Simulating and Visualizing Sidewalks Accessibility for Wayfinding of People with Disabilities
ISBN 978-85-88783-11-9
Authors
1Tajgardoon, M.; 2Karimi, H.A.
1UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Email: amin.tajgardoon@gmail.com
2UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH Email: hkarimi@pitt.edu
Abstract
There are generally less wayfinding options for drivers than those for pedestrians. This makes developing models and tools that assist pedestrians in finding routes more challenging. The problem is even further exasperated when specific routing requirements of people with disabilities is considered. While currently much research is focused on developing solutions for wayfinding of pedestrians, very few address the specific requirements of individuals with disabilities and none is focused on evaluation of the accessibility of built environments. In this paper, we propose a new approach in evaluating accessibility of built environments for wayfinding of individuals with disabilities. The proposed approach involves simulation and visualization of accessibility of sidewalk segments allowing urban planners, and other designers and engineers, to gain an understanding of how accessible built environments are and allowing individuals with disabilities to assess the accessibility of built environments with respect to their mobility needs. Simulations were conducted using a sidewalk network database which contains accessibility attributes based on the standards recommended by the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). To demonstrate the benefits of the proposed approach, a representative model was used to simulate scenarios for the general wayfinding requirements of both community and individuals. The results of the simulations are visualized in heat-maps.
Keywords
Accessibility map; Wayfinding; People with disabilities