Accessibility

Asheville Approves ADA Compliance Plan
The city plans to make improvements to pedestrian infrastructure and bring its public streets into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Following Lawsuit, Philadelphia to Add or Fix 10,000 Curb Cuts
Disability rights advocates won a settlement that directs the city to improve accessibility on its public roads over the next 15 years.

Opinion: Make Safe, Slow Streets the Default
For people with disabilities or limited mobility, a lack of safe infrastructure can cause significant disruptions, delays, and safety hazards.

Universal Design in D.C.’s Rock Creek Park
After being closed to cars during the pandemic, Rock Creek Park’s Beach Drive has become a haven for people with mobility impairments.

The Sound of Silence: Designing Electric Vehicles for Safety
Near-silent electric vehicles pose a danger to people with visual impairments, so engineers are studying ways to make the vehicles audible while maintaining the benefits of quieter streets.

MTA Uses Density Bonuses to Improve Accessibility
Under a new zoning law, New York City developers can receive density bonuses for building elevators and other accessibility upgrades for the city’s subway system.

Urban Design Through a Gender Lens
Building cities to be safe and accessible for women and LGBTQIA+ people has benefits for all users of public space.

Fort Worth To Study Transit Opportunities in its Poorest Neighborhoods
Residents in the 76104 ZIP code, where life expectancy is the lowest in Texas, lack access to effective transit and essential needs.

San Francisco Launches Adaptive Cycling Program
The program offers a variety of adaptive bikes at no charge to people with disabilities.

Report: Dallas Needs $54 Million in Sidewalk Ramps and Crosswalk Repairs
The city, which recently adopted a Vision Zero action plan, has one of the nation’s highest pedestrian fatality rates.

New York City Subway Pledges To Increase Accessibility
After two lawsuits, the New York subway system has announced a 33-year timeline for making 95 percent of its stations fully accessible.

Toward More Inclusive Emergency Management
People with disabilities often die at higher rates during natural disasters or other emergencies. One Oregon advocacy group wants to change that.

Transportation Challenges for Older Rural Americans
Vast distances and inadequate funding pose problems for the rural transportation services that older adults rely on to access essential services.

Highlights From the National Shared Mobility Summit
Mobility leaders from around the country met to discuss multimodal transportation, equity, and accessibility.

New App Helps People With Visual Impairments Navigate Transit
The Waymap app offers precise instructions to give blind pedestrians more options for safe travel.

Designing for Dementia
Proponents of 'dementia design' call for inclusive design that centers the experience of people living with dementia and other disabilities that impact how they experience the urban environment.

The Relationship Between Walkability and Public Health
New research indicates that improving public health requires targeted investments in more than just pedestrian facilities.

How the Pandemic Is Reshaping Cities
The social and economic upheaval of the last two years accelerated a shift in thinking about how we use public space and organize the urban realm.

Federal Government to Enforce Accessibility Guidelines
Local agencies will soon be tasked with adhering to federal right-of-way accessibility rules: comprehensive guidelines for accessible streets and sidewalks.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department Launched in San Antonio
San Antonio has set goals for diversity and inclusion in all services by establishing a new Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Department.
Pagination
Urban Design for Planners 1: Software Tools
This six-course series explores essential urban design concepts using open source software and equips planners with the tools they need to participate fully in the urban design process.
Planning for Universal Design
Learn the tools for implementing Universal Design in planning regulations.
EMC Planning Group, Inc.
Planetizen
Planetizen
Mpact (formerly Rail~Volution)
Great Falls Development Authority, Inc.
HUDs Office of Policy Development and Research
NYU Wagner Graduate School of Public Service