Challenge

Many public spaces, buildings and routes remain difficult to use for wheelchair users, older people with walking aids, parents with pushchairs and people with temporary mobility limitations. Reliable accessibility information is often unavailable, while municipalities lack detailed data for identifying barriers and prioritising improvements.

Solutions

Cap4Access developed tools for collectively mapping, describing and discussing the accessibility of public spaces. Data came from citizen contributions, smartphone sensors and public-sector sources such as pavement conditions, dropped kerbs, road width, elevation and roadworks. The tools supported accessible route planning, navigation and visualisation. Solutions including Wheelmap, an obstacle-tagging app, OpenRouteService wheelchair routing, a wheelchair navigation app and mapping-quality tools were tested in Vienna, London South Bank, Elche and Heidelberg.

Results

Cap4Access made accessibility information easier to collect, share and use. Its tools helped people find accessible places, report obstacles and plan routes based on personal requirement such as pavement surface, slope and kerb height. They also enabled municipalities and community groups to identify areas where accessibility data or physical improvements were needed. By integrating the tools with established platforms such as OpenStreetMap and Wheelmap, the project supported their continued use beyond its lifetime. It contributed to greater independence and social participation, better-targeted public spending and increased awareness of everyday mobility barriers.