Accessibility in zagreb for power wheelchair users

Abstract

The urban environment's inaccessibility to persons with disabilities is one of the crucial aspects of social discrimination. The paper explores the physical barriers that power wheelchair users encounter while moving around Zagreb, specifically in parts of the following neighbourhoods: Gornji grad (Upper Town) – Medveščak; Donji grad (Lower Town); and Trnje. The aforementioned neighbourhoods encompass a total surface area of 4.31 km2. A participatory approach was applied in the research, whereby wheelchair users were included in the part of the research where navigability of the streets was assessed and the barriers which made moving difficult or impossible were also assessed and mapped. Based on the conducted research, accessibility maps were created and a corresponding interactive GIS map was uploaded online. The results showed that, in the researched areas, power wheelchair users were not able to navigate 22% of total pavement length and 16% of pedestrian crossings by themselves; and they required the assistance of more than one person in order to navigate 19% of pavement length and 9% of pedestrian crossings. The most common barriers include inadequate pavements, kerbs and stairs.