Access to Education in Terms of the Elimination of Architectural Barriers – On the Example of Selected Polish Universities Located in Historic Buildings

Many universities in Poland are based in historic buildings. As public facilities, they must have accessibility for people with disabilities. Therefore, historic buildings undergo regular reconstruction to ensure accessibility on the basis of technical and construction regulations and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. For the purpose of the study, those with exceptional architectural, cultural and historical are presented. The article is concerned with determining the current state of accessibility of selected Polish universities for students with mobility disabilities. The first part of the paper deals with the verification of the background material in the form of statistical data and support programmes for the studied group of users. The second part presents historical information about the historic buildings along with a qualitative analysis of the elements already applied to eliminate architectural barriers. Nine selected historical teaching facilities located both in Warsaw and scattered throughout the country were analysed using the field observation method. The conclusion presents the results indicating the application in the realizations of the principle of rational improvement stating that the preservation of historic value can become paramount to ensuring full accessibility. Still, monuments should be treated individually, and the same applies to disabilities, where each is different and requires individual perception and treatment.