Accessible cities involve building and designing infrastructure that intentionally allows people with disabilities and limited mobility, including older people, to move around the city.
According to the World Health Organization, 15% of the world’s population lives with an impairment or disability.
For too long, cities have been built without giving much thought to people with disabilities or with impairment.
Many cities still have very few safe crossing points over roads, and in some countries, most vehicles do not stop for pedestrians. Instead, it is the other way around, leading to many casualties.
Inaccessibility creates significant social and physical barriers for individuals, limiting their participation in essential services such as education, employment, and healthcare.
Enhancing access fosters inclusion, allowing these individuals to contribute to society through volunteering, participating in meetings, and engaging in recreational activities.
These barriers create severe social and psychological constraints for people with disabilities or impairments.
The first step in creating accessible cities is to involve people with disabilities and impairments and older people to make planners and policymakers aware of the barriers they face daily.
Most accessible cities in the world
A survey result from Valuable 500, a global business collective of 500 CEOs and their companies, listed the 10 most accessible cities in the world based on a survey of 3,500 tourists from the UK, Japan, China, the US, and Australia.
They rate cities’ accessibility based on transport links, the proximity of accommodation to cultural attractions, shops, and restaurants, and the availability of accessibility information.
- Singapore, Singapore
- Las Vegas, Nevada
- Amsterdam, Netherlands
- New York, U.S.
- Orlando, U.S.
- Paris, France
- Shanghai, China
- London, UK
- Sydney, Australia
- Tokyo, Japan
Three cities in the United States are Las Vegas, New York, and Orlando. After the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, most Las Vegas hotels and venues are almost ADA-compliant.
Another US city wants to become an accessibility model for people with disabilities. In the next couple of years, the city of Aurora in Colorado will develop a plan to identify, evaluate, and fund accessibility updates in its infrastructure, services, and programs.
The city’s first step was data gathering to examine its infrastructure and what it is like to travel around the city. Residents are encouraged to answer a survey and use the interactive map to identify accessibility gaps around the city or places of concern. Town hall meetings are also available for residents to share their feedback.
According to the EngageAurora website, the survey will help the city of Aurora identify accessibility issues or critical locations for disabled users of city facilities.
The city is developing a transition plan to eliminate barriers in the public right-of-way under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This plan includes sidewalks, curb ramps, and other pedestrian facilities.
While study efforts may not immediately result in improvements, the plan will provide the city with a clear direction and an infrastructure roadmap to make accessibility-related accommodations as funding allows.
Karlyn Shorb, the city’s Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator, says the public’s voice is crucial because they are part of the community.
Sources:
Why designing an accessible and inclusive city goes beyond affordability. (2024, February 14). World Economic Forum. Retrieved from https://www.weforum.org/stories/2024/02/why-designing-an-accessible-and-inclusive-city-goes-beyond-affordability
How to make cities accessible and inclusive. CBM. Retrieved from https://www.cbm.org/fileadmin/user_upload/Publications/How_to_make_cities_accessible_and_inclusive_Web_FINAL.PDF
Fernandez, C. (2022, November 14). New York City, Las Vegas are among the 10 most accessible cities in the world for people with disabilities. CNBC. Retrieved from https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/14/most-accessible-cities-in-the-world-valuable-500-survey.html
Accessibility Within Reach — Aurora’s ADA Self-Evaluation and Transition Plan Update. (2024, November 2). Engage Aurora. Retrieved from https://engageaurora.org/ADA
Help Make Aurora More Accessible. (2024, October 23). Aurora TV. Retrieved from https://www.auroratv.org/video/help-make-aurora-more-accessible
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