Relevance of Research Methods for the Design of Urban Open Public Spaces for Persons with Visual Impairments

Abstract

In spite of the advances in high technological research creating devices to support spatial orientation of visually impaired persons, they still confront a difficult situation in public urban spaces, which are seldom accessible to them. Design solutions aiming to improve their accessibility means to enhance their perception and understanding of space, to increase their possibilities of orientation and of taking independent decisions, and also to enable them participate in the city life. For a design of this kind it is necessary to understand their rights as citizens, and their particular needs and problems arising from the reduction, or absence of vision. To reach understanding of the problem, from another frame of reference that is not visual, it is essential to develop special research methods to analyse urban spaces, and to obtain first-hand information about spatial experiences of visually impaired persons.