Accessible wayfinding and navigation: a systematic mapping study

Abstract

Urban environments, university campuses, and public and private buildings often present architectural barriers that prevent people with disabilities and special needs to move freely and independently. This paper presents a systematic mapping study of the scientific literature proposing devices, and software applications aimed at fostering accessible wayfinding and navigation in indoor and outdoor environments. We selected 111 out of 806 papers published in the period 2009–2020, and we analyzed them according to different dimensions: at first, we surveyed which solutions have been proposed to address the considered problem; then, we analyzed the selected papers according to five dimensions: context of use, target users, hardware/software technologies, type of data sources, and user role in system design and evaluation. Our findings highlight trends and gaps related to these dimensions. The paper finally presents a reflection on challenges and open issues that must be taken into consideration for the design of future accessible places and of related technologies and applications aimed at facilitating wayfinding and navigation.

Adaptive personalized routing for vulnerable road users

“…Therefore, the more up‐to‐date sidewalk information, the better the quality of paths provided by VRUPOD. Several studies (e.g., [14, 15]) are currently underway to provide frequent and valuable updates on sidewalk conditions, which will significantly benefit VRUPOD. As a result of the dynamic weights of the sidewalk parameters, VRUPOD prevents long detours if the trip has progressed for a longer time. Specifically, the weights assigned to parameters such as length increases as the user approaches the destination to prevent very long detours.…”

“…In recent years, the usage of online pedestrian navigation systems has increased [3,15]. Although current navigation systems find the shortest path, pedestrians have different needs and capabilities and are interested in more than the shortest distance from origin to destination [16].…”

Implications of Signage on Wayfinding Behaviour of Users: Towards Inclusive Design of Hospital Environment in Nigeria

“…Patients with disabilities, such as the elderly or the disabled, are unable to visit hospitals if the buildings are physically inaccessible to them. Accessibility means people with disabilities and special needs are not prevented by architectural barriers in reaching their desired destinations (Prandi et al, 2021). Hospital architecture and hospital wayfinding systems must accommodate various types of users in terms of travel accessibility and building quality-of-use (Shen et al, 2020).…”

“…For visually challenged users, Braille and tactile signs are required, whereas signs for the mobility impaired (wheelchairs and the elderly) are normally situated at 1200 mm (Wu & Wang, 2017). A clear sign can be confusing if it is situated in the middle of a competing visual cluster (Prandi et al, 2021). A welldesigned and placed sign cannot compensate for other poor environmental cues throughout the circulation area (Arthur & Passini, 1992).…”

“…Also, medical terminology, low literacy rates, and language consistency for multilingual populations continue to offer challenges (Shen et al, 2020). There is an increasing demand for universal and recognisable symbols to be developed to facilitate communication with users from various cultural and language backgrounds (Rodrigues et al, 2019). Rodrigues et al (2020), stated that a well-organized layout and signage can reduce wayfinding issues.…”