A PARTICULAR LOOK AT PUBLIC PEDESTRIAN SPACES FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES (Atena Editora)

Abstract

Pedestrian public spaces are areas where people walk. They are characterized by sidewalks, walkways or other areas restricted to pedestrian traffic. However, these spaces are also used by pedestrians with special conditions or not. Such spaces have been neglected for people with physical disabilities (PWD) or reduced mobility (PMR). On the sidewalks of most Brazilian cities, people with mobility difficulties, those who are totally or partially deprived of the ability to move, many of whom require some type of equipment to facilitate their mobility, encounter adverse conditions for their full right to move. The objective of this study was to identify the perspective of people with disabilities (PWD) and reduced mobility (PMR) in relation to pedestrian spaces in terms of the most common materials used in the construction of sidewalks, the most common defects and the quality of accessibility ramps. at public road intersections, using satellite images. The methodology used in this study was the questionnaire as a data collection technique, of an exploratory and cross-sectional descriptive nature. The questionnaire addressed the most common types of materials used on sidewalks, the most common defects and the quality of accessibility ramps at public road intersections. A Likert scale from 1 to 5 was used to express the quality of these pedestrian spaces (1 = poor and 5 = excellent). The data collection period was from December 2022 to January 2023. The people who responded to the questionnaire totaled 50 responses. The results indicated that the quality and state of conservation of pedestrian spaces, perceived by wheelchair users, varied according to the type of material used. Floors with greater roughness and texture were preferred and classified as good or better. The most common sidewalk defects experienced by wheelchair users ranged from poor to fair, when there were bumps, depressions, stains with more than one type of coating, widespread damage and the presence of different species of grass in the sidewalk area. These situations impose additional suffering and stress on people with mobility difficulties to overcome the condition of pedestrian spaces. The quality of the ramps suggests that they need better standardization, as well as a greater number of access ramps to pedestrian spaces. Concern for the conservation of pedestrian spaces by local authorities can greatly contribute to satisfactory accessibility and mobility in urban pedestrian spaces for people with or without physical limitations.