Rethinking Accessibility: How Universal Design Is Shaping Rural Areas in Lithuania

Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė and Monika Belhaj ()
Additional contact information
Živilė Gedminaitė-Raudonė: Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania
Monika Belhaj: Lithuanian Centre for Social Sciences, Institute of Economics and Rural Development, 03220 Vilnius, Lithuania

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 18, 1-28

Abstract: Population aging and the rising prevalence of disability are reshaping demographic dynamics worldwide, underscoring the need for inclusive environments that accommodate diverse functional abilities. While legal mandates for accessibility exist, structural and institutional barriers often hinder implementation. Universal Design (UD) provides a transformative framework that shifts the focus from individualized accommodations to systemic inclusion; however, its application in Lithuania, particularly in rural settings, remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating the integration of UD principles in the Ignalina region, a rural Lithuanian locality experiencing pronounced demographic decline and aging. Using the design thinking model, this research examined how public institutions navigate UD implementation across the phases of empathization, definition, ideation, prototyping, and testing. The findings reveal both promising developments and persistent challenges. Community-engaged initiatives, such as micro-grants, volunteer services, and digital accessibility platforms, have begun to enhance service inclusivity. However, issues such as outdated infrastructure, unclear legislative guidelines, and funding limitations continue to constrain progress. This study concludes that UD can serve not only as a mechanism for promoting accessibility but also as a strategic tool for rural socio-economic resilience, contributing to the discourse on inclusive spatial planning and policy development in aging and diversifying societies.

Keywords: universal design; accessibility; public services; design thinking model; regional development; Lithuania (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8311/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/17/18/8311/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:17:y:2025:i:18:p:8311-:d:1750774

Access Statistics for this article

Sustainability is currently edited by Ms. Alexandra Wu

More articles in Sustainability from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().