Based on research carried out with a group of adults with Cerebral Palsy in Birmingham, UK, we consider the complex inter-relationship between the accessibility of the urban environment to those with impaired gross motor skills, and the ability of these people to lead full and independent lives. Drawing on and developing Cresswell's (2010) holistic framework of mobility as both 'brute fact' and meaning-making, we demonstrate the reality of differentiated mobility. For those with bodies that function outside the presumed operating parameters of the model subjects of urban design, urban mobility may be possible, but is often uncomfortable and even dangerous, with significant associated effects for impaired people's autonomy. Our study details social and structural, or design, barriers to impaired people's mobility, demonstrating the inter-connection between individuals' behaviour and urban design in a manner that questions a clear distinction between the two. We suggest that further investment in universal design and public education for urban accessibility are issues of social justice.
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