Urban informality, culture, and participation of people with mobility impairments in Tegalrejo, Indonesia

Abstract

Taking a Global South perspective, we investigate the influence of informality and socio-cultural norms on the mobility and participation of people with mobility impairments in public activities. Sit-down and go-along interviews, and GPS tracking/plotting were conducted to gather data from 14 participants living in urban neighbourhoods of Tegalrejo, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. Thematic analysis and qualitative Geographic Information System (GIS) were used to analyse data. Findings show that mobility barriers and enablers based on the everyday experience of participants are made up of inter-related physical and socio-cultural dimensions. Urban informality generates barriers to mobility, but participants could tactically use aspects of such informality to facilitate their movement. Tegalrejo’s kampung collectivism generates opportunities for mobility and community participation. However, participants are often excluded in the guise of pemakluman. These findings add to existing literature on disability, place, and mobility in urban contexts by providing insights about the influence of neighbourhood conditions in Tegalrejo.