How can people with disabilities use the outdoors? An assessment within the framework of disability standards

Abstract

The urban parks, where people interact with nature, be socialize and relieve stress, are located in urban open green spaces, and their importance has increased even more with pandemi in todays. Parks should be designed within the framework of design approaches that allow everyone to benefit equally and should serve all users in the city. Especially special arrangements are necessary for people with disabilities who are known as the disadvantaged group among urban people use these parks. Designs should be improved in accordance with the standars determined for the people with disabilities. It's required to evaluate the factors that will be constraints for them and to ensure effective use. In this study, four city parks (Resat Oyal Kulturpark, Merinos Park, Soganli Botanic Park and Hudavendigar City Park) located in Bursa and serving all the people of the city were evaluated. The observation and evaluation techniques were used for determine the parks, entrances, parking lots, road circulation, etc. Afterward, the data were analyzed by evaluating within the scope of the standards available for people with disabilities and their suitability. As a result, it was observed that the parks partially comply with the standards and there are some important situations that will cause problems for people with disabilities. Although there are no items such as tactile surfaces and reinforcement buttons in the parks, it has been determined that there are deficiencies such as level differences on the road floors, the absence of stairs and ramp solutions, and also the inconsistency of the dimensions of the reinforcement elements. In this case, In this case, the obstacles in front of the people with disabilities may be removed and a comfortable circulation may be provided by solving the existing problems and completing the deficiencies.