Are Tucson Sidewalks Infrastructure Limiting the Mobility of Wheelchair Users?

Abstract

Wheelchair accessibility is a crucial aspect for mobility purposes in wheelchair users and in Tucson, AZ there are barriers in the urban infrastructure that hinder mobility for those with physical disabilities. The available literature on wheelchair accessibility suggests that there are measurements that can be done to assess whether a particular site is wheelchair accessible or not, and just how accessible this site may be. This study analyzes physical characteristics of the urban infrastructure near the University of Arizona to determine whether access is available for wheelchair users in the streets nearby and just how accessible these streets are. Contrary to what the university offers in terms of accessibility, the streets surrounding campus are predominantly inaccessible for wheelchair users because of barriers in the urban built environment that pose real obstacles to wheelchair users like the absence of curb cuts, incomplete sidewalks, and poor sidewalk surface quality and street crossing conditions.