I believe cities are for everyone, including seniors and disabled people, but that’s not the reality we live in today.
We are at a historic moment in urban development and design. According to the United Nations, it’s estimated that 15% of the current global population, or some 1 billion individuals live with one or more disabilities.
Global trends in aging populations, the higher risk of disability in older persons, and people experiencing long COVID are likely to increase the number of people affected by disability.
Still, I’m not aware of any city in the world planned, designed, or co-created with the disability community. That isn’t good.
I believe cities are for everyone, including seniors and disabled people, but that’s not the reality we live in today.
I don’t know any city leader who says I want to build a city full of access and inclusion barriers or make it difficult or impossible for individuals with disabilities to access city services, public transportation, employment, digital services, and participate in society.
But if we continue to design and build our cities as though everyone is 30 years old, active, and non-disabled, the result will continue to be cities that are biased, non-accessible, and non-inclusive.
Accessible and inclusive cities that meet all residents’ needs, including older and disabled residents, don’t build themselves.
Accessible and inclusive cities are only accessible and inclusive if they’re deliberately designed to be accessible and inclusive — and that requires intentional collaboration and co-creation with the disability community.
Pass it on.
______________________________________
Authors’ note:
The disability community is rapidly evolving to use identity-first language instead of person-first language because it views disability as a core component of identity, much like race and gender. Some community members, such as people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, prefer person-first language. In this brief, the terms are used interchangeably.
