Legibility Evaluation of Urban Spaces for the Senior Citizens with Disability: The Case of Chahar Bagh-e Abbasi Street of Isfahan

This study aimed at extracting indicators of visibility quality assessment in urban spaces for the elderly with disability and assessing them in the Chahar Bagh Abbasi street of Isfahan.
Being descriptive-analytical, the present research employed library and field study for collecting data. First, the concepts and principles related to the senior citizens, urbanism and their interactions were explored. Then, various theoretical frameworks were used to extract visibility assessment of signposts in age-friendly urban spaces. A total of 100 participants took a questionnaire to assess the aforementioned sign posts. In addition, Qualitative analysis was used to assess street signposts on the basis of relations defined by the researchers as well as the existing standards. In the end, quantitative analysis through SPSS software was used to assess how desirable the existing signposts are.
Both quantitative and qualitative analyses revealed that colors of floors and walls were the most desirable aspects of sign posts under investigation, with 100% and 98% desirability rate respectively, while the maps, public transportation signs, floor signs in building were the least desirable aspects of the signposts for seniors with disability in the Chahar Bagh-e Abbasi street of Isfahan each with a zero percent desirability rate. The size and dimensions of concrete masonry units achieved a desirability rate of 5%.
The results seem to suggest that it is necessary to assess other basic qualities such as safety, security, accessibility and convenience for aging people. As such, the following solutions are suggested: equipping bus stations with high quality sings and maps for directions, using concrete masonry units with appropriate size, increasing the number of floor signs in crowded locations. It is hoped that such measures will increase visibility of signposts to seniors with disabilities in Chahar Bagh Abbasi street of Isfahan as well as helping them, especially those suffering from memory disorders, to find their way.