The accessibility of our cities is of paramount importance because disability is the one group that we will all be a part of if we live long enough. As we age, people become increasingly reliant on infrastructure and services that may for example have initially been designed for someone with a mobility or visual disability. Therefore what we ultimately should be looking for is excellence across all aspects of our urban environments. True accessibility is a race to the top.

This module presents the core ideas and definitions needed to understand in greater depth the various key accessibility concepts. It provides an understanding and practical examples of accessibility and how to build in features to ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy real equality in society. It explores the principles of universal design and why accessibility solutions can be produced to respond to a wide-range of expected end-user needs, interests, and capabilities – for persons with disabilities and non-disabled persons alike.