Mapping accessibility

Integrating inclusive urban design features in digital maps will fulfil the principles of design for accessibility.

Published in

Bootcamp

5 min readDec 4, 2024

Today, accessibility plays an important role in shaping digital and physical spaces. Cities are evolving towards inclusive urban design and creating environments where everyone can feel comfortable and empowered. Benches and resting spots are becoming more common, offering people places to pause and recharge. Wheelchair-friendly paths and accessible transportation are also being introduced, making cities more enjoyable and accessible for diverse needs.

However, at the moment, it is difficult for people to discover these wonderful improvements. After all, how could an exhausted person know there’s a bench nearby to rest if they are unfamiliar with the area?

The problem: navigating accessibility

Consider the challenges faced by:

A disabled person trying to avoid obstacles like stairs or find a bench to relax.
Parents with strollers or toddlers trying to find routes with ramps or nearby places to rest.
A tourist unfamiliar with a city’s layout, seeking accessible landmarks and nearby seating.

What tools can help these individuals to travel to their destination? How can they prepare or assist themselves once they are already outside?

Study wheelchair accessibility signs on digital maps. Unfortunately, the information available is often incomplete or too vague to guide users effectively.
Use Street View to preview the planned route. While helpful, this option has limitations: Street View doesn’t cover all pedestrian pathways and isn’t designed to provide detailed accessibility information.
Opt for a taxi. While this can be a convenient solution, it’s also costly.

As a result, planning a trip can feel frustrating and time-consuming — or, even worse, lead to cancelled plans due to uncertainty about what’s truly accessible, or leave individuals forced to take a taxi as their only option to reach a safe and comfortable place.

Current efforts: good, but not enough

To address these challenges, some initiatives have already been launched. For example, the following platforms highlight features such as:

Benches and resting spots in cities. Benches, Find on Map — Toilets and more, Benchy, BenchFinder.
Wheelchair-friendly paths and accessible spaces. WheelMate, AccessNow, Route4U, AccessAble, On Wheels.

While these efforts represent meaningful progress, they are still fragmented and limited in reach. The fact that numerous independent apps have been developed to tackle these challenges highlights a clear demand for comprehensive solutions.

I believe that the most effective approach to truly help millions of people would be integrating these features into popular platforms like Google Maps and Citymapper. They are trusted by many and have become essential tools for everyday navigation.

Google Maps

With this in mind, I tailored both the desktop and mobile versions of Google Maps, incorporating elements of inclusive urban design. My goal was to maintain the platform’s familiar style while ensuring scalability to accommodate detailed accessibility features.

I’ve focused on the key screens showcasing how organically these accessible options blend into the interface. Just as users can select to display restaurants or ATMs on the map, they can now choose to highlight accessibility elements. The framework of Google Maps inherently supports this flexibility, allowing it to accommodate a wide range of accessibility features seamlessly.

Screenshot of the Google Maps desktop app shows a London area. At the top, a new ‘Accessibility’ filter is added alongside the existing ones. It works as a category to group various accessibility-related features in one place. — An expanded collection of accessibility options integrated into the interface.

Screenshot of the Google Maps desktop app shows a London area. The ‘Accessibility’ filter at the top is expanded, showing a list of accessibility-related options: sitting areas, wheelchair access and wide entrance. The design allows for adding more accessibility options. — A selection of accessibility features with the flexibility to add more options.

Accessibility elements function like other features on Google Maps — photos are displayed, and users can contribute their images and suggestions.

Screenshot of the Google Maps desktop app shows a London area with the ‘Sitting Areas’ option selected. The map displays bench icons marking various sitting areas, such as benches, public transport stops, and cafes. A particular sitting area, North Greenwich Station (Stop E), is selected, with a modal appearing on the screen. This modal is consistent with the standard design used in Google Maps for other locations. It shows details such as a photo, location, and user ratings. — After selecting ‘Sitting areas,’ the map shows benches and other resting spots for users. Clicking on a specific item opens a detailed screen with its photo and additional information.

Screenshot of the Google Maps desktop app shows a planned walking route in a London area. The ‘Sitting Areas’ option is selected, displaying bench icons along the route to highlight places where users can rest, including benches, public transport stops, and other seating areas. — Sitting areas are displayed along the user’s route, making it easier to plan rest stops.

Finally, users can view accessible features along their route and adjust as needed!

I’ve also adapted the key screens of the Google Maps app for iPhone.

Collage of four screenshots from Google Maps for iPhone showing the ‘Sitting Areas’ feature. The design is consistent with the standard Google Maps app. Screenshot 1 shows a new ‘Sitting Areas’ filter at the top. In the following screenshots, the ‘Sitting Areas’ filter is selected: Screenshot 2 shows sitting areas on the map and in a list below, Screenshot 3 shows a full-screen map with bench icons, and Screenshot 4 shows a walking route with bench icons along the path. — Accessibility parameters smoothly fit to the existing design.

Citymapper

I adjusted Citymapper to incorporate accessibility-focused features. The design seamlessly integrates these elements while remaining scalable. The app can display routes with accessible options and estimate the distance to the nearest element, making navigation even more user-friendly.

Expanding these features across different platforms increases their reach.

Building on existing foundations

A strong basis for this integration already exists. Accessibility information for public places is often stored in OpenStreetMap and other public databases, providing a reliable foundation for integrating these features. Moreover, users themselves can also contribute to keeping this information current and accurate. Platforms like Google Maps allow users to upload photos and suggest edits, enabling a dynamic flow of updates. By combining this data with real-time crowd-sourced contributions, these tools can provide a resource that is both accurate and reflective of current conditions.

Bridge the gap

By integrating accessibility features into widely-used platforms like Google Maps and Citymapper, we can bridge the gap between inclusive urban design and the digital tools people rely on every day. These enhancements not only make navigating cities easier for individuals with mobility needs but also contribute to a more inclusive environment for everyone.

Accessibility isn’t just a feature — it’s a fundamental aspect of designing for inclusivity in the modern world. With the right integration, it can become a natural part of how we experience and navigate our cities.

Links

If you’d like to explore more about accessibility, here are some insightful articles: