Accessibility Assessment and improvement of Recreational Parks in Addis Ababa for People with Disabilites:The Case of Mobility and Visually Impaired People
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Date
2021-08
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Addis ababa University
Abstract
People with disabilities have the right to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. They have
the right to access the physical environment and other public facilities and services open to the public on an
equal basis with others. Nevertheless, due to unfavorable conditions of different natures, people with disabilities
who live in Addis Ababa have a limited opportunity to access public facilities and services as equal as others.
One of the public facilities that manifest this problem is the limited access to urban parks. Due to design skills
or poor management issues, most of the facilities and elements in the parks are whether damaged, obstructed,
or miss placed and cause disabled people to have limited access. Hence, this research paper focuses on assessing
the accessibility extent of the recreational parks in Addis Ababa for people with mobility and visual impairment
and also recommending possible access improvements.
To achieve the main objective of the research, the accessibility level of the recreational parks, factors that affect
the accessibility level of the recreational parks, and improvement practices to increase the accessibility level of
recreational parks are studied.
Currently, there are 19 functional parks in Addis Ababa, out of which nine recreational parks from nine sub cities, are selected to be assessed in this research using stratified and purposive sampling methods. The size of
the parks and the capacity to accommodate a larger population are the techniques used as sampling and site
selection methods.
A survey research method with mixed qualitative and quantitative methodologies is employed. Primary data is
collected from a Field observation using an accessibility compliance evaluation checklist and from a formal
interview with a selected parks management representatives.
Although people with disabilities cannot be found in the selected parks during the data collection period, to take
their views into account, primary data has also collected from the people with disabilities using questioners.
Accordingly, one hundred eighteen mobility and visually impaired people have participated in the questionnaire
from the permanent members of the Ethiopian National Association of the Physically Handicapped (ENAPH)
and Ethiopian National Association of the Blind (ENAB) using a clustered sampling method.
From the data collected and analyzed the results show that, as measured against the international accessibility
standard, the recreational parks studied have a very low accessibility level for people with disabilities. The low
level of accessibility is associated with physical barriers imposed in most recreational parks. Uneven surface
flooring and obstructed entrance spaces, narrow, rough, and slippery circulation pathways, Steps without an
adjacent ramp, lack of curb ramps in grade changes, and absence of textural marking strip and handrails on
stairs, and grade change are some of these physical barriers.
Besides the physical barriers, the lack of accessibility consideration for people with disabilities when the parks
are designed, inadequacy and lack of implementation of the accessibility standards and design guidelines put in
the park development manuals, and lack of regular maintenance and professionally skilled officials to follow up the maintenance procedures are some of the factors that affect the accessibility of the parks.
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Thus, to improve the accessibility level of the recreational parks for people with disabilities, this study
recognizes the need for improvement from simple maintenance to modifying and redesigning the inaccessible
features of all the park components and infrastructures. The study also recommended responsible bodies such
as architects, planners, park administrators, and management staff to play a vital role in increasing the
accessibility level of the parks.
Finally, a design proposal is developed in a selected case area to demonstrate the recommended access
improvements.
Description
Keywords
Accessibility, Barriers, People with disabilities, Recreational Parks