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On Monday, 21 September, TTK University of Applied Sciences (TTK UAS) and the Ministry of Climate organised a mobility challenge as part of European Mobility Week. The event gave participants an opportunity to experience some of the barriers and challenges that people with reduced mobility or visual impairments may encounter in their everyday journeys through the urban environment.
During five guided tours, participants followed a set route around the ministry and the TTK campus, using wheelchairs, visual impairment simulation glasses, a stroller and a transport trolley.
Participants’ feedback showed that small details that usually go unnoticed can become significant obstacles when moving around with a mobility aid. The most frequently mentioned challenges included kerbs and changes in level, including tram tracks, inclines and declines, and uneven surfaces.
Participants using the visual impairment simulation glasses also pointed to traffic lights without audible signals as an additional concern. They noted that tactile indicators designed to help people with visual impairments identify where the roadway begins were not always easy to detect because of damaged or uneven surfaces.
According to Rõõt Laigu, Mobility Research Project Manager at the TTK Institute of Logistics and one of the event organisers, the mobility challenge demonstrated how differently people can experience the same urban environment.
“What may seem like a barely noticeable uneven surface, kerb or slight incline to one person can be a barrier for another, making independent mobility difficult or even impossible. For people with reduced mobility or visual impairments, thoughtfully designed streets, buildings and routes are not simply a matter of convenience – they are a prerequisite for independent mobility. Practical experiences like this help us look at the urban environment not only from our own perspective, but also from that of other road users.”
Accessibility is also closely connected to teaching and learning at TTK. For example, the Architecture Institute offers an elective course, Accessible Space, which approaches accessibility from both theoretical and practical perspectives. The course helps students better understand how people with different needs experience and use spaces, including the urban environment.
The mobility challenge was organised as part of a co-creation session within the international ARTEMIS project, bringing together different stakeholders to explore ways of creating a more accessible and inclusive urban environment. Tallinn Health University of Applied Sciences and ITAK Terviseabivahendid supported the event by providing mobility aids, while guided tours were led by students from the Transport and Mobility Management curriculum at the TTK Institute of Logistics.
