Challenging the visual: learning from the mobility narratives of visually impaired persons

ABSTRACT

Urban designers and place-makers must question their understanding of universal design and its role in supporting UK citizens living with sight loss. The mobility narratives of visually impaired (VI) adults are used to unpack their strategies for navigating the urban realm, from recognition of shared issues and confidence to familiarity with routes and services. In conclusion, place-makers can adopt three practices: being more willing and reflexive practitioners – gaining from first-hand experiences; understanding the role of planning and design education; and considering the interface between the mobility needs of visually impaired people and new city strategies promoting green travel.

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all of the service users for sharing their accounts of living with sight loss, their commitment to workshops and travelling around the north-east by foot, bus or (handmade) raft. Jayne would like to express her personal gratitude to Philippa T at Henshaws. Zander Wilson, Open Lab, produced the images of various eye conditions illustrated in Figure 1. EPSRC statement: Data supporting this publication is not openly available due to ethical considerations. The metadata record is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.17634/123905-2.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. See Methodology for a more detailed discussion of confidence.

2. The founder and chief designer of Applied Wayfinding, formerly Applied Information Group (AIG).

3. Designing for and/or on behalf others is an issue that disability rights campaigners have worked to challenge.

4. At the time of writing this paper, all of the Resource Centres faced closure and staff were made redundant.

5. The Metro is a light rapid transit system operating through underground and overground rail network in Tyne and Wear, UK.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the EPSRC under Grant No: BH123905: ‘My Place: Mobility and Place for the Age Friendly City Environment’. A joint research councils ESRC/EPSRC/AHRC call under ‘Design for Wellbeing: Ageing and Mobility in the Built Environment’.