The PROUD Project has begun development on our Accessible Mapping Project: an interactive tool that communicates granular details that are vital to the lives of disabled peoples.
The Accessible Mapping Project is concerned with the daily inclusion of disabled people in public spaces. The following example illustrates the importance of granular measurements such as these. Imagine that you are planning to attend a birthday party at an establishment you have never been to. The location and time of event are key information for you to decide if you are able to attend. Now, imagine the same scenario, but you use a wheelchair, have epilepsy, have a urine catheter, and a have a service dog. What information do you now need to make the same decision? How would you find the information? Perhaps Google Maps? The bar’s website? How would this information (or lack thereof) impact your decision to go?
In the fall of 2024, PROUD collaborated with the University of Toronto’s Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy, offering a unique fieldwork placement for Masters of Occupational Therapy students. Fieldwork placements provide an opportunity for occupational therapy students to integrate theoretical and practical knowledge and develop professional behaviours and clinical skills as a requirement for professional qualification. PROUD’s Aruna Mitra (Co-Executive Director) and Atticus Hawk (Research Project Manager) jointly supervised eight students over the seven-week LEAP placement: Leadership Emerging/Enhancing, Advocacy, Program Planning and Evaluation. The goal of LEAP was to identify and map daily accessibility barriers faced by disabled individuals.
The MScOT students took Toronto’s Church and Wellesley Queer Village as their area of interest. Using an intersectional approach, the students analyzed the physical, sensory, cognitive, social, and identity barriers limiting day to day participation relevant to people who live, work and socialize in the area. The MScOT students researched accessibility features in specific locations such as restaurants, bars, retail stores, a community centre and the LGBTQ2S archives. The goal was to map each locations features using a mapping software (ArcGIS) as a prototype for creating a map containing accurate and relevant information which would be useful with functional limitations. Through interacting with the physical space, the MScOT students developed detailed data collection surveys for each location, documenting external and internal accessibility. Details included entrance doorway width, the number of steps, alternative accessible entrances, length, width and elevation of ramps, interior layout, location of restrooms and features included. They also documented other accessibility features not commonly captured in accessibility surveys such as noise level, lighting features (e.g. strobing) and automatic external defibrillator (AED) locations.
See the interactive map below:
These prototype maps provide a level of detail that is useful for people who face a variety of barriers impacting their ability to participate in environments important to them, such as a birthday celebration! However, locations are rarely “fully accessible” unless they are purpose built; for example, a location may have an automatic door at the entrance however, does not necessarily mean that the location is fully barrier-free. By taking this granular approach to mapping the accessibility of spaces, PROUD hopes to demonstrate that accessibility is rarely a binary issue. See a comprehensive list of all mapped locations’ bathrooms:
To learn about this project from the perspective of one of the OT students, watch this Instagram video where Sally discusses her here.