A data-driven research project about finding the connections between walkability scores, accessibility, and politics in the United States of America.

In Melissa Tobin et al’s BMC Public Health article, “Rethinking walkability and developing a conceptual definition of active living environments to guide research and practice,” they state that “the wide-ranging definitions of walkability have not been used consistently across fields and thus have led to confusion and misuse of the term.” This means that while we have a general idea of what walkability can be defined as – “the accessibility of amenities by foot” – there is no definition that gives researchers a cohesive and accurate answer that can encompass all aspects of what walkbility is and what it can be. The Pathfinders find that not only is this a problem, but the scope in which what people think walkability is is limited to a very able-bodied perspective. While the term
“walkable” is not inherently ableist, the methods in which cities implement walkability can be. There is usually no consideration for what people with disabilities want to see in their walkable communities. Until everyone is considered within our dreams of walkable cities, then that dream cannot be fully realized.

The term accessible is defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as “capable of being reached.” This can be in the context of several things but our project focuses on how how accessible things are to people with disabilities and how accessible walkable infrastructure is to the people living around or near it. Accessibility is made to make people’s lives easier – walkable cities and walkable infrastructure aim to to that as well. When walkable cities take in account of accessible factors within their planning, we are one step closer to countering those silences.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says ta disability refers to “any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).” The Pathfinders used this definition when answering our research questions. A disability could affect a person’s vision, movement, thinking, remembering, learning, communicating, hearing, mental health, or social relationships. Learn more about the history of disability in America in our timeline.