Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Navigating town or city streets is often made particularly difficult or dangerous for pedestrians with disabilities (including users of wheelchairs and other motorised assistance devices) by social, design, policy, legal or regulatory factors. Law can sometimes be part of the problem, as famously argued by Jacobus tenBroek in his 1966 article on ‘the right to live in the world’. Law and policy, however, are also a vital part of the solution. At the international level, this point has been highlighted in recent years by developments such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Sustainable Development Goals and the UN Habitat Agenda. Nevertheless, meaningful change on the ground often proves elusive.

This topic issue will bring together a collection of articles which explore and critically evaluate the role and effectiveness of, and the need for, law, policy and regulation to enhance the inclusiveness of urban streetscapes for persons with disabilities around the globe. It aims to reflect on the effectiveness of law and policy (at international, regional, national or local levels) in preventing and challenging the exclusion and disadvantage experienced by pedestrians with disabilities and to explore factors (including political profile and activist strategies) which operate as blockages or facilitators of success. Papers will critically reflect on established and emerging types of disabling barriers affecting pedestrians and on the need for, or effectiveness of, regulatory or other state responses or approaches. The nature of barriers and solutions will vary across boundaries of geography and legal systems. We are keen that the Topic reflect the richness of this diversity as well as the potential significance of global and regional initiatives to promote change.

We invite articles addressing areas including (but not limited to):

• Pedestrian rights and their relationship with the rights of persons with disabilities and/or older people and allied movements;
• The regulation of accessibility, inclusive design and road user behaviour in the context of pedestrian environments and streetscapes;
• Relevant international instruments and initiatives (such as the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda);
• Relevant regional instruments/initiatives—e.g., within the EU;
• Challenges and/or successes in how key aspects of national/local law (e.g., equality, constitutional, tort, criminal, environmental or traffic law) operate to prevent and/or eliminate disabling barriers for pedestrians;
• New or emerging modes of transport or urban design which are creating risks or barriers for disabled people who wish to access and use town or city streets and whether/how law/regulation is, or should be, responding;
• Empirical evidence on experiences of exclusion faced by pedestrians with disabilities and the implications of this for political engagement, urban planning and/or regulatory reform.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Maria Orchard
Prof. Dr. Anna Lawson
Dr. Victor Santiago Pineda
Dr. Jim Walker
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Laws laws	1.2	1.9	2012	29.6 Days	CHF 1400
Social Sciences socsci	1.7	3.2	2012	27.7 Days	CHF 1800
Societies societies	2.1	2.3	2011	32.6 Days	CHF 1400
Urban Science urbansci	2.0	4.5	2017	23.7 Days	CHF 1600

MDPI Topics is cooperating with Preprints.org and has built a direct connection between MDPI journals and Preprints.org. Authors are encouraged to enjoy the benefits by posting a preprint at Preprints.org prior to publication:

1. Immediately share your ideas ahead of publication and establish your research priority;
2. Protect your idea from being stolen with this time-stamped preprint article;
3. Enhance the exposure and impact of your research;
4. Receive feedback from your peers in advance;
5. Have it indexed in Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results

Content type Publication Date

Result details

Normal Extended Compact

Journals

All Laws Social Sciences Societies Urban Science

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

16 pages, 442 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Moral Distress and Moral Agency: Staff Experience of Supporting Self-Determination for People with Dementia

by Cecilia Ingard, Maria Sjölund and Sven Trygged

Soc. Sci. 2024, 13(5), 237; https://doi.org/10.3390/socsci13050237 - 25 Apr 2024

Viewed by 308

Abstract

People living in nursing homes have the right to self-determination, and difficulty in accommodating this right can create moral distress in staff. This study aimed to explore experiences of situations of moral distress and to identify nursing home staffs’ needs to act with [...] Read more.

People living in nursing homes have the right to self-determination, and difficulty in accommodating this right can create moral distress in staff. This study aimed to explore experiences of situations of moral distress and to identify nursing home staffs’ needs to act with moral agency. Six group interviews were conducted with nursing home staff. Content analysis of the interview responses showed that moral distress can be rooted in both concrete situations with residents and factors related to the work environment and policy requirements. Personnel can address moral distress through both active and passive means. Staff acted to address moral distress mainly in situations with residents and sometimes in relation to co-workers, but they did not try to influence the policy level. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)

18 pages, 778 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Performance Metrics for Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plans

by Yochai Eisenberg, Mackenzie Hayes, Amy Hofstra, Delphine Labbé, Robert Gould and Robin Jones

Urban Sci. 2024, 8(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8020027 - 29 Mar 2024

Viewed by 628

Abstract

Safely walking or wheeling in a wheelchair in the community is a civil and human right. Some progress has been made in the US towards making walking/wheeling paths more accessible for people with disabilities through the construction of new curb ramps, fixing sidewalk [...] Read more.

Safely walking or wheeling in a wheelchair in the community is a civil and human right. Some progress has been made in the US towards making walking/wheeling paths more accessible for people with disabilities through the construction of new curb ramps, fixing sidewalk barriers, and installing accessible pedestrian signals. However, pedestrians with disabilities continue to be limited by infrastructure barriers on sidewalks and streets. To encourage progress and government transparency, we developed a set of performance metrics for local governments to monitor and report their progress in implementing barrier removal plans, called Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) transition plans. We used the five-step Nominal Group Technique to systematically develop and prioritize a set of performance metrics with an expert panel of ADA coordinators, disability organizations, and state and federal Department of Transportation staff. The research resulted in obtaining 53 metrics across five goals and 14 objectives that can be used to measure all phases of implementation and are intended to be customized to fit different community contexts and capacities. The metrics could be used by federal and state transportation agencies, as well as internationally, with some adaptation to ensure that adequate progress in barrier removal is being made. Local governments can use the metrics to document and communicate their progress and effectively reduce ADA compliance litigation concerns. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

16 pages, 259 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

Leveraging Continental Norms and Mechanisms to Enhance Barrier-Free Access for Pedestrians with Disabilities in Kenya

by Lawrence M. Mute and Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua

Laws 2024, 13(2), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws13020011 - 28 Feb 2024

Viewed by 858

Abstract

When it is realised meaningfully, barrier-free access enables pedestrians with disabilities to use streets without being impeded by non-existent or poorly maintained sidewalks, inaccessible overpasses or underpasses, crowded sidewalks, lack of traffic controls, lack of aids at street crossings, unsafe motorist behaviour, and [...] Read more.

When it is realised meaningfully, barrier-free access enables pedestrians with disabilities to use streets without being impeded by non-existent or poorly maintained sidewalks, inaccessible overpasses or underpasses, crowded sidewalks, lack of traffic controls, lack of aids at street crossings, unsafe motorist behaviour, and poor signage and lighting. While Kenya has laws in place that are intended to facilitate barrier-free access, in reality, these laws are not implemented, resulting in the violations of rights of pedestrians in general, and pedestrians with disabilities in particular. Using the lived experiences of pedestrians with disabilities, this article reflects on the policy, legislative, and practical contexts which undermine access. It shows that despite the range of policy and legal instruments which Kenya has adopted or enacted to ensure the public in general can access streets, pedestrians with disabilities enjoy arising benefits only marginally. The article’s thesis is that continental policy and normative instruments and institutions may impel Kenya towards ensuring that pedestrians with disabilities have meaningful barrier-free access. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)
(This article belongs to the Section Human Rights Issues)

16 pages, 1730 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

The Needs and Requirements of People with Disabilities for Frequent Movement in Cities: Insights from Qualitative and Quantitative Data of the TRIPS Project

by Tally Hatzakis, Laura Alčiauskaitė and Alexandra König

Urban Sci. 2024, 8(1), 12; https://doi.org/10.3390/urbansci8010012 - 01 Feb 2024

Viewed by 1303

Abstract

Moving is an indispensable component of travelling. This paper discusses the experiences of persons with disabilities when moving around cities on foot or wheels, based on research conducted during the EU-funded project TRIPS. Findings comprise participants’ vignettes from 49 interviews in seven European [...] Read more.

Moving is an indispensable component of travelling. This paper discusses the experiences of persons with disabilities when moving around cities on foot or wheels, based on research conducted during the EU-funded project TRIPS. Findings comprise participants’ vignettes from 49 interviews in seven European cities, views on smart assistive technologies (e.g., Augmented Reality) from a pan-European quantitative survey, and design concepts related to walking based on a co-creation workshop that actively engaged persons with various types of disabilities in ideation. Findings suggest that people need reliable and clear wayfaring information on accessible travel routes featuring the coordinated design of streets, pavement, stops, stations, and vehicles to ensure seamless, step-free, and obstacle-free access, as well as disability-sensitive management of disruptions such as maintenance works, for example. Findings also suggest that users are open to using any assistive technology that can enable them to live more independently, assuming it is accessible, and are keen to co-innovate. Finally, we make recommendations for policy changes that can facilitate the redesign of urban infrastructure to make cities more accessible for people with disabilities and drive structural changes in urban planning. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)

►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 236 KiB  

Open AccessArticle

The Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Access to Public Spaces

by Barry A. Whaley, Jonathan G. Martinis, Giuseppe F. Pagano, Sara Barthol, Jessica Senzer, Pamela R. Williamson and Peter D. Blanck

Laws 2024, 13(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/laws13010005 - 24 Jan 2024

Viewed by 2134

Abstract

Since the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the United States federal government, states, and localities have passed laws and created policies intended to ensure that people with disabilities had full and equal access to public spaces. Nevertheless, more [...] Read more.

Since the passage of the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, the United States federal government, states, and localities have passed laws and created policies intended to ensure that people with disabilities had full and equal access to public spaces. Nevertheless, more than three decades after the ADA, people with disabilities continue to face architectural and other barriers to community inclusion and participation. This article describes laws, policies, and initiatives that are implemented in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels to address these barriers, examines their effectiveness, and describes the views of advocates working in furtherance of the rights of people with disabilities and the inclusiveness of public spaces. We conclude by providing brief recommendations for ways federal, state, and local governments may ensure people with disabilities have full and equal access to public spaces. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics)

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less

Select all

Export citation of selected articles as:

Plain Text BibTeX BibTeX (without abstracts) Endnote Endnote (without abstracts) Tab-delimited RIS

 

Error

Oops... you haven't selected anything for export.

Ok

clear

Displaying articles 1-5