Municipalities and the promotion of architectural accessibility

Abstract

Background: Architectural barriers have a significant impact on the daily activities of people with reduced mobility. Objectives: To understand the weaknesses and/or opportunities in the responses of local authorities to eliminate the architectural barriers for people with reduced mobility in their social and residential context. Methodology: A descriptive, exploratory study was conducted with a sample of 21 parish council presidents from two municipalities using an accidental non-probabilistic sampling method. Results: In this sample, 76.2% of parish council presidents do not know how many people with disabilities live in their parish. The elimination of architectural barriers focused on accessible sidewalks and pedestrian routes (80%), pedestrian crossings (75%), access to public parks and gardens (70%), and access to cemeteries and markets (70%). Other equipment, even educational ones, represent less than 50%. Conclusion: Some public spaces still have architectural barriers. There is little cooperation between health professionals and society to promote accessibility.