What We Do
Different barriers in the neighbourhood's environment affect the mobility and social participation of people with disabilities. The daily experiences of people with disabilities are rarely explored in research. To fill this gap, the Stakeholders’ Walkability/Wheelability Audit in Neighbourhoods (SWAN) aims to assess the impact of the neighbourhood built environment on mobility, accessibility, and participation of people with mobility, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. As a community-engaged study, our team collaborates with people with disabilities (and their caregivers as needed) to collect data on their opinion and experiences of street features, including curb ramps, sidewalks, traffic signals, and crosswalks. We engage with people with disabilities in six municipalities in Metro Vancouver, including Vancouver, Burnaby, Richmond, North Vancouver, Surrey, and New Westminster.
Our Objectives
- Identify environmental barriers and facilitators affecting mobility and social participation among persons living with disabilities.
- Co-develop a user-friendly environmental audit with people with disabilities to evaluate the neighbourhood environment.
- Empower people with disabilities to advocate for inclusive streets in their neighbourhoods with evidence-based data collected by themselves.
- Inform decision-makers, such as municipal policymakers, city planners, and urban designers, to contribute to developing an inclusive and accessible neighbourhood environment.
- Collaborate with municipalities and community organizations to improve the accessibility of urban built environment.
Our Participants
Our study involves people with a variety of disabilities, such as:
- People with sensory disabilities (hearing and vision)
- Cognitive disabilities (mild to moderate dementia)
- Mobility assistive device users
We aim to highlight the daily experiences of about 60 participants in Metro Vancouver and co-identify the barriers and facilitators to their mobility and social participation to help create accessible built environments for everyone, regardless of their level of ability.