The role of accessibility in the level of participation and presence of citizens in residential areas

A large proportion of people in the community (the elderly, the physically disabled, children, etc.) face mobility limitations in urban spaces; However, the limitations of disability should not prevent people from accessing urban spaces, and they should be able to operate in an urban environment with the maximum possible independence and without restrictions, like ordinary people in society. In this paper, the principles and foundations of inclusive design in immediate environments of residential spaces are presented. This is due to the fact that inclusive design for people in the community is a manifestation of justice and social security in access, which in addition to providing life and health security, will have extraordinary psychological effects. The present study proceeded with the assumption that if access to space is provided at different levels, then the participation and sensitivity of citizens will increase. In order to test this hypothesis, first, based on the content analysis technique, the general principles of inclusive design were defined and explained, and then the field research method was used to examine the status of accesses in the residential environment. In this field study, the problems, limitations and demands of individuals through local perceptions and observation of the current situation were identified and questionnaires were distributed among 74 residents of Narmak neighborhood of Tehran. In this study, a variety of people living in the neighborhood were examined. In addition to normal people, people with disabilities move around or lack this ability, including the visually impaired (the blind, the visually impaired, the deaf, and the deaf) and people with other disabilities. The findings showed that 14% of them had physical-motor disabilities, 5% had vision problems, 4% had hearing problems and 6% had other disabilities. After conducting field studies, due to the physical-motor limitations of individuals, the physical characteristics of the neighborhood spaces were analyzed. Analysis of findings, problems and major inadequacies of access such as lack of safety and comfort that leads to a decrease in social and physical activity showed. Finally, in this study, based on the results, solutions for inclusive design such as participation and presence, meeting needs, free and independent movement for all people in residential environments were presented.