Services, Systems and Policies Shaping the Built Environment for People with Mobility Impairments

Abstract

Background: For people with mobility impairments, access to the built environment is essential to their community mobility. Services, systems and policies shape accessibility and affect the opportunities people have to participate in society. Aim: To gain an understanding of the accessibility policy of the built environment in Iceland through an exploration of policy documents. Method: Public policy documents regarding accessibility from official websites of local and national authorities in Iceland were collected and reviewed. Findings: This review summarizes policies and identifies critical concerns that need to be addressed to improve access to the built environment in Iceland: (1) inconclusive or incomplete information, (2) limited clarity in legislation and guidelines, (3) limited users’ involvement in policymaking, (4) insufficient monitoring of services and (5) limited fit with usability values. All those aspects are critical to ensure and protect disabled people’s rights to move around and participate in society.

Keywords

• accessibility
• universal design
• policies
• mobility impairments
• built environment