The project aimed to improve understanding and practice of accessibility in the built environment by developing practical learning tools for professionals and community members. The partners set out to document examples of accessible buildings across Europe, highlight architectural diversity and successful accessibility solutions, and promote innovative, sustainability-oriented approaches to building design. Another objective was to raise awareness of physical barriers and inclusion among a wider population, ensuring that people with disabilities and other stakeholders could actively contribute to identifying challenges and shaping solutions. Through the OBLIGE Publication and the accompanying assessment toolkit, the project sought to provide clear, user-friendly resources that support vocational education, strengthen professional skills, and encourage more inclusive practices at local, national, and European levels.
The partners applied for the Open Buildings of Europe project in response to a clear need to strengthen knowledge, skills, and practical tools related to accessibility in the built environment. Across Austria, Romania, and Türkiye, professionals, public institutions, and local communities face similar challenges: a lack of easy-to-use methods for assessing buildings, limited awareness of accessibility solutions, and insufficient opportunities for people with disabilities to contribute directly to improvement processes. The project was designed to address these needs by collecting real examples of accessible buildings, developing a practical and user-friendly publication, and creating a simple toolkit that helps both experts and socially engaged individuals understand and evaluate physical accessibility. By doing so, the project supports more inclusive, sustainable, and informed practices in vocational education and training and in everyday community life.