Disability-centered maps help wheelchair users navigate their city

Hailing from France, Handimap is a resource that shows all of the locations in a city that are suitable for disabled people.

While platforms such as the UK’s Blue Badge Style have helped those in wheelchairs to find stylish nighttime venues that cater for their needs, cities have a lot more to offer in the daytime. Hailing from France, Handimap is a resource that shows all of the locations in a city that are suitable for disabled people.

Currently operating in the French cities of Rennes and Montpellier, the maps enable users to see exactly where they can utilize disabled parking facilities, enjoy open spaces such as parks, visit museums and attractions with disabled access and agencies that can help them. However, the platforms also track sidewalks that are accessible to wheelchair users and intersections that feature sound indicators for blind people. Users can type in a starting point and destination and Handimap will automatically suggest routes that will get those in wheelchairs from A to B without obstacles such as steps and narrow sidewalks.

Handimaps redraws the map for disabled citizens to filter out locations and directions that don’t cater for their abilities. Are there other ways to help wheelchair users feel more at home in the city they live in?

Spotted by Alexia Maury, written by Springwise