The social stone: a story of transformation from ableist to accessible topology

Abstract

Using a case study of a kerb–the social stone–found at a tram traffic Island, the text demonstrates the re/production of the ableist city and analyses processes of transforming such a city into an accessible space for people with disabilities. The authors apply actor-network theory to analyse the mutual construction of space and bodies. To understand this construction, the concept of topology is used, which the article develops by introducing ‘ableist’ and ‘accessible’ topology. Unlike topography, which is in concord with able-bodied people, topology is more suitable for the analysis of space when also including non-standard bodies. Moreover, it allows the authors to analyse the mechanisms that reproduce and control the currently inaccessible city on the one hand, and it provide some room for change on the other. However, to make this change happen, a specific network must be established. To trace the associations that create such a network, the study uses in-depth interviews with involved actors collected over a ten-year period.