Accessibility: who cares? It's a project aiming at raising awareness among the population of Toledo regarding the accessibility and mobility of people in the transit, wether they are elderly, disabled or with no specific mobility problem.
The ideas
Accessibility in Transit: Who cares?
We perceive the problem in terms of accessibility for ourselves; after all, as people who do not have a National Driver's License (NDLS), we make daily use of public transport, bicycle paths, sidewalks and pedestrian lanes, so that we can see that lack of accessibility does not affect only people with physical problems, but all of us.
Walking a few minutes through the city we can already notice irregularities and negligence. Not that the law is not fulfilled: after all ramps and tactile floor exist in the streets of Toledo. TBut they almost all are damaged or misplaced there is a lack of signage for visually impaired people. Our objective is to show to people that lack of accessibility affects everyone and so, it is our duty as citizens to require that everyone can easily get around the city.
It was necessary to convey the message in such a way that the population understands that mobility and accessibility is something that we all need and not just those with special needs, so we chose to convey it in a direct and not so formal way, being in contact with the population and exchanging knowledge.
We were quite pleased with the ideas that came up for the project and tried to turn it into something very dynamic where the population could participate directly. We seek to impact the population in a positive way so they can see the existence of the problem and put themselves in the shoes of those who suffer from it.
All students participated in the whole process, from the collection of photos for the photo slip, to research and production of the material. We tried not to divide much or to establish what each one would do.
We separated in three stages the presentation of the project to the community, for the purpose of better organization. The first is the exhibition of photos and data on urban mobility in the municipality, the second is an online research and the third is the dynamics where the person is taken to experiment the situation of those who do not have accessibility. From this division it was easier to pay attention to the smallest detail and to increase the research on the subject. We prepared ourselves through these and information provided to us by the councilor that we interviewed.
What’s transit?
According to the Brazilian traffic code, the use of lanes by people, vehicles and animals, isolated or in groups, whether or not they are used, is considered transit for the purpose of movement, stopping, parking and loading or unloading operations. Transit, under safe conditions, is a right of everyone and the duty of the organs and entities that are components of the National Transit System, these being, within the scope of their respective competences, to adopt the measures to ensure this right.
The following data were obtained from the DETRAN-PR (Paraná Transit Department) website. The table will appear in the following link: goo.gl/ABRqeG
What is accessibility?
The word accessibility refers to the possibilities that people must have to access a place. At present accessibility is often related to people with physical disabilities, but this lack of accessible passages affects a large part of the population, from a physically disabled to an elderly person or a hand with a baby's touch. We realize that there is still a great lack of accessibility in urban centers. The graphic will appear in the following link: https://goo.gl/m9uHxe
What is the importance and relevance of discussing this issue in the community?
The importance is linked to the awareness of the population and a whole way of participating in the present traffic in society. As a society we live with all types of people, be they with specific needs or not, but walking around we realize that in relation to traffic these people are excluded..
The initiatives
How did we decide to do this campaign?
We thought that it would be interesting to give visibility to this issue and approach people with the intention of showing the difficulties found for those who haven’t time at the public ways. We tried to find a way to reach a greater number of people in one of the busiest parts of the city.
What’s the relevance?
Just like in the title of our project, many people don’t give too much importance for the fault of structure and for the difficulties found in the urban centers, therefore, we thought that it would be interesting to try put them in the place of those who deal with these difficulties everyday.
Where?
At the main square of the city, Willy Barth, located in the center.
What’s the target audience?
The general population.
What’s the materials and resources used to transmit the message?
- Photo slip showing the irregularities present in the cities.
- A form with questions related to the daily life of the people, for collection of data.
- Circuit simulating these difficulties using a sale and rocks.
Did we achieve our goals?
Yes, we reached a great number of people and a lot of them demonstrated interest in the Project, it was also common the exchange of experiences between the population and the students. The people also got surprised with the simulation, showing so that they never stopped to put themselves in the place of the others.
How do we evaluate the campaign? And the impact or success of the activities?
It was certainly a great job for all sides; we had a legal acceptance of the population and a relaxed morning and, at the same time, we absorb much knowledge and disseminate it as well. It was a successful activity, because we reached almost all the people who passed through the square, having a great positive feedback from the population that found the work important and necessary.
