A Study for Weight Decision of Evaluation Index of Barrier Free Certification for Unit Plan in Apartment Houses

Abstract

(Background and Purpose) the Barrier-Free Certification System (BF Certification) serves as a key policy aimed at enhancing accessibility for all facility users, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly and the number of BF certifications continues to increase. Given South Korea’s transition into an aging society, apartment housing serves as a primary residential setting for the elderly and individuals with disabilities. Ensuring accessibility and convenience in such housing is therefore essential. This study serves as a follow-up to Research on the Development of BF Certification Evaluation Indicators for Apartment House Units and aims to refine the evaluation framework for BF certification of apartment housing units. Specifically, through an expert survey utilizing the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), this study seeks to determine the relative weights of evaluation criteria and assign corresponding scores. The findings will contribute to the development of an improved assessment system and provide empirical data for future implementation of BF certification in apartment housing units. (Method) This study aims to determine the weights of evaluation criteria based on their relative importance by establishing seven major classification categories and 48 subcategories, as identified in previous research. To derive appropriate weights for the evaluation items, an Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) survey was conducted among experts specializing in BF certification. The survey results were analyzed to assess the relative significance of each evaluation item within the classification framework, and corresponding scores were assigned accordingly. (Results) The weights assigned to the first-tier categories were as follows: entrance (0.295), bathroom (0.226), kitchen (0.134), living room (0.126), bedroom (0.113), other facilities (0.056), and balcony (0.050). at the second-tier level, the highest-weighted items included activity space in the living room (0.770), entrance door (0.617), activity space in the kitchen (0.616), and balcony door (0.502). Among the third-tier items, the highest-weighted criteria included securing the front turning radius at the entrance (0.692), ensuring the effective width of the entrance door (0.405), eliminating steps at the entrance door (0.331), providing adequate passage width in the living room (0.486), applying non-slip flooring in the bathroom (0.662), and eliminating steps in the kitchen (0.509). The highly ranked third-tier items are considered essential for ensuring accessibility and usability for elderly individuals and persons with disabilities. Accordingly, it is recommended that BF certification for apartment housing be mandated to ensure compliance with these critical accessibility conditions in practice. (Conclusions) This study utilized the AHP method, a widely recognized multi-criteria decision-making technique, to assess the relative importance of BF certification evaluation items and propose a scoring system. The findings of this study provide a reference framework for prioritizing certification criteria in future implementations of BF certification for apartment housing.