Navigation apps help us in our everyday lives, but people with mobility impairments often lack important information about barriers such as stairs or narrow walkways. Two projects at UZH and the City of Zurich are tackling precisely this issue and creating solutions for barrier-free navigation. Hoda Allahbakhshi reports on this in the DSI Insights column on IT-Inside.
In the citizen science project ZuriACT, citizens mapped important accessibility features in Zurich’s District 1. Using digital tools such as “Project Sidewalk”, they were able to identify obstacles such as missing curbs and narrow sidewalks. This created a valuable database on accessibility.
In November 2024, the ZuReach project will be launched, in which this database will be regularly updated and made available for digital applications. This will make it easier for people with mobility impairments to plan their routes in Zurich in future.
Hoda Allahbakhshi
Hoda Allahbakhshi ist Forschende bei der Digital Society Initiative (DSI) und Leiterin der Forschungsgruppe "Inclusive Mobility and Sustainable Transport" in der GIS-Abteilung des Geographischen Instituts der Universität Zürich (UZH). In ihrer Arbeit konzentriert sie sich auf die räumliche Zugänglichkeit, insbesondere für Personen mit eingeschränkter Mobilität.
ZuReach is funded in the 3rd project call in the DIZH innovation program.