PEBA Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers

The Cagliari State Archives has begun drawing up its Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (PEBA), aimed at planning the interventions needed to make the areas of the premises open to the public accessible and usable by everyone.

The project is made possible thanks to funding granted by the Ministry of Culture under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP). Specifically, it falls within Mission 1, Investment 1.2 “Removal of physical and cognitive barriers in museums, libraries and archives”, which is designed to enable broader access to and participation in culture and is financed by the European Union under the NextGenerationEU programme.

The PEBA will be prepared in accordance with the “Guidelines for the drafting of the Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (PEBA) in museums, museum complexes, archaeological areas and parks”, published by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities and the Directorate-General for Museums.

To give a clearer idea of our project, we will answer a few simple but important questions:

What do we mean by accessibility?

Accessibility means that everyone can use and benefit from the physical, social, economic and cultural environment, including transport, information and communication (with their systems and technologies), and all other facilities and services that are open to or used by the public. This is reaffirmed in the 2008 United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The aim of the Cagliari State Archives is therefore to make its spaces and cultural resources fully accessible to all users, without any discrimination on grounds of motor or psycho‑physical condition.

What are architectural barriers?

Architectural barriers are understood to mean:

a) physical obstacles that create difficulties for the mobility of anyone and, in particular, of those who, for whatever reason, have permanently or temporarily reduced or impaired motor capacity;

b) obstacles that limit or prevent anyone from making convenient and safe use of spaces, facilities or components;

c) the absence of wayfinding measures and signage that enable users to navigate the environment, identify locations and recognise potential hazards, particularly those who are blind, partially sighted or deaf.

Architectural barriers can therefore differ from one person to another, depending on each individual’s mobility. Any of us may, for various reasons (permanent or temporary), be faced with a barrier. It is therefore essential to identify and analyse every cause of impediment and, through the PEBA, to find the best solutions to minimise both external and internal barriers within the spaces of the Cagliari State Archives. For this reason, we also want the project to be a participatory process involving the Archives’ users and visitors.

It is important for us to understand as clearly as possible the accessibility issues presented by the building, as perceived by those who use it. This will enable us to plan the removal of obstacles that limit independent and safe use of the environment, with particular attention to users with disabilities (motor, intellectual or sensory).

With everyone’s involvement, it will be possible to design targeted measures to make the Archives usable by the widest possible number of people. In this way, we can take into account the needs and rights of all user groups, without discrimination on the grounds of physical, sensory or age‑related conditions.

Approval of the PEBA
Investment 1.2 “Removal of physical and cognitive barriers in museums, libraries and archives to enable broader access to and participation in culture” under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan provides for 617 measures to improve physical and cognitive accessibility in cultural venues.

The Directorate-General for Museums approved the Strategic Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers (PEBA) by Decree No. 534 of 19 May 2022, which provides the methodological framework for the implementation of the project.

In line with the approved timetable, the Cagliari State Archives adopted its PEBA, drawn up by architect Maria Lucia Floris, by Decree No. 12 of 13 June 2024.

The following technical annexes can be downloaded: Cagliari State Archives – Plan for the Elimination of Architectural Barriers