Modelling Access with GIS in Urban Systems (MAGUS): capturing the experiences of wheelchair users

Access and mobility are important dimensions of quality of life. For wheelchair users, everyday trips are often fraught with problems, with many barriers imperceptible to the able-bodied, hindering or totally restricting movement. This paper describes a project undertaken with wheelchair users, which has developed, tested and applied a Geographic Information System model. This model acts both as a navigational device for wheelchairs users – enabling them to make informed route choices through urban places – and as a decision support and planning tool for urban planners – making visible the ways in which built environments are often distorted and hostile spaces for wheelchair users.