Society is not made for someone like me’ – wheelchair users’ photo voice

Background: Wheelchair users experience environmental barriers impacting everyday life activities outside the home. Therefore, to design for accessibility and social sustainability there is still a need to learn from wheelchair users.
Aim: Examination of wheelchair users experience of problematic accessibility situations of the built environment outside the home.
Method: Six wheelchair users photographed problematic accessibility situations outside the home. Participants were interviewed, based on their selection of 10 photos each. Analysis across photos and interviews were performed following photovoice methodology.
Results: Five themes were identified; 1) need for careful planning and adaptation, 2) dependence on others, 3) societal exclusion and sense of being a nuisance, 4) fear for own safety, 5) the weather is a joker. Photos of inaccessible ‘handicap toilets’ and a sense of having to adapt to society, not vice versa were prevailing findings. One quote: In principle, I am simply an ordinary person with physical challenges. But I do feel different, because I cannot make use of environment on equal terms like others, which make my handicap bigger than it actually is.
Conclusion: The built environment still shows serious deficits. Photovoice, integrating narratives and visualization, is a powerful approach to ‘voice’ perceived accessibility matters.