Finding the optimal route for people with mobility impairments: A case study of the İnönü University campus

Abstract

Students with mobility impairments have the right to move independently throughout university campuses. This study presents a model to evaluate routes based on accessibility criteria to determine the most suitable paths for disabled individuals navigating a university. First, the main factors of accessible mobility were determined and rated by students with physical disabilities. Within this context, this study used the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) to weight criteria and route alternatives. İnönü University was selected for quantifying the path network of its campus by physically handicapped students. Three main campus routes were evaluated to find the most accessible route for students. Based on the results, among ten key factors, ramp slope and paving are the most important. Furthermore, on-site analyses demonstrated the accuracy of the AHP method for this research. Contributions of the study include a model for determining the optimal route with the fewest physical obstacles to facilitate disabled individuals’ daily movement.

Keywords

• university campuses
• urban design
• analytical hierarchy process (ahp)
• mobility impairment
• navigation
• turkey