Towards an Inclusive Urban Environment: A Participatory Approach for Collecting Spatial Accessibility Data in Zurich (Short Paper)

The unprecedented rate of urbanization, along with the increase in the aging and disabled populations, bring about an increasing demand for public services and an inclusive urban environment that allows easy access to those facilities. Spatial Accessibility is a measure to assess how inclusive a city is and how easily public facilities can be reached from a specific location through movement in physical space or built environment. A detailed geodata source of accessibility features is needed for reliable spatial accessibility assessment, such as sidewalk width, surface type, and incline. However, such data are not readily available due to the huge implication costs. Remote crowdsourcing data collection using Street View Imagery, so-called \u27virtual audits\u27 have been introduced as a valid, cost-efficient tool for accessibility data enrichment at scales compared to conventional methods because it enables involving more participants, saving more time by avoiding field visits and covering a larger area. Therefore, in our pilot project, ZuriACT: Zurich Accessible CiTy, with the help of digital tools that allow for virtual inspections and measurements of accessibility features, we want to contribute to collecting and enriching accessibility information in the city of Zurich embedded in a citizen science project that will have both scientific and social impacts. With the help of additional accessibility data produced in this project, the issues of an inclusive urban environment can be demonstrated by mapping the potential spatial inequalities in access to public facilities for disabled or restricted people in terms of mobility. Thus, this project provides helpful insight into implementing policy interventions for overcoming accessibility biases to ensure equitable services, particularly for people with disabilities, and contributes to creating an inclusive and sustainable urban environment. It goes without saying that an inclusive city is beneficial and impacts the quality of life of not only the population groups mentioned above but also the society at large

Towards an inclusive urban environment: A participatory approach for collecting spatial accessibility data in Zurich (Short Paper)

The unprecedented rate of urbanization, along with the increase in the aging and disabled populations, bring about an increasing demand for public services and an inclusive urban environment that allows easy access to those facilities. Spatial Accessibility is a measure to assess how inclusive a city is and how easily public facilities can be reached from a specific location through movement in physical space or built environment. A detailed geodata source of accessibility features is needed for reliable spatial accessibility assessment, such as sidewalk width, surface type, and incline. However, such data are not readily available due to the huge implication costs. Remote crowdsourcing data collection using Street View Imagery, so-called 'virtual audits' have been introduced as a valid, cost-efficient tool for accessibility data enrichment at scales compared to conventional methods because it enables involving more participants, saving more time by avoiding field visits and covering a larger area. Therefore, in our pilot project, ZuriACT: Zurich Accessible CiTy, with the help of digital tools that allow for virtual inspections and measurements of accessibility features, we want to contribute to collecting and enriching accessibility information in the city of Zurich embedded in a citizen science project that will have both scientific and social impacts. With the help of additional accessibility data produced in this project, the issues of an inclusive urban environment can be demonstrated by mapping the potential spatial inequalities in access to public facilities for disabled or restricted people in terms of mobility. Thus, this project provides helpful insight into implementing policy interventions for overcoming accessibility biases to ensure equitable services, particularly for people with disabilities, and contributes to creating an inclusive and sustainable urban environment. It goes without saying that an inclusive city is beneficial and impacts the quality of life of not only the population groups mentioned above but also the society at large

LIPIcs, Volume 277, GIScience 2023, Complete Volume

LIPIcs, Volume 277, GIScience 2023, Complete Volum

On making web accessibility more accessible: strategy and tools for social good

The world currently faces a paradox in terms of accessibility for people with disabilities. While digital technologies hold immense potential to improve their quality of life, the majority of web content still exhibits critical accessibility issues. This PhD thesis addresses this challenge by proposing two interconnected research branches. The first introduces a groundbreaking approach to improving web accessibility by rethinking how it is approached, making it more accessible itself. It involves the development of: 1. AX, a declarative framework of web components that enforces the generation of accessible markup by means of static analysis. 2. An innovative accessibility testing and evaluation methodology, which communicates test results by exploiting concepts that developers are already familiar with (visual rendering and mouse operability) to convey the accessibility of a page. This methodology is implemented through the SAHARIAN browser extension. 3. A11A, a categorized and structured collection of curated accessibility resources aimed at facilitating their intended audiences discover and use them. The second branch focuses on unleashing the full potential of digital technologies to improve accessibility in the physical world. The thesis proposes the SCAMP methodology to make scientific artifacts accessible to blind, visually impaired individuals, and the general public. It enhances the natural characteristics of objects, making them more accessible through interactive, multimodal, and multisensory experiences. Additionally, the prototype of \gls{a11yvt}, a system supporting accessible virtual tours, is presented. It provides blind and visually impaired individuals with features necessary to explore unfamiliar indoor environments, while maintaining universal design principles that makes it suitable for usage by the general public. The thesis extensively discusses the theoretical foundations, design, development, and unique characteristics of these innovative tools. Usability tests with the intended target audiences demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed artifacts, suggesting their potential to significantly improve the current state of accessibility

12th International Conference on Geographic Information Science: GIScience 2023, September 12–15, 2023, Leeds, UK

No abstract available

Grand challenges in accessible maps

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