Services, Systems and Policies Shaping the Built Environment for People with Mobility Impairments

• Published in: Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research
• Main Authors: Jónasdóttir, Sigrún Kristín, Egilson, Snæfríður Þóra, Polgar, Jan
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Stockholm University Press 2020
• Subjects: Occupational Science; Disability studies; Accessibility; Universal Design; Policies; Mobility Impairments; Built Environment; Iceland
• Online Access: https://www.sjdr.se/jms/article/view/730; https://doi.org/10.16993/sjdr.730

Background: For people with mobility impairments, access to the built environment is essential to their community mobility. Services, systems and policies shape accessibility and affect the opportunities people have to participate in society.Aim: To gain an understanding of the accessibility policy of the built environment in Iceland through an exploration of policy documents.Method: Public policy documents regarding accessibility from official websites of local and national authorities in Iceland were collected and reviewed.Findings: This review summarizes policies and identifies critical concerns that need to be addressed to improve access to the built environment in Iceland: (1) inconclusive or incomplete information, (2) limited clarity in legislation and guidelines, (3) limited users’ involvement in policymaking, (4) insufficient monitoring of services and (5) limited fit with usability values. All those aspects are critical to ensure and protect disabled people’s rights to move around and participate in society.