific improvements in a later phase. This process is complemented and reinforced by the People First Public Benefit Association’s community-based program, the City of Pécs-supported Pécs City Civil Framework 2025.

As part of this initiative, with the active involvement of the university community—students and staff—everyday user experiences are being collected regarding accessibility challenges within the university’s faculties and surrounding areas. The goal of this collaboration is to ensure that accessibility is not viewed solely as an institutional responsibility, but becomes a shared social cause.

The project draws attention to caring for one another, as well as the importance of social inclusion and accessibility.

What do we want to achieve?

• Involving the university community in the accessibility process
• Supplementing PTE’s data collection with practical experiences
• Further developing the Accessible Pécs Database
• Strengthening inclusive thinking and community responsibility in Pécs and at PTE
• Setting an example for other universities

With us, not without us – why is participation important?

Accessibility goes beyond legal compliance. To create truly usable solutions, we need feedback based on experiences encountered during everyday travel, learning, and work. The People First Public Benefit Association’s program connects this lived experience with the University of Pécs’s institutional developments, thereby making the needs of a broader target group visible.

How can you get involved?

Observe the university spaces and the routes leading to them from an accessibility perspective. Is it high enough, low enough, wide enough? Are there ramps? Are there appropriate signs? ...in short, is it usable for EVERYONE? Think about entrances, the accessibility of workplaces and classrooms, the usability of the cafeteria, library, and conference rooms—don’t forget the dorms, sidewalks, crosswalks, bus stops, and even the most popular party spots.

Document it: a photo + a brief description of the location and the problem, along with your suggested solution—because that’s what’s most valuable to us!

Send it to the People First Public Benefit Association’s email: accesspecs@peoplefirst.hu

Your valuable feedback will be processed and incorporated into the appropriate professional workflow.

What happens to the reports we receive?

Reports are analysed by a team of experts with disabilities. Then, depending on the nature of the problem:

• it is added to the Accessible Pécs Database if the accessibility issue can be resolved immediately.
• it is forwarded to the relevant institution (crosswalks, sidewalks, bus stops).
• it is sent to the relevant units at the University of Pécs (PTE), where it provides an excellent foundation for the accessibility strategy currently being developed by PTE.

In this way, community experiences provide a real-world basis for institutional decisions.

Your participation is very valuable, so we would like to thank you specifically for your involvement. The most active contributors will win movie tickets, PTE souvenirs, and participation in the People First Association’s special Hidden City Tor-Tour.

Join the community data collection effort now and support PTE’s accessibility initiatives with real-world experiences. You can report accessibility issues at university locations and along the routes leading to them by submitting a photo along with a brief description of the location and the solution.

Article: University of Pécs
Photos: Szabolcs Csortos