An accessible city benefits all individuals who live, work, and play in that city. This means that the public spaces must be accessible to all, no matter their level of ability. When urban planners design the infrastructure for a city center, several problems and corresponding solutions must be considered to benefit the city as a whole.

The Department of Justice is charged with upholding and enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with compliance regulations, lawsuits, and more. However, without a specific department for enforcement, it often relies on local governments to enforce ADA compliance. Since ADA covers several accessibilities rules for public spaces, this is a huge undertaking.

In the United States alone, over two million school-aged children have a disability, and studies show that this number is growing. With this population on the rise, it is important that society keeps up by providing accessible activities at every level, including in school activities and extracurricular opportunities. One of the ways that this can be done is by creating summer camps that are accessible to all children of all abilities—this helps normalize all levels of ability for all children.

Tactile paving, now known as detectable warning dome tiles, was first developed by Seiichi Miyake in 1965 to help people with vision impairments navigate public spaces.  Major cities and transportation networks throughout the world use detectable warning dome tiles.
 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lays down a standard for businesses, public spaces, and people that encourages a level of accessibility for all individuals. This alone makes ADA compliance important. 

Accessible parking spots are the key to mobility for individuals with disabilities who visit all of life’s essential businesses. From school to grocery shopping to entertainment, accessible parking means that everyone is welcome to enjoy living. But when it comes to accessible parking lots, it’s not a one-size-fits-all situation.

In fact, accessible parking lots often have parking that is designated for different types of vehicles. Moreover, the Americans with Disabilities Act outlines certain standards for public parking lots.

Curb ramps are the solid ramp that joins the top of a sidewalk to the adjoining street level. Also known as a curb cut or dropped curb, curb ramps are primarily used by pedestrians throughout urban areas where the main mode of transportation is walking. Curb ramps facilitate easy movement from the sidewalk to the road for individuals who use mobility aids.

Historic buildings face an interesting challenge of becoming ADA compliant when their original builders did not consider accommodating individuals with disabilities or mobility devices. As society has begun to seek ways to become more inclusive, this has extended to historic buildings in order to ensure that every visitor has the chance to experience the sites, landscapes, and buildings.

Scientists have long been warning of climate change and its corresponding challenges for the earth and its inhabitants. But the conversation has rarely focused on what it will mean for people with disabilities, until now.

The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) changed that with a resolution calling governments to adopt a disability-inclusive approach for climate change solutions and responses.

Public transportation etiquette has always been important, but since the onset of the coronavirus, public transportation etiquette has transitioned from simple politeness to a practice in safety. These days, polite society means wearing a mask and using lots of hand sanitizer. So what does that mean for public transportation, especially as more places go back to work in the office?