How to Make Cities More Accessible for Everyone?

In many cities, people with disabilities still face various inconveniences in their daily lives. Such as steps without ramps, buses without low floors, or sidewalks that are too narrow. These problems are all affecting their daily live. So, how can we make cities more accessible to everyone?

“Barrier-free” means designing public Spaces in an inclusive way so that everyone can use them safely and comfortably. Not only for wheelchair users, but also for the elderly, parents pushing baby strollers, or those who have just been injured and have difficulty moving around. Some simple designs can produce obvious effects, such as adding ramps beside stairs, lowering the height of elevator buttons, laying blind paths on sidewalks, or setting up voice prompts at zebra crossings. These practices do not necessarily require a lot of money, but they reflect care and respect. Although some places cannot be directly modified because they are very old or under building protection. For instance, many old buildings have no elevators or ramps, and some public toilets are so cramped that wheelchairs simply cannot get in.These seemingly insignificant minor issues have no impact on most people, but for people with disabilities, they might be the difference between “being able to travel freely” and “being trapped at home”.

Based on my own observation, I have found that many European countries have done very well in barrier-free design. No matter where you are, you can almost always see ramps, low-floor buses, and clear signs for different groups of people. Even in small towns, there are many thoughtful little details that make everyone’s life more convenient.However, in China, although some cities have begun to improve, there is still much room for improvement overall. In many places, public buildings still lack ramps or accessible toilets. Sometimes these facilities do exist, but they are poorly designed and inconvenient to use. I think we need more attention and dedication. Accessibility should be regarded as a fundamental component of urban design, rather than an “additional” or “optional” part.

Therefore, designers and urban planners should learn to view problems from others’ perspectives rather than just their own.”Barrier-free” does not mean creating a “special” space for a few people, but rather making the original space accessible to more people.

Refenerces

1.Adlam, T. (2011) ‘P. Graham Design Meets Disability 2010 MIT Press Cambridge, MA, USA ISBN 978-0-262-16255-5’. Medical Engineering and Physics 33 (8) p.pp. 1039–1039.

2.Fischer, J. & Meuser, P. (2009) Accessible architecture : age and disability-friendly planning and building in the 21st century ; [construction and design manual]. Berlin: DOM.