Accessible housing and infrastructure

For this edition we're looking at how local authorities can plan for inclusion, removing barriers to participation for disabled people.

Global interest in the accessibility of our housing and environments is rising, driven by a number of factors. Firstly, the prevalence of disability is high and increasing – 15% of the global population experience disability, rising to 25% in some regions. The primary reasons for this are an increase in chronic illnesses (partly due to improved survival rates) and demographic changes; namely that all regions of the world are experiencing population ageing. In countries with life expectancies above 70 years, a person can now expect to spend 8 years of their life living with a disability.

Secondly, societies are increasingly taking note of concerns raised by the disability sector, increasing the profile of accessibility issues with impacts on policy at all scales. Recent human rights-based approaches to disability consider that people are disabled not just by the conditions they have, but by the way our environments have been designed to (not) include them.

As the level of governance closest to people, local authorities have an essential role in removing barriers to participation, ensuring that the needs of people with disabilities are taken into account in all decisions at the local level. By planning the environments around us with disability in mind, municipalities can put universal design at the centre of built environment renovations in the public realm. And, as highlighted in today's featured article, local authorities are uniquely positioned to improve the supply and quality of accessible housing.

Current shortages of good-quality, affordable housing are problematic for vast regions of the world (less than half of the OECD population is satisfied with its availability). Yet for disabled people, the challenge is even greater. Regardless of whether the disability is physical, mental, or sensory, finding housing to match a person’s exact needs is even more difficult given the shortage of accessible housing in most areas of the world – much less at a reasonable price (disabled people are more likely to have lower incomes and face higher costs of living).

As a result, many people with disabilities live in accommodation which is unsuitable for their needs. Data is patchy, but the OECD reports that just 1-10% of the housing stock in most countries has more than one accessibility feature (such as a step-free entryway or ground floor bathroom). An Equality and Human Rights Commission report for the UK titled highlighted that just 7% of the current housing stock was accessible. Meanwhile, a recent survey from Australia found that three-quarters of households including disabled people lived in housing that did not fulfil their needs. While no one should be living in unsuitable accommodation for extended time periods, the adverse impacts on disabled people in particular can be severe, further limiting mobility and making everyday tasks tiring. A UK study found that people with an unmet need for accessible housing were four times more likely to be unemployed.

So how can local government close the gap?

Curated case studies and news from around the globe

USA: Innovative housing project supports adults with autism
The Sweetwater Spectrum housing development in Sonoma, California is a planned housing community for adults with autism. People with autism can be sensitive to light, sound, movement and cluttered and crowded spaces. The Sweetwater site addresses this through a design centred on autism-specific principles intended to promote a sense of calm. These include simple and clear design elements, muted colours, and noise-minimising features. The wider facility offers shared community spaces, including therapy pools and an urban farm, while providing a range of educational and skills training. The development, which houses up to 16 adults at a time across four houses, has served as a model for several new autism-focused communities and developments created across the US since its launch in 2013. 
Forbes

Sweden: City improves accessibility of new and old districts in collaboration with disability organisations
Jönköping, Sweden, is renowned for its picturesque terrain and lakeside location, which presents a challenge for accessibility. To tackle this, the city has worked with disability organisations to improve accessibility in new and old parts in the city. Public buildings and infrastructures, such as libraries and concert halls, now feature tactile signage and maps, easy to read facilities, audio descriptions, and wheelchair access. The city consults its citizens and disability groups when developing new buildings to ensure their accessibility needs are met, and has also renovated 120 of its public playgrounds to improve accessibility. Finally, the city created its own reward scheme for organisations and businesses that have collaborated with customers to improve accessibility. For its improvements, the city received the 2021 Access City Award. 
European Commission

Australia: Melbourne pilot uses Bluetooth audio cues to help visually impaired indoors
In a bid to change how visually impaired people navigate indoor public spaces, an eight-month pilot scheme was held in Melbourne in 2018 which saw Bluetooth audio cues installed in the Southern Cross station rail terminal. While the visually impaired can rely to some extent on GPS while navigating public spaces, this can become more difficult in indoor settings, where mobile signal can be inconsistent or absent. To address this, a pilot run by the City of Melbourne, Public Transport Victoria and Guide Dogs Victoria installed wireless Bluetooth beacons inside the terminal, offsetting any loss of signal preventing important information from reaching users. The Bluetooth beacons provide audio cues detailing users’ exact location and what they can expect in their journey, such as upcoming doors and stairwells. 
The Age

Luxembourg: City employs ‘Design for All’ approach to improve accessibility

In 2022, the City of Luxembourg received the Access City Award for its commitment to make accessibility a priority for all. Luxembourg was recognised for its ‘Design for All’ approach, where all developments, products and services must be accessible to people with disabilities. This is notable in its public transport, with low-floor ramped buses, audio-visual announcements at bus stops, and clear and widespread signage at rail stations, providing guidance on handrails, parking spaces and elevators for disabled people, the elderly, and tourists alike. Many of the city’s displays have text-to-speech functionality, while important updates are delivered via automated audio announcements. 

European Commission

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