Although Ghana's Persons with Disability Act 715 calls for the provision of an accessible environment, attention paid to the mobility needs of persons with disability has focused on their access to public facilities like libraries and schools without paying attention to the transport environment connecting the homes of commuters to these public facilities. This study was carried out to examine the road transport infrastructure and mobility needs of students with disability at the University of Cape Coast. Participants consisted of 31 people with visual impairment and one wheelchair user who were engaged through snowballing. Also, the Transport Officer and selected shuttle operators were engaged to ascertain transport support services to students. These were reached through purposive and convenient sampling, respectively. Findings from the study indicate that hostile reception from shuttle operators and the absence of disability-friendly accessories on campus shuttles constitute a major barrier to participants' use of campus shuttles. The study recommends documentation and enforcement of the free shuttle services for students with disability as well as the modification of existing transport facilities.
In pursuance of the UN’s Convention on the Right of Persons with Disability and Ghana’s disability act, the University of Cape Coast has equally instituted a string of interventions to ensure equitable access to its facilities to all students regardless of one’s disability. Emphasis on this has however focused on the modification and inclusion of disability accessories in the construction of new facilities as well as the enactment of disability inclined policies related to admission, residential status and others aspect of campus life. One key area that has not received much attention has been the nature of campus walking environment and how it promotes easy mobility among all students’ groups. To assess the nature of campus walking environment, the study employed the use of an accessibility auditing scheme and also engaged 30 visually impaired and one wheelchair user who were reached through snowballing. An in-depth interview guide was used as the primary data collection instrument for the qualitative study. The study found that the absence of walkway in some high pedestrian traffic areas, discontinuity of sidewalk and path obstructing objects were key factors that reduced the ease with which students with disability use sidewalk on campus. The study recommends an overhauling of the current walking environment as well as enforcement of state and international policy regarding the development of an inclusive environment.
Apart from their potential environmental benefits, micromobility modes of transport can afford their users enormous health benefits. This notwithstanding, their adoption is very low or non-existent in most African cities including Ghana. The paucity of research on micromobility in Ghana
restricts any objective discussions on the factors that contribute to its low adoption. However, data from elsewhere flag the lack of safe spaces as an important factor. The creation of safe spaces and a micromobility supportive environment will have to be premised on the nuanced understanding
of existing intermodal interactions and con flicts. Although micromobility vehicles like e-bikes and e-scooters are not common in Ghana, bicycles are, and they offer a window of opportunity to study intermodal interactions between cyclists (micromobility proxy) and other road users. Using
a mixed methods approach, this study investigates the interactions and con flicts that arise between child cyclists and informal-sector commercial vehicle drivers in two Ghanaian cities (Cape Coast and Kumasi) and attempt to predict micromobility acceptability based on drivers' attitudes towards
child cyclists and drivers cycling experiences. The results show a low acceptability of micromobility by drivers. They also had several negative stereotypes about cyclists and considered them illegitimate road users. Educational attainment, employment status, and priority access emerged as
the best predictors of acceptability of micromobility use by informal-sector commercial drivers. Taken together, the low acceptability of micromobility and the negative perceptions drivers have of cyclists might present significant stumbling blocks to adoption of micromobility in the study
areas. Further studies on the suitability of the built environment, intention-to-use, policy development as well as the development of a business model for micromobility will go a long way in shaping the next steps.
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