PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBILITY OF THE SHOPPING CENTER OF THE CITY OF TAQUARITINGA, SP, BRAZIL (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Even today, in the 21st century, people with motor disabilities still face various obstacles, of different natures, that limit their integration. To achieve equity, it is necessary to think about strategies ranging from physical and architectural barriers in pedestrian spaces, to cultural barriers, in order to facilitate universal access. By talking and listening to people with disabilities, it is possible to understand their difficulties and how accessibility is still an obstacle to ensuring inclusion, highlighting the lack of investment in sidewalk covering materials, repairs of structural defects that generate common obstacles, in addition to absence of access ramps in urban pedestrian spaces. Therefore, the objective of this study was to diagnose accessibility conditions for people with disabilities in the commercial center of the city of Taquaritinga-SP. The methodology used was the mapping of pedestrian spaces regarding the types of coverings and common defects in sidewalks and the presence or absence of access ramps for people with physical disabilities or reduced mobility, using satellite images. The results showed that the majority of intersections do not have access ramps for people who use wheelchairs or other auxiliary equipment, to fully move around pedestrian spaces in the region under study. The quality of the sidewalk covering materials was considered “good”, with the predominance of the “Portuguese mosaic” material.