Accessibility Data Collection: a Huge Challenge for Cities and Transit Networks

Accessibility Data Collection: a Huge Challenge for Cities and Transit Networks

by | 29 Oct, 2021

The United States seen from orbit

Accessibility Data Collection: a Huge Challenge for Cities and Transit Networks

It has been around ten years since we massively adopted the use of GPS on our smartphones. But while this tool is extremely helpful for car journeys, it is much less efficient to calculate routes for pedestrians, and even less for wheelchair users. 

Navigating urban spaces with different abilities requires having access to specific, standardized, and comprehensive data about pedestrian pathways. However, this data is often unavailable. And when it does exist, it is partial and lacks consistency between territories. Are there curb ramps? How steep is the slope? Are there accessible pedestrian signals?

Numerous projects around the world aim to collect and harmonize data on pedestrian routes and in particular accessible routes. Let us look at the main initiatives that will make it possible to create more inclusive maps, GPS navigators and journey planners for all in the future!

Why data collection is so important to enhance mobility for people with disabilities?

Data collection has long been prioritized for streets and cars. Facilitating the mobility of pedestrians, especially pedestrians with a disability, requires collecting data on sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and public transit networks.

People with disabilities need an accessible and seamless mobility chain to navigate independently. They need some specific features according to their mobility profile. Wheelchair users require wide pathways, lowered curb, and ramps or elevators to overcome grade breaks. Wholes or steps become intractable obstacles that ruin any attempt to move. 

Pedestrians who are blind or have low vision need a breadcrumb trail to keep their direction, tactile warning indicators before hazards, auditory bearings, and accessible pedestrian signals. 

People with an intellectual disability need safe and reassuring spaces, easy-to-read signage, pictograms, and colored markers. 

If one of the links in the mobility chain is broken, getting around becomes impossible. 

Today, navigation and routing applications do not take this data into account for the simple reason that it is insufficiently available. Therefore, data collection and harmonization are a major issue. How to describe accessible routes? What data to identify? How to avoid local variations? How to categorize it? How to make it available? 

Another challenge is to define mobility profiles. Manual wheelchair users do not have exactly the same needs as power wheelchair users. People with low vision do not have the same needs as blind people. Every kind of disability has its specifications, and every person their preferences.

OpenStreetMap and accessibility data

OpenStreetMap is a worldwide initiative to create and provide free geographic data, such as street maps, to anyone. Data is collected and recorded by volunteers all over the globe and can be used freely by service providers. Every citizen has the power and the tools to create a high-quality feature-rich map of their country, their states, their communities, and their neighborhoods.

However, most maps do not contain relevant accessibility information. Tags and keys are missing. OpenStreetMap aims to be the best world map for disabled users – by keeping track of important tags like wheelchair accessibility with Wheelmap, and by creating accessible versions of the map. It is important that OpenStreetMap’s data is open in full because it makes these things possible – to process a world map into a guidance app for the blind, or a map of only wheelchair-accessible places. 

The OpenStreetMap Wiki page about disabilities shares advice and good practice to create accessible maps. It gives tagging principles for disabilities. 

For blind or visually impaired people, mapping should include following information:

⊗  Tactile paving,

⊗  Accessible pedestrian signals (APS) with sound or vibrating indications,

⊗  Pedestrian crossings with islands,

⊗  Public transportation stops with platforms,

⊗  Audio signage,

⊗  Elevators with or without braille writing or embossed printed letters,

⊗  Handrails with braille writing or embossed printed letters,

⊗  Tactile maps,

⊗  Meeting locations of organizations of the blind and visually impaired,

⊗  Shops for optical glasses, eye doctors and hospital departments for eye diseases,

⊗  POIs that offer special products for the blind,

⊗  POIs that offer special accommodations for the blind like cinemas with audio description, museums with audio guides, restaurants with audio or braille menus, etc.

Keep in mind that accuracy is essential. If you indicate a public facility, precisely indicate the entrance and not the middle of the building.

For wheelchair users, people with reduced mobility or walking impairments or pushing strollers, mapping should include:

⊗  Access ramps,

⊗  Steepness of slopes and superelevation, 

⊗  Accessible restrooms, 

⊗  Handrails,

⊗  Elevators,

⊗  Accessible shops and businesses,

⊗  Accessible transit stations,

⊗  Accessible parking spaces,

⊗  Accessible accommodations: extra-wide cash desks, lowered counters, special shopping carts, fitting rooms, etc.,

⊗  Location of play equipment for disabled children, etc.

Keep in mind that wheelchair users have different abilities to go long distances and up slopes whether they use a manual or a power wheelchair. Information about distances and steepness of slopes should therefore be very precise. A user should have the possibility to avoid routes above a certain percentage grade.

For people who are deaf or have hearing impairments, mapping should include:

⊗  Induction loops,

⊗  Locations where there is sign language translation or cued speech,

⊗  POIs with special accommodations for deaf people: cinemas where movies are subtitled, theaters with special headphones, sound amplification systems, etc.

Maps designed for deaf people do not exist yet.

OpenSidewalks, a project to share data on the built environment in the US

Since 2015, Dr. Anna Caspi, director of the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology at the University of Washington (UW), and Nick Bolten, a Postdoctoral fellow in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering, have been working with stakeholders on the OpenSidewalks project to improve the collection, organization and sharing of data on the built environment to promote equity and inclusivity in transportation. The project aims to establish consistent and detailed standards for monitoring data on pedestrian pathways and their connectivity within multimodal transport networks.

Using data collected from sidewalks, ramps, and traffic lights, Caspi and Bolten developed AccessMap, a web application launched in 2017 that provides personalized routes to pedestrians based on their mobility profile. Maps are available for three Washington cities: Seattle, Bellingham, and Mount Vernon, and Expansion is underway for Austin, Texas and San Jose, California.

The data collected as part of the OpenSidewalks project is not only useful for people with disabilities but also for city planners and mobility authorities who are responsible for ensuring fair mobility for all. This pedestrian-centric approach is part of a revolution in designing the city.

Pedestrians have a wide variety of needs and preferences. This is the reason the AccessMap application not only offers the choice of a static profile but also other characteristics specific to each of us. Labeling a path as “wheelchair accessible” would not make sense if we do not consider the variety of abilities among wheelchair users. 

Because pedestrian data has typically been so neglected, the OpenSidewalks project needs to tackle many issues at once: defining data schemes, creating data organization and applications, and proving their utility. 

NeTEx, a European standard for data about public transport networks

The accessibility data collection is indeed a global issue. Now let us look at how it is treated in Europe. 

NeTEx stands for “Network Timetable Exchange.” It is a European technical standard (CEN) for exchanging Public Transport Network, schedules, and related data. It covers three topics: the Public Transport Network topology, Scheduled Timetables, and Fare information.

NeTEx schema can be used to exchange Data about the Accessibility of services, stops and vehicles to passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility (passengers traveling with young children, elderly people, or passengers carrying heavy luggage).

The NeTEx public transport network model can be used to describe accessibility of all modes of transport: rail, bus (urban, suburban and regional), metro, ferry, etc. Accessibility data includes physical limitations, facilities, and assistance services. This data is aimed to enrich trip planners and offers the possibility to plan a route compatible with one’s abilities. Some member countries of the European Union have mandatory requirements to collect and harmonize accessibility data. 

The data can be classified into four categories:

⊗ Accessibility of sites, e.g., stations and stop places, including buildings and parking areas.
Data include for example elevator dimensions and controls, step heights, handrails, number of steps in a staircase, ramp gradients, etc.

⊗ Accessibility and connections: this set of data considers the fact that people with reduced mobility may need extra time to change services, either because they move more slowly, or because they must take a different path. This information is crucial for journey planners.

⊗ Accessibility of navigation paths: several navigation paths can be associated with the same connection. A navigation path is made of path links recording the characteristics of a path section. This can include elevators, tactile ground surface indicators, stairs, lighting, handrails, etc.

⊗ Accessibility of journeys: this category includes facilities and vehicles. Data related to vehicles are for example wheelchair access equipment such low floor access, on board wheelchair, and even assistance services. 

In this article, we wanted to show you the initiatives in favor of the collection of accessibility data around the world. This is a major issue and that the standardization of data is crucial. But it is also a huge challenge for cities and transport networks to succeed in this collection. This must undoubtedly go through participatory solutions involving all citizens, as the mountain to be climbed is so high.

Want to know more about issues related to the mobility of people with disabilities? Check out these articles:

Removing Traffic Lights vs Pedestrian Safety: a Guide to Inclusive Streets

How Can Multimodal Transit Centers Be Accessible for People with Disabilities?

How to Maintain Pedestrian Accessibility When Carrying Out Street Works?

Published on 29th November, 2021

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A blind person using a cane is walking towards a staircase

Manual wheelchair users do not have exactly the same needs as power wheelchair users. People with low vision do not have the same needs as blind people. Every kind of disability has its specifications, and every person their preferences.

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Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

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The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

Accessibility for All: Why Removing Barriers Benefits Us All

Accessibility for All: Why Removing Barriers Benefits Us All

by | 15 Oct, 2021

View on a rotunda, a great example of accessibility for all

Accessibility for All: Why Removing Barriers Benefits Us All

For sure, accessibility for all isn’t something to take lightly. And neither is it something that can easily be discarded considering that over 1 billion people in the world have disabilities. We, as world’s citizens, all have a part to play in creating a safe and comfortable place for everybody.

Because that’s what accessibility for all aims at: improving everybody’s lives, starting with some of the most vulnerable populations. People with disabilities face a whole different world than the one “able” people live in.

But we share common points and situations where accessibility for all takes its full meaning and truly improves our lives whether we are shopping, commuting, using our phone, wandering in a museum or the streets…

Let’s see what accessibility can do for us all! And how we can design it to suit us! You’ll discover that some technologies we use every day come from accessible solutions!

What’s accessibility for all?

Accessibility for all suggests that we are all concerned about this concept, regardless of our profile. Thus, whether some of us are visually impaired or have motor issues or are simply older or have none of the above, accessibility represents a goal for all of us to reach.

A reminder of what accessibility entails: enabling everyone to have access to everything. It occurs when obstacles are removed. For example, when an elevator is installed instead or in addition to stairs in a building for wheelchair users or when adapted equipment is provided such as screen readers for visually impaired people to use their smartphones. 

Consequently, the goal of accessibility is to find accommodations so that people with disabilities can have the same experiences as any other person, whether they’re in a public venue or at home. 

Taking into account that accessibility is about making sure people with disabilities have the same chances and access as anybody else, can there be one solution to suit everybody? Especially since there are a lot of different disabilities and types. 

Well, that’s universal design’s take: one solution that meets everyone’s needs. Let’s take the example of a video. If it both has audio and captions, it can be as accessible for visually impaired people as it is for those with a hearing impairment. Plus, if the language used in the video is clear and easily understandable, people with an intellectual disability can also enjoy it. As for users with no disabilities, they can watch the video on the subway without bothering other riders simply by muting it and reading the subtitles.

Considering that in 2019, there were 3.97 billion Internet users in the World, a number constantly on the rise, digital accessibility for all is more than necessary. 

And it’s also mandatory as stated in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Making sure a video is captioned is just one task among others. Another useful tip we can all follow is providing alt text for online images. In that way, blind or visually impaired users aren’t excluded. They can easily access the same content as any other user.

For those who would like to know more on this field, check out our article: 

Digital Accessibility: Why? For Whom? How?

How to design for all?

Now that we all acknowledge that there are indeed solutions that can be accessible to everyone, only one question remains: how can we design for all?

What’s to keep in mind is that accessibility for all concerns and impacts all aspects of our lives: the college we study to, the shopping mall we do our Christmas shopping in, our place of work, the restaurant that serves our favourite meal, the museum that enlightens us, the public transit we use to commute every day… To sum up, the very city we live in.

For people with disabilities to get around freely and in complete autonomy, how can designers, architects and city makers conceive a city that’s accessible to them and ultimately to all?

By applying one simple rule: when it comes to designing a venue, a park or a subway station, always put yourselves at the shoes of users with disabilities. Show empathy and open mindedness to understand their needs and meet them. And also, think of accessibility at the earliest stage of your design process.

This means asking directly to those involved: associations representing people with disabilities. What are their needs? What can you do to make them heard? You’ll be sure to implement solutions that are truly useful and helpful for all. 

Focusing on a user-centered approach is one of the key components of inclusive design. A concept that provides accessibility for different groups of people. Inclusive design acts as in between accessibility and universal design. But what matters here is that there’s constant research and feedback from users with disabilities to make sure that the solution perfectly meets their needs.

And for the urban planners among you, designing for all can be a simple thing such as lowered sidewalks. They’re essential for wheelchair users and pedestrians with reduced mobility who use a walker or a cane to get around in the city without any difficulties. But lowered sidewalks are also useful for people carrying luggage or pushing a stroller or even for children.

Every little thing implemented counts, especially regarding accessibility for all. If you take the example of the European Union, since 2010 they’ve been rewarding the most accessible European cities with an access city award.

This award represents the perfect opportunity for candidate cities to shine and show how they’ve enhanced equal access and inclusion for all their inhabitants. From ensuring barrier-free accessibility in buildings, streets and natural spaces to providing accessible buses and metro networks and easy-to-understand information. 

Check out this year’s initiatives with this downloadable report on Examples of best practices in making EU cities more accessible!

It’s true that cities from all over the world are renewing themselves and are rethinking what they can provide their citizens with. New York City is living proof: the Big Apple happens to be a trailblazer in the latest innovations regarding inclusive mobility!

Indeed, New York City’s bold take on mobility issues has permitted it to implement an indoor navigation app designed especially for people with disabilities. The app Evelity, installed at Jay St-MetroTech subway station, provides step-by-step instructions according to the user profile. For blind and visually impaired users, Evelity gives audio instructions but for deaf and hearing impaired users, the app gives textual information. The optimized routes it offers enable wheelchair users to avoid being confronted to stairs. As for users with a mental impairment, Evelity gives easy-to-understand information to help them get around without having to depend on someone else.

This type of solution demonstrates exactly what accessibility for all means: a one-size-fits-all solution! Because if Evelity guides users with disabilities in a complex venue, it can also help any other type of users find their bearings in an unknown and maze-like facility.

Examples of solutions that were first invented to help disabled people but are now commonly used today

If the app Evelity isn’t currently being used in every major public transportation system of every large city, other solutions which were first designed for people with disabilities are now part of everyday lives. You’ll be surprised by some of them!

The remote control: we use it without even thinking. Can’t move because your cat is taking a nap on your knees but you want to change channels? That’s simple: just use your remote control. Thanks to it, we barely need to lift a finger to watch TV. And that’s what its sole purpose has been!

Indeed, the wireless remote control was first invented in 1955 for people with limited mobility by American engineer Eugene J. Polley! An invention that also improved the lives of the elderly and is now a convenience for all of us.

The typewriter: well, alright, we may not use it anymore but we can sure look at it as the computer’s ancestor. Francesco Rampazatto, an Italian inventor, created a typing instrument in 1575. The device was composed of cubic wooden embossed characters to help blind people communicate with others.

The telephone: we all know it was invented by Scottish engineer Alexander Graham Bell in 1876 (of course we all knew that). But what may be less known is that Alexander Graham Bell was strongly involved with the deaf community having a wife and a mother that were both deaf. He taught people with a hearing impairment and that’s his work with them that gave him the idea of “electronic speech” that turned into the telephone.  

The office scanner: another invention that emerged from meeting the needs of disabled people. In 1976, American engineer Ray Kurzweil invented a reading machine to transcribe written text to blind people after meeting a blind man who told me he’d like books to tell their stories. To do so, Ray Kurzweil had to conceive a flatbed scanner and a text-to-speech synthesizer, two technologies that were unheard of at the time. His invention evolved to turn into the office scanner many of us use every day. 

SMS text messages: even though the first SMS was sent in 1992 by one of the engineers who worked on developing this type of communication, British Neil Papworth, the idea of text messages actually emerged in 1984. Finnish engineer Matti Makkonen came up with it as a way to communicate with deaf people. Thanks to the work of both engineers, now billions of texts are sent each day worldwide!

For sure, without these groundbreaking innovations, our lives wouldn’t be what they are today. We use them on a daily basis and yet we probably take them for granted. But what an eye-opening experience to realize that these innovations emerged thanks to engineers who first focused on improving the lives of disabled people! 

We can only but wonder what other innovative solutions will see the day, solutions that benefit us all. Because it seems that inclusion was what guaranteed the success and the longevity of these major innovations from the two last centuries.

Why does accessibility for all matter?

Now, you’re starting to understand why accessibility for all is so important. And the key role of thinking in terms of inclusive solutions. 

As we’ve mentioned at the beginning of this article, over 1 billion people in the world have disabilities. That represents roughly the whole population of India! We need to remove accessibility barriers now!

Especially since there’s a growing aging population. According to the United Nations, by 2050 one in six people in the world will be over the age of 65. In 2019, it amounted to one in eleven. As you’ve realized, this type of population is concerned with accessibility issues and ultimately, accessible equipment: easy-grip handrails, contrasting and non-slippery stair nosing, universal pictograms… Seeing that we’re all getting older, we may need accessible solutions later on in our lives.

But it’s true that when we think of disabilities, wheelchair users are usually the ones that first come to mind. It’s simply due to the fact that people with motor disabilities have the most “obvious” disabilities, as in the most visible ones. The thing is that there is a whole range of disabilities and that most of them are invisible. It means that at first glance you can’t know if someone has a disability. It’s only when you see this person struggling at a task that you realize they might have a disability. For example, deafness doesn’t appear obvious when you pass strangers in the streets. 

Invisible Disabilities: 80% of Disabled People Are Concerned!

Disabled people and the elderly aren’t the only ones to be concerned by accessibility issues. Indeed, we can all at some point be in an incapacitating situation. How can you use the subway with a broken leg? How can you find your bearings in a venue when you can’t speak the language of the country you’re visiting? Or what does it happen when one of your relatives is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s? You may need to act as caregiver so what can you do to make the living conditions of your relative more suited to their needs?

That’s why accessibility for all matters… You never know what life has planned for you. Besides, it’s unfathomable to enjoy all the opportunities the world has to offer knowing that over 1 billion people experience difficulties accessing them! This way of thinking makes us grow, feel stronger as empaths and act to make the world accessible to all! We all benefit from accessible solutions, regardless of our profile. 

As Neil Armstrong would have put it, accessibility for all represents one small step for man and one giant leap for mankind. So are you ready to aim for the moon with us? Inclusion is within our reach!

Check out another area where disabilities inspire change and improvement:

Disability as an Innovation Driver for the Smart City

Published on October 15th, 2021

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A wheelchair user and a woman using a cane side by side

When it comes to designing a venue, a park or a subway station, always put yourselves at the shoes of users with disabilities. Show empathy and open mindedness to understand their needs and meet them. And also, think of accessibility at the earliest stage of your design process.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

READ CAROLE'S BIO

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Evelity, the first wayfinding solution for all types of disabilities in public and private facilities

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powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

How to Guarantee a Seamless Mobility Chain to Users with Disabilities?

How to Guarantee a Seamless Mobility Chain to Users with Disabilities?

by | 19 Feb, 2021

The beginning of a mobility chain as users are entering a train station

How to Guarantee a Seamless Mobility Chain to Users with Disabilities?

Whether you are a subway network operator, an architect, a roadway manager or a museum director, guaranteeing a seamless mobility chain to your users isn’t the conundrum you’d expect.

Having an accessible and uninterrupted mobility chain enables people with disabilities to remain autonomous during their trips. A visually impaired person needs to be able, among other things, to find the subway station, go to the platform and make their connection by themself. The same applies to a wheelchair user. The curbs need to be lowered so that they can enjoy the city without any difficulties.

There’s a whole range of solutions that can guarantee people with disabilities, regardless of their profile, a real autonomy.

In this article, we’ll explain to you all the links that constitute the mobility chain so that you can set up easy devices for the benefit of your users!

 

A continuous mobility chain: a major issue

For people with disabilities, getting around can prove to be a major challenge. Any obstacles or barriers on their way can prevent them from getting around in a spontaneous way and therefore damages their autonomy, ruining, to a certain extent, their everyday lives. That’s where the mobility chain takes place.

The mobility chain can be summed up through these various stages:

1. Preparing your trip;

2. Using sidewalks and pedestrian crossings;

3. Using public transportation;

4. Coming up to the building and locating the main entrance;

5. Locating the adapted path to reach the chosen service;

6. Using horizontal and vertical circulations;

7. Reaching the chosen service, communicating with the staff;

8. Locating the adapted path to leave and exit the building.

We can see that the mobility chain forms part of accessibility. It truly is essential for people with disabilities since a continuous mobility chain enables them to move around more freely. Not having to ask someone for help when there are existing solutions so that they can manage by themselves turns out to be primordial for them.

A mobility chain is efficient when all of its links are connected to each other so that users can have a smooth trip without any obstacles: users go from point A to reach point C. Consequently, point B needs to be able to link A and C together. There can be many possible combinations in just one place. This is particularly striking with multimodal transit hubs such as a bus station with access to bus platforms, train platforms, information desk, city public transport… All the possible destinations need to be taken into account in order for the mobility chain to be covered in full. Every link has a role to play and if there’s one that’s broken, it’s the whole mobility chain that’s paralyzed.

On a larger scale, an optimal mobility chain helps build an inclusive and supportive city. A true challenge for a Smart City that has to welcome everybody including people with disabilities. But cities all over the world keep innovating to provide their citizens with safe and efficient mobility options. This happens to be the case with MaaS, a Finnish mobility transport platform, that facilitates the lives of both users and urban designers.

 

What are the solutions to implement for a seamless mobility chain?

Being a hotel or shop manager, nothing is more rewarding than a satisfied customer. Because obviously, a customer who had a good experience in your establishment is likely to come back and tell others about it. Whatever your establishment may be, public or private, taking into account the needs of your customers or visitors with disabilities will be beneficial for your activity. 

The same applies to cities which are committed in providing their inhabitants and tourists with the best possible experience. Roadways and public transportation have a key role in the image they send back to their users.

The first step consists in checking on the continuity of horizontal and vertical circulations:

⊗ Large doors and pathways;

⊗ Removing steps or offsets;

⊗ Removing upright obstacles;

⊗ Visual and tactile contrasting elements to limit traffic zones;

⊗ Securing stairs;

⊗ Creating alternatives to stairs: ramps or slopes, elevators or escalators.

Here is now a summary of different devices or solutions of equivalent effect that you need to implement to guarantee your users a seamless mobility chain:

For roadways: 

⊗ Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) such as aBeacon designed by French company Okeenea;

⊗ Tactile ground surface indicators (TGSI);

⊗ Guiding paths;

⊗ Visual information for people with a hearing impairment;

⊗ Lowered curbs for wheelchair users.

Accessible Pedestrian Signals, also known as audible signals, still remain the safest way for blind or visually impaired people to cross the road. They can easily be activated on demand with a remote control or a smartphone thanks to MyMoveo app (available on both Android and iOS).

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

For public transportation (subway, bus, bus and train stations): 

⊗ Audio beacons like NAVIGUEO+ HIFI;

⊗ Secured stairs: handrails and contrasting non-slip stairs;

⊗ Guide paths;

⊗ Visible, readable and easily understandable signage: pictograms and Braille;

⊗ Visual information for people with a hearing impairment; 

⊗ Removable access ramps on buses;

⊗ Indoor wayfinding apps like Evelity: New York City subway chose Okeenea’s app for a test in real conditions. 

To activate audio beacons on demand, people with a visual impairment use the same devices than those used for Accessible Pedestrian Signals. Quite convenient! 

For public venues:

⊗ Parking spaces for people with reduced mobility, including wheelchair users;

⊗ Audio beacons;

⊗ Amplification systems or induction loop systems;

⊗ Secured stairs: handrails and contrasting non-slip stairs;

⊗ Elevators or escalators;

⊗ Visible, readable and easily understandable signage: pictograms and Braille;

⊗ Indoor wayfinding apps like Evelity: Luma Foundation in Arles, France chose Evelity for its visitors.

In a building such as a museum, metres and metres of guide paths can distort the architecture and the design of a place. An innovative solution like Evelity is particularly relevant! It fits in all types of places and buildings and provides a tailor-made experience to its users, whatever their profile may be.

No matter what activity you’re in, the training of your staff happens to be a true asset regarding the satisfaction of people with disabilities’ needs. They could thus benefit from a good experience and would be more likely to come back to your place or use public transport again. 

Setting up these devices, you’ll guarantee your users with disabilities a continuous mobility chain. Being able to get around in a spontaneous, safe and autonomous way makes a difference for people with disabilities!

 

Would you like to know more about accessibility? Find out more articles to learn all the good practices that other cities have already implemented:

How Cities in America Communicate Efficiently about Accessible Pedestrian Signals: Good Examples to Follow

How Can Shopping Malls Be Accessible to People with Disabilities?

How to Help People with Disabilities Get a Better Experience on the Subway?

Public Transport Information Accessibility: 5 Solutions for Deaf or Hard of Hearing Users

 

 

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People getting around in a subway platform in New York City

A mobility chain is efficient when all of its links are connected to each other so that users can have a smooth trip without any obstacles: users go from point A to reach point C.

writer

Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

READ CAROLE'S BIO

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

A World Tour of Best Practices for a Subway Truly Accessible to All | Summary of a French Study

A World Tour of Best Practices for a Subway Truly Accessible to All | Summary of a French Study

by | 22 Jan, 2021

The entrance of a subway station in Madrid

A World Tour of Best Practices for a Subway Truly Accessible to All | Summary of a French Study

Providing a safe and accessible service for all passengers is a major issue for all transit agencies throughout the world. That’s why, when we discovered the brilliant study by the French department’s accessibility branch on subway accessibility in the key cities around the world, it seemed essential to us to share it with you!

It is estimated that 30 to 40% of the population experience difficulties in using public transport. This means that accessibility is not restricted to people with disabilities, and even less to wheelchair users alone, contrary to what The Guardian suggested in its 2017 ranking of the most accessible subway networks. Since then, the French department’s accessibility branch published a study* which examines the accessibility of 42 subway located in 25 countries. This nuanced report discusses the concept of “accessible subway” and highlights the positive initiatives put in place to facilitate access to the subway for all those who encounter mobility limitations. We have produced a summary for you, supplemented with examples from our experience, because yes, we know subway accessibility like the back of our hands!

 

30 to 40% of the population facing barriers in accessing the subway

Taking the subway is more complex than it looks. This implies a chain of actions for which many travelers may encounter brakes or obstacles:

⊗ Preparing your route,

⊗ Obtaining real-time information about the correct functioning of accessibility equipment and any disturbances on the network,

⊗ Locating access to the subway station,

⊗ Going down into the station,

⊗ Obtaining a transport ticket,

⊗ Requesting information or communicating with staff,

⊗ Going through security gates,

⊗ Walking and finding your way inside the station to reach the right platform,

⊗ Waiting in safety until the arrival of the train,

⊗ Getting on board,

⊗ Finding a seat or support bar to maintain balance throughout the trip,

⊗ Getting off at the right station,

⊗ Walking and finding your way inside the station to reach your connection or the desired exit,

⊗ Going through the exit gates and

⊗ Going up towards the road.

Beyond people living with a physical, sensory, mental or psychological disability, many travelers encounter difficulties for one or more stages of the travel chain. According to various studies, they represent 30 to 40% of public transport users. These are the elderly, people with a temporary disability due to injury or illness, pregnant women, obese people, people of small stature, people who are illiterate or do not master the English language, people with young children or even those burdened with packages or luggage.

For more details on the difficulties encountered by subway users according to their disability and the solutions provided by the transit operators, we invite you to read our article:

How to Help People with Disabilities Get a Better Experience on the Subway?

 

An accessible subway, what is it?

The British daily The Guardian published in 2017 the ranking of 7 major subway systems in the world according to their accessibility level. Paris took last place behind Washington DC, Los Angeles, Tokyo, New York City, Barcelona and London. A very severe score for the French capital, which, despite the impossibility of making most of its metro stations accessible to wheelchair users, is doing its best to take into account the other disabilities on the Parisian metro system.

It is from this observation that the French department’s accessibility branch launched a study on the accessibility of 42 subway systems around the world. The data collected is uneven and does not allow for a ranking, which would be senseless. But this study questions the notion of “accessible subway system”.

1st lesson: physical accessibility for people in wheelchairs remains the top achievement for a subway system to claim to be “accessible”. This includes installing elevators, ramps, lowering floors, and reducing or eliminating gaps between trains and platforms. Then come the visual and audio information systems inside the trains which benefit everyone but even more so to people with visual or hearing disabilities. But overall accessibility to all disabilities requires attention to every detail throughout the travel chain. Thus, poorly thought out new equipment risks ruining all the efforts made upstream. 

2nd lesson: other measures exist but they are far from being generalized and little valued on the various communication media of subway systems. Improving visual signage, installing audio beacons, induction loops, accessible vending machines and entry gates, training staff and developing wayfinding applications adapted to different disabilities are just as important for successful accessibility.

 

Inaccessibility is not inevitable

The age of infrastructure is often mentioned to explain its inaccessibility. But the oldest subway systems are not equal in terms of accessibility. It appears that Paris comes bottom of the class with only 9 wheelchair accessible stations out of 303. Older subway systems do much better: London (1863), Boston (1897) or even Athens (1869). Other subway systems inaugurated before 1930 also perform well in terms of accessibility: Berlin (1902), Madrid (1919), Barcelona (1924) and Tokyo (1927). 

Although New York City subway system shows much better performance than the Paris metro, it remains among the lowest percentages of any major transit system in the world. Only 119 of 472 (25%) of all of the subway system’s stations are fully accessible to wheelchair users. In comparison, Boston’s MBTA subway and the Chicago “L”, which are as old or older, have more accessible subway stations. However, 70 more New York City subway stations should be accessible by 2024. This would allow one of every two to four stations on every line to be accessible, so that all non-accessible stops would be a maximum of two stops from an accessible station.

Most of the stations were built before wheelchair access was a requirement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Since then, elevators have been constructed in new stations and stations that required little modification to meet ADA standards have been upgraded. In addition, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) selected 100 “key stations” to be conformed to ADA requirements when they are being renovated.

According to the MTA’s definition, a fully accessible station must have the following facilities:

⊗ Elevators or ramps,

⊗ Handrails on ramps and stairs,

⊗ Large-print and tactile-braille signs,

⊗ Audio and visual information systems,

⊗ Accessible station booth windows,

⊗ Accessible MetroCard Vending Machines,

⊗ Accessible service entry gates,

⊗ Platform-edge warning strips,

⊗ Platform gap modifications or bridge plates to reduce or eliminate the gap between trains and platforms,

⊗ Telephones at an accessible height with volume control,

⊗ Accessible restrooms at stations with restrooms.

The MTA also provides training to its employees to better assist riders with disabilities. On the other hand, training is delivered to riders with disabilities themselves, their families, and mobility specialists.

 

Original initiatives to include all disabilities for a better subway accessibility

With a few exceptions such as Marseille, Rome or Beijing, subways built after 1970 are generally wheelchair accessible. In most stations, there are elevators, access ramps, widened doors and seats reserved for people with reduced mobility. Obstacles persist to board the trains. Human assistance may be necessary.

Other initiatives are emerging to facilitate travel, orientation and communication for other travelers with disabilities, whether visual, hearing, intellectual, psychological or cognitive. Far from being still generalized, they are nevertheless very interesting sources of inspiration for transit operators.

Adapted materials to plan a route according to one’s disability

Even more than for the general population, planning their itinerary is a crucial step for people with disabilities. Identifying their route and any difficulties, knowing the operating status of access facilities, all this requires appropriate tools. The first step is of course to make all digital media accessible, websites and mobile applications.

Digital Accessibility: Why? For Whom? How?

But paper based materials are not to be neglected. Thus, the London tube provides a collection of maps adapted to different disability situations: large print, tactile, audio, step-free maps and even tunnel maps for claustrophobic people.

In Paris and Toulouse, educational materials have been developed in the form of card games and other fun devices for people with intellectual disabilities to familiarize themselves with the network.

Public Transport: Accessibility Solutions, Also for the Intellectual Disability 

Audio beacons to locate entrances

Audio beacons allow blind or visually impaired people to locate entrances to subway stations thanks to the source of the sound. They are triggered a few meters away using a remote control or a smartphone application. The elevators of the Rennes metro in France have been equipped with audio beacons since it was built in 2002. Today, audio beacons can be found in Paris, Lyon, Prague, Helsinki and perhaps other cities as well.

Tactile guide paths to mark the routes

Guidance or directional tactile paving allows visually impaired people and anyone with orientation difficulties to get from one point to another without deviating. They are found on many subway systems such as Brussels, Berlin, Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Santiago de Chile or Tokyo. To provide effective guidance, these should preferably be coupled with audio signage or a smartphone wayfinding application.

Indoor guidance applications for smartphones

Despite the lack of a GPS signal inside subway stations, wayfinding applications adapted to different disabilities are gradually spreading. They make it possible to calculate a route in a closed area adapted to the various mobility limitations of the users. The Evelity solution is already installed in the Marseille metro.

The Smartphone: a Revolution for the Blind and Visually Impaired!

Vending machines adapted to all disabilities

Lowering vending machines so that they can be used by people in wheelchairs or short stature has become the rule on many subway networks. However, these machines often remain inaccessible to blind or visually impaired people, to people who are illiterate or do not speak the language of the country, or even to those with an intellectual disability. Thus, interfaces should be designed with all of these restrictions in mind. Text to speech is an option to be implemented, as in Paris or Barcelona.

Pictures, symbols and pictograms

In order to help people who are illiterate or have an intellectual disability to find their way around, some operators have designed signage which associates a distinct image with each station name. 

This work has already been carried out on the subway networks in Mexico City, Fukuoka in Japan, Recife in Brazil, and Toulouse in France.

Braille signs

International standards for elevators require button marking in Braille and prismatic-numbers, which is very useful for visually impaired people to select their floor. The information in Braille sometimes available on the platforms, as in Washington DC, Chicago or Santiago de Chile, would on the other hand have every interest in being replaced by audio information, much more universal. Indeed, Braille has three major drawbacks:

1. It is difficult to locate for a person who cannot see or has low vision;

2. Serious problems with cleanliness, when touching it, can risk spreading bacteria or viruses such as COVID-19;

3. The proportion of people able to read Braille remains very low.

Audio information addresses all people with visual impairments, but also intellectual or understanding difficulties.

Tactile maps

Tactile maps for the visually impaired can be found on some subway networks such as Paris, Brussels, New York City and Tokyo. For the same reasons as Braille information, these are not very appropriate. On the other hand, tactile maps on paper can be made available to users so that they can consult them in the comfort of their home or the premises of an association. These will allow them to better understand their environment and therefore to find their way more easily.

Staff training to provide adequate assistance

Despite the accessibility improvements, certain situations continue to require human assistance, for example in case of equipment failure or network disruption. This assistance is widely present in London, Paris, Brussels, New York City, or Saint Petersburg. And in order to be able to provide effective assistance, the staff concerned are specifically trained to support people with disabilities.

The French study from the department’s accessibility branch on subway ACCESSIBILITY IN MAJOR WORLDWIDE cities shows us that accessibility has generally improved a lot for people in wheelchairs but is still struggling to become widespread for other disabilities. In addition, access to information on available facilities and suitable route planners is sorely lacking. Hence the interest in surfing open data to develop digital solutions that meet everyone’s specific needs!

media

The entrance of a subway station in Paris

The British daily The Guardian published in 2017 the ranking of 7 major subway systems in the world according to their accessibility level. Paris took last place behind Washington DC, Los Angeles, Tokyo, New York City, Barcelona and London.

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Lise Wagner

Lise Wagner

Accessibility Expert

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Creating an Accessible and Barrier-Free Society Through Inclusive Design: a Constant Renewal

Creating an Accessible and Barrier-Free Society Through Inclusive Design: a Constant Renewal

by | 04 Dec, 2020

Creating an Accessible and Barrier-Free Society Through Inclusive Design: a Constant Renewal

 

Le design inclusif joue un rôle majeur dans l’amélioration de l’accessibilité. Bien que ces deux concepts ne recouvrent pas exactement les mêmes idées, ils sont indéniablement liés par leur complémentarité. L’accessibilité consiste à supprimer les obstacles existants, tandis que le design inclusif consiste à créer des solutions parfaitement adaptées dès le départ aux besoins de différents profils de personnes : une personne à mobilité réduite pour qui il sera plus facile d’utiliser un ascenseur dans un centre commercial, ou une personne malvoyante qui a besoin d’une signalisation contrastée dans une station de métro pour se déplacer en toute autonomie, par exemple.

L’accessibilité peut donc être obtenue grâce à une conception inclusive et une approche centrée sur l’humain. Accorder la priorité aux personnes et se concentrer sur leurs besoins permet de répondre adéquatement et de favoriser leur inclusion dans la société.

Quoi de mieux qu’une société qui répond aux besoins de tous ses citoyens ? Le design inclusif offre aux villes un large éventail de possibilités pour créer une société accessible et sans barrières, tant au niveau des services qu’elles fournissent, comme les transports publics, que de l’architecture, avec ses bâtiments et ses parcs. Par ailleurs, la culture est l’un des premiers secteurs à avoir envisagé le design inclusif et montre la voie à suivre. 

Le ciel est la limite, comme le démontrent les exemples suivants d’accessibilité obtenue grâce à une conception inclusive !

Conception inclusive, conception universelle et accessibilité : un triptyque inévitable 

Afin de bien comprendre ce qu’englobe le design inclusif , concentrons-nous d’abord sur sa définition et celles du design universel et de l’accessibilité puisque les trois sont souvent étroitement liées.

⊗  Design inclusif : rendre un produit ou un service facilement accessible à plusieurs catégories d’utilisateurs. Il met l’accent sur l’expérience utilisateur afin de répondre aux besoins des catégories ciblées et de prendre en compte la diversité de la population.

Autrement dit, pour différents groupes d’utilisateurs, le design inclusif explore différentes solutions. Il prend également en compte les différentes cultures afin que les solutions puissent également s’appliquer aux touristes étrangers qui ne parlent pas la langue du pays visité. 

⊗  Conception universelle ou Design pour tous : elle consiste à proposer une solution unique adaptée aux besoins de tous. La conception universelle s’adresse ainsi à l’ensemble de la population plutôt qu’à quelques groupes de personnes afin de rendre les produits accessibles. Cependant, la conception universelle ne répond généralement qu’aux besoins de la majorité, de sorte que certains besoins restent insatisfaits. 

⊗  Accessibilité : supprimer les obstacles et adapter les solutions ou équipements afin que les utilisateurs handicapés puissent bénéficier de la même expérience que tout autre utilisateur, comme les lecteurs d’écran pour les personnes malvoyantes. L’accessibilité est avant tout une question d’aménagements. 

Comme vous pouvez le constater, il existe de légères différences entre ces concepts. Cependant, lorsqu’il est question de conception inclusive, il est évident qu’elle doit être liée à l’accessibilité. L’une va de pair.

Après tout, elles partagent un objectif commun, même si leurs méthodes et solutions différentes : permettre aux personnes handicapées d’être incluses dans la société et de bénéficier des mêmes services que tout le monde. 

Par conséquent, un élément aussi simple qu’une large entrée de bâtiment constitue une combinaison parfaite entre design inclusif et accessibilité ! Cela peut s’avérer extrêmement utile pour les personnes en fauteuil roulant et constitue la première étape pour rendre un lieu accessible. 

Ce type d’équipement est présent dans divers lieux, tels que les mairies, les universités et les grandes écoles , voire les aéroports . Dans les centres commerciaux par exemple, outre une large entrée avec portes automatiques, on trouve des ascenseurs, des escaliers mécaniques et des rampes permettant aux personnes à mobilité réduite de se déplacer facilement et de faire leurs courses.

Si les ascenseurs peuvent sembler une solution évidente pour faciliter l’accès aux personnes à mobilité réduite, les escaliers restent pertinents car ils permettent aux personnes âgées de faire de l’exercice sans qu’elles s’en rendent compte. De plus, les personnes malvoyantes n’ont pas à se soucier de trouver le bon bouton sur l’ascenseur.

Elles peuvent tous utiliser des escaliers accessibles équipés de rampes continues et de nez de marche antidérapants contrastés : un équipement facile à mettre en œuvre !

La conception inclusive et l’accessibilité sont véritablement complémentaires puisqu’elles servent le même objectif. 

Conception inclusive avec une approche centrée sur l’humain

Les personnes handicapées sont au cœur de la conception inclusive, car elle vise à répondre au mieux à leurs besoins. L’aménagement d’une large entrée pour les personnes en fauteuil roulant n’est qu’un début pour les architectes et les designers.

Pour rendre un lieu accessible , il doit être pensé en tenant compte des différents profils. Et pour cela, il faut collaborer étroitement avec les groupes de personnes handicapées.

Leur participation et leur implication sont essentielles pour garantir que les architectes, urbanistes et ingénieurs créent l’environnement idéal pour répondre à leurs besoins. La conception centrée sur l’humain, utilisée dans les normes ISO , consiste d’abord à identifier le problème, à analyser les données, puis à le conceptualiser afin de mettre en œuvre la solution appropriée. Différentes étapes sont alors nécessaires :

⊗  Observer les groupes d’utilisateurs ;

⊗  Analyser la recherche;

⊗  Communiquer avec les groupes d’utilisateurs sur la question ;

⊗  Proposer une solution ou un prototype ;

⊗  Retour d’information des groupes ;

⊗  Corriger les problèmes potentiels de la solution soulevés par les groupes d’utilisateurs jusqu’à sa mise au point. De nombreux échanges peuvent donc avoir lieu entre les groupes et les concepteurs.

Tout au long de ce processus d’analyse de la problématique des groupes d’usagers, l’empathie demeure essentielle. Après tout, architectes, urbanistes et ingénieurs conçoivent pour les humains. Ils doivent se mettre à la place de ceux qui sont habituellement invisibles et ignorés : les personnes handicapées. 

L’ Institute of Human Centered Design (IHCD) de Boston privilégie le design inclusif et universel afin de favoriser des projets répondant aux besoins d’un large éventail de personnes, notamment les personnes âgées pouvant avoir des difficultés à se déplacer ou à utiliser leurs mains en raison de l’arthrite, les personnes souffrant de troubles de l’apprentissage et de l’attention, les personnes autistes ou tout autre handicap.

En effet, l’IHCD a mis son expertise en matière d’accessibilité à disposition dès le début d’un projet de conception (villes, parcs, transports en commun) afin de garantir à toutes les catégories de personnes l’accès à une société sans obstacle, en appliquant une philosophie où chacun est écouté et valorisé.

Les personnes handicapées, comme les autres types de personnes, peuvent ainsi retrouver une certaine estime d’elles-mêmes et se sentir pleinement intégrées à la société. 

De plus, ce qui est utile à un groupe peut l’être aussi à un autre. Par exemple, l’utilisation de pictogrammes simples et clairs pour donner des informations de base, comme l’emplacement des ascenseurs ou des toilettes, aux personnes souffrant de troubles cognitifs est tout aussi efficace pour les personnes âgées ou les enfants.

Après tout, l’objectif est de diffuser des informations universelles grâce à une signalétique. 

Le parc olympique Queen Elizabeth, situé à l’est de Londres, représente une véritable réussite en matière de conception inclusive et d’approche centrée sur l’humain. Créé spécialement pour les Jeux olympiques et paralympiques de 2012, il avait pour ambition d’accueillir « les Jeux les plus accessibles de tous les temps » par la London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC).

C’était le cas à l’époque et il est toujours utilisé aujourd’hui pour accueillir le grand public. La LLDC a publié l’année dernière sesnormes de conception inclusive actualisées , décrivant les mises en œuvre au sein du parc, de ses sites et de ses environs.

Des toilettes accessibles aux personnes en fauteuil roulant aux chemins d’orientation pour les personnes malvoyantes, en passant par les espaces communs faciles à parcourir et les zones de confort pour les piétons, sans oublier les installations pour les chiens d’assistance, le parc offre un lieu sûr et une attraction pour un large public de tous âges.

Le sentiment d’appartenance et de communauté s’en trouve ainsi renforcé. Espérons que le parc inspirera d’autres à adopter les mêmes normes de conception inclusive !

À plus grande échelle, Londres continue de s’intéresser à la conception inclusive. La ville prévoit de faire du Square Mile , le quartier financier, un environnement accessible pour ses citoyens handicapés et ses aînés. Londres est déterminée à éliminer tous les obstacles pour créer une société inclusive !

Comme nous l’avons expliqué dans notre article « Le handicap, moteur d’innovation pour la ville intelligente » , l’accessibilité et l’inclusion représentent un défi pour toutes les villes qui souhaitent revendiquer le statut de ville intelligente.  

Innover en adoptant une approche centrée sur l’humain peut donner naissance à des créations surprenantes. Le monde entier a dû s’adapter à la pandémie actuelle, et le port du masque est devenu essentiel pour nous protéger et protéger les autres.

Cependant, cette situation a isolé de nombreuses personnes, notamment les personnes sourdes et malentendantes, qui ont du mal à communiquer. Voyant leur interlocuteur porter un masque pour couvrir leur visage, les personnes sourdes ou malentendantes ne peuvent plus lire sur leurs lèvres ni voir leurs expressions faciales pour les aider à comprendre la situation.

Heureusement, des entreprises ou de simples citoyens se sont mobilisés pour fabriquer des masques transparents. Une solution simple et inclusive qui permet aux personnes sourdes de lire sur les lèvres et de communiquer !

Un autre exemple d’innovation répondant aux besoins de groupes de personnes est la création de salles sensorielles : un espace dédié aux personnes atteintes de troubles cognitifs, d’autisme ou même de démence.

Elles y trouvent un environnement calme et sécurisé, loin de toute situation potentiellement stressante. La ville de Londres offre une nouvelle fois un bel exemple d’inclusion avec la salle sensorielle de l’aéroport d’Heathrow. Des chercheurs ont établi desrecommandations démontrant les bienfaits thérapeutiques d’une salle sensorielle sur les patients atteints de démence grâce à une stimulation sensorielle douce.

Les salles sensorielles peuvent également offrir un environnement insonorisé aux personnes autistes, sensibles au bruit et ayant besoin d’un endroit calme pour se détendre. C’est le cas de celle duUS Bank Stadium de Minneapolis, comme nous l’avons vu dans notre article « Les directives pour l’accessibilité des stades : offrir une expérience agréable aux personnes handicapées » .

Concevoir une salle avec un éclairage tamisé, différents types d’espaces pour le calme, ou même une ambiance ludique avec des peluches, exige une analyse précise des catégories de personnes qui y seront accueillies. 

Prendre en compte les besoins de plusieurs groupes de personnes est un élément essentiel du design inclusif. Cela permet d’améliorer les solutions pour créer un environnement accessible à tous, quel que soit l’environnement. C’est là toute la beauté du design inclusif ! 

Résoudre le défi de la mobilité : une société inclusive, un pied à la fois 

La mobilité représente un défi majeur pour les personnes handicapées au quotidien. Dans notre article « Comment les aveugles traversent-ils la route en toute sécurité ? » , nous avions déjà insisté sur l’importance de la mobilité des personnes malvoyantes. 

Les feux piétons accessibles (FPA) restent la meilleure solution pour traverser la rue en toute sécurité. Cependant, la COVID-19 a mis en évidence leurs limites : l’utilisation du bouton-poussoir aux États-Unis et dans d’autres pays peut mettre en danger la vie des personnes aveugles.

En effet, il suffit d’appuyer sur le bouton pour activer le FPA et parcourir la rue. Malheureusement, il a été prouvé que le virus pouvait également se propager sur des surfaces, rendant les déplacements difficiles et dangereux pour les personnes aveugles ou malvoyantes. Notre article « Comment les feux piétons accessibles peuvent-ils devenir adaptés à la COVID-19 ? » s’est penché sur cette question et a présenté l’appareil connecté aBeacon comme une solution adéquate.  

Ce système de signalisation intelligent innovant peut être activé à la demande avec une télécommande ou un smartphone , évitant ainsi à l’utilisateur de toucher le poteau. Conçu par Okeenea , le dispositif aBeacon s’installe facilement sur les feux de circulation pour diffuser des informations sonores et créer un couloir sonore guidant l’utilisateur. Un parfait exemple de design inclusif au service des groupes de personnes ! Une société inclusive ne laisse personne de côté ! 

L’entreprise française Okeenea innove sans cesse pour permettre aux personnes malvoyantes de localiser un bâtiment ou une entrée de métro grâce à ses balises audio NAVIGUEO+ HIFI . Une fois activées, leurs messages permettent de retrouver l’emplacement exact du point d’intérêt.

Tout comme les balises aBeacon, ces balises audio s’activent à la demande avec une télécommande ou un smartphone, permettant ainsi aux utilisateurs de disposer du même appareil pour deux solutions différentes. Deux solutions bien pensées, centrées sur les besoins des utilisateurs pour leur simplifier la vie !

Bien sûr, trouver l’entrée d’un bâtiment est la première étape, mais l’accessibilité intérieure est également importante. Nous avons vu précédemment que les bâtiments comme les centres commerciaux peuvent être équipés de différents types d’équipements, mais les personnes handicapées doivent généralement anticiper leurs déplacements et les préparer au mieux afin d’éviter toute difficulté.

Comment leur permettre de se déplacer spontanément et d’explorer un nouveau lieu ?Evelity propose une solution simple et originale : une application d’orientation intérieure spécialement conçue pour les personnes handicapées. De plus en plus d’applications sont créées pour les personnes handicapées physiques , aveugles, malvoyantes , sourdes ou malentendantes , afin de les aider dans leur quotidien. 

Evelity est une application ingénieuse qui aide les personnes malvoyantes à s’orienter grâce à des instructions audio avec VoiceOver ou TalkBack, ou les personnes à mobilité réduite grâce à des itinéraires optimisés. L’utilisateur peut configurer l’application en fonction de son profil. Evelity peut guider les utilisateurs dans tous types de lieux : centres commerciaux, universités, écoles supérieures, hôpitaux, réseaux de transport comme le métro et les gares, bureaux, musées et bien plus encore. 

Afin de proposer une solution parfaitement adaptée aux besoins de ses différents utilisateurs, l’équipe de conception d‘Evelity a travaillé en étroite collaboration avec des groupes de test dès le début, selon les étapes expliquées précédemment. Cela a toujours été l’un des principes majeurs de l’équipe, comme l’explique la designer de services Marie-Charlotte Moret dans son interview : « Adopter une approche design pour placer l’humain au cœur des nouveaux services de mobilité » . L’empathie est donc une valeur essentielle lors de la conception d’une solution pour la mobilité des personnes en situation de handicap. 

L’engagement indéniable du monde culturel pour le développement du design inclusif

S’il est un domaine qui a toujours interrogé la question de l’accessibilité et du confort des visiteurs, c’est bien celui de la culture. Comment les visiteurs aveugles ou malvoyants peuvent-ils appréhender les peintures d’un musée ? Les visiteurs en fauteuil roulant peuvent-ils accéder facilement aux galeries ?

Tactile Studio , agence spécialisée dans le design inclusif pour la promotion des arts auprès de tous, crée des solutions adaptées et innovantes qui répondent à la fois à l’esthétique du lieu et aux besoins des visiteurs. Des institutions culturelles de renommée mondiale font appel à cette agence pour permettre à tous les publics de profiter de la culture et des arts, comme le musée d’Orsay à Paris, qui a mis en place une exploration tactile et multisensorielle de L’Atelier du peintre , un tableau de Gustave Courbet. Tactile Studio a créé un design spécifique du tableau afin que les visiteurs malvoyants puissent toucher les couches mises en valeur.

Une audiodescription du tableau a également été proposée pour permettre aux émotions de se transmettre par différents canaux et sens. Une immersion totale pour comprendre et apprécier facilement une œuvre d’art !

Le relief et l’expérience tactile ne sont pas les seules solutions mises en place par l’agence de design. La technologie peut en effet aider les visiteurs à exploiter des peintures ou des photographies. Le musée du Louvre Abu Dhabi a opté pour une solution numérique pour son exposition « Photographies : un album des débuts du monde 1842-1896 » afin d’expliquer la pertinence de ces photographies sur les plans technique et culturel. Tactile Studio a créé des animations interactives, des interfaces graphiques et une narration pour les supports numériques non tactiles. Une approche ludique de l’art !

Le Guggenheim de New York est un excellent exemple d’accessibilité grâce à une conception inclusive, car il s’adresse à différents profils grâce à des solutions adaptées. Même son bâtiment cylindrique s’avère facilement accessible : les visiteurs commencent leur visite par le haut et descendent progressivement grâce à sa rampe en rotonde légèrement inclinée pour accéder aux expositions. Un moyen simple pour les visiteurs en fauteuil roulant de se déplacer dans le musée s’ils ne souhaitent pas utiliser les ascenseurs. 

Cependant, le Guggenheim et sa rotonde offrent davantage de solutions répondant aux besoins de différents profils :

Visiteurs en fauteuil roulantFauteuils roulants standard gratuits
Places assises accessibles
Visiteurs malvoyantsDescriptions verbales par des professionnels 
Visiteurs malentendantsInterprétation en langue des signes américaine (ASL)
Dispositifs d’écoute assistée
Visiteurs souffrant de troubles du traitement sensorielUn guide narratif social pour savoir à quoi s’attendre lors de la visite
Endroits calmes

Grâce au design inclusif, l’accès à la culture est possible et peut prendre de multiples formes. Les visiteurs en situation de handicap bénéficient d’innovations infinies pour partager la même expérience que n’importe quel visiteur.

Un renouvellement constant est donc nécessaire pour garantir à tous l’accès à la culture. La recherche s’avère essentielle au design inclusif, c’est pourquoi Access Smithsonian , l’Institute for Human Centered Design et MuseWeb ont collaboré à l’élaboration d’un guide sur les Interactifs Numériques Inclusives : Bonnes Pratiques et Recherche . 

Ce guide est un incontournable pour toute personne impliquée dans le design inclusif et sa mise en œuvre dans le monde culturel. Il fournit des exemples détaillés d’études de cas dans le but de constamment repenser et reconsidérer les pratiques actuelles pour favoriser l’innovation. 

Comme nous le constatons, créer une société accessible et sans obstacles grâce à une conception inclusive est possible dans de nombreux domaines. Les défis à relever ne font qu’accroître la nécessité de se renouveler constamment pour réfléchir et repenser les solutions. L’accessibilité est possible grâce à des solutions innovantes ! Ensemble, construisons un monde inclusif ! 

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Inclusive design and accessibility both share a common goal even though their methods and solutions differ: enabling people with disabilities to be included in society and to enjoy the same services as anybody.

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Carole Martinez

Carole Martinez

Content Manager

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

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ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.

Accessibility Toolkit: When Complete Streets Help People with Disabilities

Accessibility Toolkit: When Complete Streets Help People with Disabilities

by | 28 Feb, 2020

Accessibility Toolkit: When Complete Streets Help People with Disabilities

 

After World War II, cars’ supremacy started to shape Northern American cities. Consequently men started to be more and more dependent on their personal vehicle to move around and roads were designed to the detriment of sidewalks, mass transit and bike trails. 

It was not until the early 1970s that some states like Oregon began to design the urban space with all users in mind to make transportation network safer and more efficient. This is how Complete Streets-like policy was born. Many jurisdictions have followed over the years.

Today, no less than 1,200 agencies at local, regional and state levels have adopted Complete Street policies in the United States. Depending on the jurisdiction, Complete Streets can be a non-binding resolution, incorporated into local transportation plans or a fully bidding law.

Meanwhile accessibility has never been such a strong challenge. According to recent studies, 1 adult in 4 lives with a disability which amounts to 61 million Americans (cdc.gov).

So what are Complete Streets policies and above all why do they matter for disabled people?

Complete Streets design elements

Streets are more and more congested. It can be hard for everyone to find their place, especially in city centers where pedestrians, bikes and motorized vehicles coexist. 

Complete Streets policies precisely aim at enabling safe use and support mobility for all users using various street design elements such as:

⊗ Pedestrian infrastructure: sidewalks, crosswalks, median crossing islands, curb extensions, pinchpoint, Accessible pedestrian Signals for visually impaired people, pedestrian wayfinding, greenery, and street furniture.

⊗ Traffic calming measures to lower speeds of vehicles: speed humps, speed tables, speed cushions, signage, and traffic lights.

⊗ Bicycle accommodations: protected or dedicated bicycle lanes, repair stations, and bicycle parking.

⊗ Public transit equipment: Bus Rapid Transit, bus pullouts, transit signal priority, bus shelters, and dedicated bus lanes.

Incomplete streets obstacles for disabled people

Cars’ supremacy left a legacy in Northern American cities. 

Car-centric roadways lead to uneven access to urban services. And it is all the more true for disabled people who most often cannot use cars. Cities that don’t offer Complete Streets measures in their busiest areas force citizens and especially disabled people to face huge challenges when getting around.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of what is causing difficulties to pedestrians with disabilities in “incomplete streets”-like designs:

⊗ Unpaved, broken, or disconnected surfaces

⊗ Lack of curb cuts and ramp

⊗ Ponding of stormwater and runoff streams near intersections

⊗ Lack of Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS) at signalized intersections. This article goes into more details about this specific point.

⊗ Inadequate sidewalks or intersections design

⊗ Wide intersections with limited crossing time

⊗ Lack of escalators, elevators or ramps to overcome steps

⊗ Inaccessible bus stops

⊗ Large spaces without landmarks

⊗ Routes going nowhere

⊗ Inappropriate sidewalk obstacles

⊗ and the list goes on…

The ultimate guide to accessible pedestrian signals. I want it!

What benefits for disabled people?

Complete Streets design provides an environment where all street users, particularly the most vulnerable, can get around safely and efficiently. This means that regardless of the mode of transportation, the age, the ability, or the confidence level, streets are accessible, safe  and appropriate for the needs of all users. 

Ontario was the first Canadian state to adopt a Complete Streets policy to help disabled citizens navigate streets more efficiently. In 2017, Ontario’s Growth Plan encouraged equity by incorporating strong directives in order to build streets that meet the needs of all road users.

“In the design, refurbishment, or reconstruction of the existing and planned street network, a complete streets approach will be adopted that ensures the needs and safety of all road users are considered and appropriately accommodated.”

Moreover statistics show that pedestrian street activity increases support of local businesses and expands employment opportunities.

Streets are complete and accessible using mainly:

⊗ Tactile walking indicators;

⊗ Accessible Pedestrian Signals;

⊗ Push buttons accessible to wheelchair users;

⊗ Ramps and curb cuts

However, the legacy of years of valuing cars in Northern American society and the difficulty to change attitudes towards the most fragile people show that there is a lot of work to be done. 

Considering that major american cities have less than 1% of signalized intersections equipped with Accessible Pedestrian Signals, it leaves a lot of room for improvement!

Wondering which Accessible Pedestrian Signal to choose? Use the new APS comparator!

Find out more about this policy.

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Complete Streets design provides an environment where all street users, particularly the most vulnerable, can get around safely and efficiently.

This means that regardless of the mode of transportation, the age, the ability, or the confidence level, streets are accessible, safe  and appropriate for the needs of all users.

writer

Zoe Gervais

Zoe Gervais

Content Manager

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The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals

The Ultimate Guide to Accessible Pedestrian Signals  Table of contents What are accessible pedestrian signals?Why do cities have accessible pedestrian signals?Who are APS for?How do audible traffic signals work exactly?What is pedestrian detection?Why are...

NEVER miss the latest news about the Smart City.

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Unsubscribe in one click. The information collected is confidential and kept safe.

powered by okeenea

The French leading company

on the accessibility market.

ABOUT US

For more than 25 years, we have been developing architectural access solutions for buildings and streets. Everyday, we rethink today’s cities to transform them in smart cities accessible to everyone.

By creating solutions ever more tailored to the needs of people with disabilities, we push the limits, constantly improve the urban life and make the cities more enjoyable for the growing majority.