Navigating your city as a wheelchair user
- 25 Nov
Navigating your city as a wheelchair user
Handimap acts as a toolbox to support accessibility. The creators of Handimap made the observation that very few applications exist to the public who may have physical disabilities.
Based in France at present, their goal is to make use of mapping technologies to share information that may help people with disabilities or reduced mobility to understand the movement in the city.
Currently operating in the French cities of Rennes and Montpellier, the maps enable users to see exactly where there are disabled parking facilities, enjoy open spaces such as parks, visit museums, restaurants and attractions with disabled access.
Handicap will also track sidewalks that are accessible to wheelchair users and intersections that feature sound indicators for blind people.
Users can type in a starting point and destination and Handimap will automatically suggest routes that will get those in wheelchairs from A to B without obstacles such as steps and narrow sidewalks.
The UK has a similar application called Blue Badge Style which highlights where the ‘equal provisions of goods and services are unreasonably deficient'. The intention is to act as an agent for change, altering venues' mind-set toward accessibility. Blue Badge Style shows where you can find restaurant, events, hotels (to name a few) which are disability-friendly.
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Please note the website www.handimap.org is written in French, but can be translated to English.
Image source: http://www.morguefile.com/archive/display/71078
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