Thammasat University won the “Friendly Design Award 2022” from the 6th Thailand Friendly Design Expo on December 15, 2022 in the category of “Institution for All People”. As an educational institution that is outstanding in facilitating and creating friendly designs in order for everyone to equally access and utilize, and are friendly to all people. This is the fifth year in a row for Thammsat to receive the award, in which Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chumkhet Sawaengcharoen, Vice Rector for Administration of Rangsit Center for Physical Education, Thammasat University also received an award under the “Friendly Design Role Model” category for the sixth time in a row.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chumkhet Sawaengcharoen, Vice Rector for Administration of Rangsit Center for Physical Education, Thammasat University revealed that in the year 2022, the physical area within the university has been improved by constructing over 100 ramps to facilitate those who use wheelchairs, including upgrading all electric buses (EV Bus) to all be accessible to people with disabilities which is In parallel with the creation of the TU Around application for visually impaired students to check the parking spots according to the signs through the application.
In addition, Thammasat has developed innovations to promote equality for Thai society through designs, inventions, and social innovations created to enhance the quality of life for all groups of people and reduce social inequality, such as Ban Saen Yue Dee for the elderly with disabilities of the Thammasat University Universal Design Research Unit, mobile odor-restricted urinal from the Faculty of Nursing, and electric wheelchairs for people with leg impairments from the Faculty of Engineering.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chumkhet further said that especially about monetization and careers for people with disabilities, which is an important factor that will allow such group of people to overcome hardships. The Faculty of Architecture and Planning, Thammasat University and the Thammasat University Universal Design Research Unit which have foreseen the aspect, therefore, designed a career kiosk for the disabled to be able to sell products right on their wheelchair with the proportion and formats designed to support this particular group of users in order to conduct occupational tasks within a limited area.
“This is considered a correlation between the government policy that wishes to offer employment opportunities and the private sector that wishes to promote the careers for people with disabilities. Hence, our role is the designer who will provide academic services and develop further until we obtain designs that can literally be used in real life,”said Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chumkhet.
In this regard, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Chumkhet Sawaengcharoen, Vice Rector for Administration of Rangsit Center for Physical Education, Thammasat University also received the ‘Friendly Design Awards 2022’ under the category of “Friendly Design Role Model” from the 6th Thailand Friendly Design Expo
