Stories of Aging and Access
Exploring Capabilities and Challenges of Accessibility for urban Elderly through Microstories
L. Drechsel (TU Delft - Civil Engineering & Geosciences)
J.A. Annema – Mentor (TU Delft - Transport and Logistics)
N van Oort – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Transport, Mobility and Logistics)
Bert van Wee – Graduation committee member (TU Delft - Transport and Logistics)
Steven Puylaert – Graduation committee member (Studio Bereikbaar)
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Abstract
When considering elderly individuals in the context of transportation, qualitative research seems to focus rather on mobility and the problems related than on the actual achievement of access. Additionally, certain bias and misconceptions about this diverse group still influences accessibility studies for elderly. This paper therefore explores the accessibility challenges faced by elderly individuals, particularly focusing on urban environments like Rotterdam. Interviews in a semi-structured format using the approach of microstories were conducted in May 2024 among elderly residents of Rotterdam, aged 67 and above. The Capability Approach was used as a framework to categorise the findings of these in-depth interviews. This study with its findings underlines the inherently heterogeneity of this group. Further it presents barriers as well as enablers of accessibility for this group and how this influences the way participants move and access activities within their city. These findings show how important it is to develop specific policies not just for ‘the elderly’ but for various sub-groups of them, as they show very different characteristics and abilities. Furthermore it challenges the typical view at accessibility, usually simplified by the land use and transportation system and time or distance-based thresholds, and whether these are really usable for this group.