The Precarious Absence of Disability Perspectives in Planning Research

Abstract

One in five people in the world are said to have some type of disability. Disability is not merely individuals’ compromised capability in navigating the built environment, but rather the ‘misfit’ of capabilities with how a given living environment is organized. Planning, therefore, has a crucial role to play in responding to the needs of this significant population through changes to the built and social environment. However, discussion on planning theories and practices with a focus on persons with disability (PWD) has been limited to more specific realms of ‘design,’ and precariously absent in broader planning research. This systematic literature review aims to inform potential directions for planning scholarship by exploring the current and historic planning research investigating the needs of PWD. We compiled relevant papers from five prominent English language planning journals, some of which are long-standing (<em>Town Planning Review</em>, 1910–, <em>Journal of the American Planning Association</em>, 1935–). A very limited number of papers (n = 36) on topics related to PWD of any type have been published in the five journals throughout their existence, with even fewer focusing on the population. The subareas of planning these papers addressed include housing, transportation, land use, policy, and urban design. Many papers called for participation by PWD in the planning and decision-making processes, and some recent papers advocated for the production of evidence related to costs of creating accessible infrastructure. A critical look on some disciplinary divides and enhanced roles of planning research would be beneficial.

Understanding Everyday Travel Experiences and Transportation Infrastructure Challenges of People with Disabilities in Denver, CO

“…There is limited research on how planning or design decisions and priorities affect people with disabilities. A literature review of five planning journals found only thirtysix published papers on disability-related topics (8). Gebresselassie reviewed 53 graduate-level transportation planning courses and found that the curriculum's content on planning accessible transport for people with disabilities was limited in scope (43).…”

“…There is a common perception that, since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990, the transportation needs of people with disabilities are now routinely considered and realized (6). Yet, transportation planning and design efforts constantly lack representation of people with disabilities (7,8). This paper seeks to address this disconnect by relying on semistructured interviews with (i) 28 stakeholders who selfidentify as having a disability; and (ii) 9 government officials whose work intersects with the supply of infrastructure regulated under the ADA.…”

Exploring the Accessibility Knowledge of Professional Planners

“…Although planners acknowledge that accessibility is important, there is a clear gap in the practical accessibility knowledge of the planning profession. Professionals' lack of knowledge and awareness of disability is a significant barrier in inhibiting the development of appropriate design to meet the needs of disabled people (Terashima & Clark 2021;Imrie & Hall, 2001). Accessibility has also been under-investigated by planners for too long, on average the major planning journals have published 1.7 papers that focus on PWD per decade (Terashima & Clark, 2021).…”

“…Professionals' lack of knowledge and awareness of disability is a significant barrier in inhibiting the development of appropriate design to meet the needs of disabled people (Terashima & Clark 2021;Imrie & Hall, 2001). Accessibility has also been under-investigated by planners for too long, on average the major planning journals have published 1.7 papers that focus on PWD per decade (Terashima & Clark, 2021). The limited interaction of city-building professionals and PWD has created environments that exclude PWD.…”

Apartment Living and Community Care: Experiences of People With Intellectual Disability, Their Families, and Support Staff

“…As a result, we know very little about the implications of urban design on how disability support is provided to and received by people with intellectual disability and their levels of community participation. Terashima and Clark (2021) and Zallio and Clarkson (2021) have called for a more diverse understanding of disability in architecture and planning research, includ-ing people with intellectual disability, and implications for housing design and urban settings. Wright et al (2017, p. 33) develop a set of design principles for housing design appropriate for people with complex physical and cognitive disabilities and calls for "housing for individuals with complex disabilities [to] move beyond narrow considerations of physical health to embrace a broader biopsychosocial environmental approach to residential design and development."…”