Access denied: wheelchair metro maps versus everyone else's
From Paris to New York, we’ve matched metro maps against versions that only include fully accessible stations. The results are discouraging – but are any cities doing it right?
The metro can be the quickest way to get around many big cities. Unless you’re in a wheelchair.
Although it has invested recently in improving accessibility, the London Underground – the world’s oldest metro, opened in 1863 – still only has 71 out 270 tube stations accessible by wheelchair or mobility scooter from street to platform. Given that 21 of those require ramps and staff assistance to board trains, the number of fully accessible stations – which people in wheelchairs can use independently – is just 50.
It stops us from getting to work, university, and to see friends and family, and just live our lives like everyone else
Related: Roman holiday: how Chester became the most accessible city in Europe
Source: Guardian Transport
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