Barriers to mobility: physically-disabled and frail elderly people in their local outdoor environment

This paper reports the results of a central government funded two-year project which investigated problems associated with the mobility of physically handicapped people in their external physical environment. Whilst most people who possess below average physical capacity would, even in the most ideal of physical surroundings, experience mobility problems, such inherent personal difficulties are being aggravated by street environments exhibiting symptoms of neglect. Although the difficulties experienced by people in this study can be seen partly as a function of their physical disabilities even elderly people who could be considered as reasonably able-bodied, were reporting difficulty in their local area. A number of the environmental difficulties people reported can be related to existing legislation not being enforced whilst in others to the need for legislation to be entered on to the statute book.