Street corner with clear crossing lines and curb textures in Toronto, Ontario.

Picture yourself standing on a city street corner. 

You are absorbing the sounds of people, traffic and the hum of the unfamiliar city around you. How do you go about navigating this space, understand where you are and how to get where you want to go?  Are there signs nearby that clearly indicate the street names, are they close and easy to read, are they consistently located?  Are there maps that indicate your location and nearby amenity?

Now, imagine that you are one of 50,000 Canadians who experience some form of visual limitation such as complete blindness, or have a visual limitation such as limited field, low vision or limited depth perception.  How does this change your experience?  What aids do you require to navigate this space independently?  There are many types of disabilities, some physical, others mental, and many more that are not obvious.  Visual accessibility is only one form of disability and how it relates to urban form can either open or close doors.

Designing with the blind in mind results in more welcoming, enjoyable and accessible places for everyone.

Through changes in design of buildings, neighbourhoods and communities, barriers to accessibility can be removed.  This starts with talking about how we design the places we live, work or play, along with who uses those spaces.  Good design and application of technology are just two of the ways this can be done.  This site provides some guidance on having the conversation and offers prospective design and technology solutions.

Starting a Conversation

Navigating modern cities and communities can often be a daunting and intimidating experience whether you travel by car, bike or foot. Visually Accessible Cities is created to share perspectives and convene a conversation on how to build more inclusive and livable cities. 

Follow our blog posts for insights into opportunities and challenges in designing better cities.  Posts reference specific examples or real barriers and solutions that have been used in cities around the world.  Contributions of resources, examples and stories of improvements to visual accessibility are welcome and will serve to improve this site. 

Giving a talk at a community event is a great way to identify ways of improving accessibility.

Spotting Better Design

Walking through the streets of your community you may have at some point sensed that the landscape is designed for the movement of vehicles and not people.  Well, the reality is that would be true.  It is only recently that the need to design cities for people is being taken more seriously.  

An increasing number of people never drive a car,  but instead move around by transit, bicycle or foot. These modes of movement need to be better supported.  Changing the urban design of our cities to accommodate improved visual access has benefits to everyone.  We must all find our way, whether to our destination or simply to enjoy public space. 

Creating a safe space is critical in designing trails that are accessible for kinds of users and mobility.

Applying Technology

Technology and physical design can go hand-in-hand to improve accessibility.  The rapid adoption of smart phones, tablets and other mobile devices with real time access to cellular data and location services can provide those with  low vision with other means to sense their environment.  

Mobile technology with integrated accessibility functions such as magnification and voice dictation have also put into the pockets of people with low vision a suite of tools that may not have been available previously,  or  combine several stand-alone tools such as binoculars and dictation devices into one pocket-size support.

Smart phone used to reach bar codes at a museum to narrate the exhibit

Community Action Creates Livable Places

New ideas and connections are more important than ever to shaping livable communities inclusive of diverse needs and experiences

82% of Canada's population is urban

Canada and the globe are rapidly urbanizing meaning growth needs new ideas for a more sustainable future while also valuing rural and remote opportunities.

22% of Canadians identify with a disability

Year over year more Canadians identify with having a physical or cognitive disability urging the need to design cities for more diverse needs.

50% of GHG emissions are influenced by cities

How we move around our cities and the design choices we make can increase accessibility, improve health and reduce emissions.  

About Vision Loss

Canada’s demographics are changing when it comes to vision. Our population is aging and with that comes vision loss through disease and natural degeneration. This will impact the mobility of older populations. According to the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) there are currently 1,150,000 people living with blindness or partial sight in Canada. 

• ¨There are approx 1.1 million people in Canada living with blindness or partial sight
• Degree of vision loss can impact economic opportunities and social interaction
• 70% of blind or visually impaired people are unemployed
• Portion of population with vision loss is growing
• Most live normal, functional lives

Still, there is much more that could be done to make it easier for someone with low vision or blindness to navigate cities. Many improvements can be made at low or incremental cost as part of an existing development or as part of renovation or reconstruction work. Much can also be learned from leading practices around the world.

Speak Up

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Architect Chris Downey discusses his experience in losing sight as an adult and how designing cities for the blind can result in a better environment for everyone.