Article2001

Wheelchair accessibility of public buildings in the central business district of Harare, Zimbabwe

41 citations0/0 files storedDisability and Rehabilitation

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Disability Rights and Representation Urban Transport and Accessibility Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility

Abstract

PURPOSE: To evaluate accessibility of wheelchairs into public buildings in the central business district of Harare, Zimbabwe and to identify architectural barriers faced by wheelchair users in public buildings. METHODS: This was a descriptive study of 20 public buildings in the Harare business district of Zimbabwe. Wheelchair accessibility was determined on a point scale based on specifications provided. Descriptive statistics of simple percentages and means were used to determine the level of compliance to the guidelines of the instrument, and wheelchair accessibility to the surveyed buildings. RESULTS: Of the various items surveyed, elevators recorded the highest average accessibility (83% compliance), while parking areas recorded the lowest average of 18%. The compliance score of ramps was 39%, while entrances were 71% compliant. Wheelchair accessibility to toilets was 51%. CONCLUSIONS: The poor compliance score for items such as parking areas, and ramps for wheelchair users is probably because the physically challenged persons and experts in the area of physical ability management are not consulted and involved in the design and construction of these buildings. High compliance of entrances and toilets may be purely coincidental and not for meeting the needs of wheelchair users. To improve on the wheelchair accessibility in public buildings, there should be liaison between the users the disabled, and various professionals (the occupational therapists, physiotherapists, politicians, engineers and architects). The findings of this study indicate a great challenge to the aforementioned professionals. Recommendations were made to increase wheelchair accessibility to public buildings.

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1991Barriers to mobility 1983The development of federal accessibility law.

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2005WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBILITY OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN IBADAN, NIGERIA 2017Wheelchair accessibility to public buildings in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana 2014Impact of inaccessible spaces on community participation of people with mobility limitations in Zambia 2019Access barriers to medical facilities for people with physical disabilities: the case of Peru 2012Building Managers’ Perception in Regards to Accessibility and Universal Design Implementation in Public Buildings: Putrajaya case studies 2025Investigating the availability of wheelchair-accessible exits of urban rail transit stations: an explainable machine learning approach 2011Participation-based environment accessibility assessment tool (P-BEAAT) in the Zambian context

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