Findings published on urban accessibility for those with disabilities

Persons with disabilities comprise nearly 15% of the global population, and more than half of all people with disabilities live in towns and cities. However our cities rarely address mobility needs across the full spectrum of people’s abilities.

When urban areas are planned with people with disabilities and those with limited mobility in mind, this helps everyone to have equitable access to social, health, and economic opportunities. This also stimulates economies, engages citizenship and promotes thriving communities. However the majority of cities are designed from the perspective of people without disabilities and in particular for the convenience of people in motor vehicles rather than people walking, cycling, or using public transportation.

The findings published by the Institute for Transportation and Development Policy (ITDP) and World Enabled (The Victor Pineda Foundation) explore accessible transit-oriented development and sustainable urban mobility through the lens of people with disabilities and offers a set of recommendations to promote appropriate actions.

These recommendations articulate seven standards that inclusive sustainable transport and mobility planning should include:

1. Walking, cycling and public transport in a 10-minute range should be comfortable, convenient and accessible
2. Design should be universally accessible; walking and cycling pathways should be unobstructed and stations should be able to be entered without the assistance of an attendant
3. Traffic-calming measures should be in place to slow traffic, reduce private motor vehicle reliance and foster a comfortable environment
4. Public spaces should feature shade, shelter, sufficient lighting, publicly accessible toilets and areas that provide a chance to rest
5. Public spaces should be vibrant places
6. Wayfinding information should be available in a range of accessible formats (such as tactile paving, audio and braille)
7. Guide dogs should be allowed access to facilities, transport systems and public spaces.

Further recommendations contained in the report shed light on the improvements needed in law, attitudes, institutional capacity and leadership.

To read the full summary, click here.

More information can be obtained through the MobiliseYourCity Partnership here.