The Effect of Transport Accessibility on the Social Inclusion of Wheelchair Users: A Mixed Method Analysis

Abstract

In recent years the accessibility of London buses has improved with the introduction of ramps and wheelchair priority areas. These advances are meant to remove physical barriers to entering the bus, but new conflicts have arisen particularly over the physical space aboard. We aimed to research the barriers faced by wheelchair users in public transport using a mixed methods approach to establish the breadth of issues faced by wheelchair users. To this end we quantified the push-force used alight a bus and a study to understand the coping mechanisms used by people to propel up a ramp. This quantitative approach found push forces which resulted in a load of 2 to 3 times body weight being transferred through people's shoulders, forces which can be directly linked to shoulder injury. This could disable the user further, preventing them from being able to push their wheelchair. Alongside the quantitative study, we conducted qualitative research comprising of a number of in-depth interviews with wheelchair users about the barriers they face in public transport. Our main claim, highlighted through this interdisciplinary collaboration, is that proposed 'solutions' to accessibility, such as ramps, often generate problems of their own. These barriers can affect the life of wheelchair users, impacting on their confidence and causing social isolation. These can be long-term in nature or immediate.

Accessibility for All in Public Transport and the Overlooked (Social) Dimension—A Case Study of Stockholm

“…For instance, crowded spaces on board the vehicles can create feelings of unsafety and insecurity for some [15]. Velho et al describe how wheelchair priority spaces are "a key source of anxiety" for some when travelling by public transport [10] (p. 29)-they also describe an ongoing struggle for space, which is particularly noticeable for people with wheelchairs-possibly due to not having enough space to move around with the wheelchair, having to share space with other passengers, or not being able to travel with a friend also with a wheelchair [10].…”

Transport Policy and Social Inclusion

“…While the majority have a European focus, with four papers addressing transport and social inclusion in UK (Clark & Curl, 2016;Marshall et al, 2016;Pooley, 2016;Velho, Holloway, Symonds, & Balmer, 2016), one in Sweden (Lättman, Friman, & Olsson, 2016) and one in France (Purwanto, 2016), three explore different elements of the African (Alando & Scheiner, 2016;Kett & Deluca, 2016) and Asian (Thynell, 2016) contexts. From a methodological perspective, the papers present a variety of approaches (qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods and a computer software simulation) drawn from a wide range of disciplinary areas, including sociology, history, gender and development studies, economics, science and technology studies, accessibility planning, engineering and transport studies.…”

“…The papers engage with a variety of transport users providing useful insights into the experiences of interest groups such as women (Thynell, 2016), disabled children (Kett & Deluca, 2016) and wheel-chair users (Velho et al, 2016). Marshall et al (2016) present a software design tool named HADRIAN, which can evaluate designs (e.g.…”

“…London buses, is also the focus of the mixed-method research study reported by Velho et al (2016). The authors contend that, despite improvements to the design of London buses, wheelchair users still encounter accessibility barriers.…”

Accessibility of Public Buildings in Khulna, Bangladesh, for Wheelchair Users

“…In the UK, wheelchair-accessibility studies largely cover the public transport and housing sectors. Transport accessibility of wheelchair-users and the effects of accessible public transport on their social inclusion have been examined when several state initiatives have already been implemented to make public transport acceptable and accessible for all (Velho et al, 2016;Velho, 2018). In respect of housing, the success of private developers in providing wheelchair-accessible housing and the shortage of accessible housing in the social housing sector have been revealed in the reports of Department of Communities and Local Government (2003) and Housing Executive (2005).The social implications of increased wheelchair use due to disability by birth and also by ageing are drawing the attention of policy-makers in Great Britain to take appropriate measures to increase social and economic inclusion of persons with disabilities (Sapey et al, 2004).…”