Session Overview |
Thursday, June 06 |
08:45 |
Accessible and Inclusive Pedestrian Environments: Community Engaged Research, Knowledge Mobilization and Partnerships
* Atiya Mahmood, Simon Fraser University, Canada In Canada, around two million people experience some form of disability with many of them over the age of 65. By 2036, almost a quarter of the Canadian population will be older adults. Neighbourhood access and participation opportunity significantly impacts the health, social inclusion, and overall wellbeing of older adults, especially those with mobility, sensory and cognitive disabilities. According to existing literature, including people with lived experience in the evaluation of person-environment interaction can reveal new perspectives. “Stakeholders Walkability/Wheelability Audit in Neighbourhoods” (SWAN) is a community engaged mixed method project, where user-led audits are conducted in neighbourhoods complemented by semi-structured interviews to evaluate the role of built environment on mobility, access and participation of older adults and people with disabilities across five cities within Metro Vancouver, Canada. Using a community engaged lens starting from initial engagement to more advanced collaboration, the project involves persons with lived experience and community organizations in different capacities fostering an exchange of information between researchers and community members. Study participants as coresearchers participate in research tool adaptation, data collection, analysis and knowledge mobilization. Additionally, city staff members partner with the research team in identifying key areas in each city for data collection, collaborate in knowledge mobilization activities and the development of complementary implementation projects. The SWAN project is part of a larger partnership project titled, "Mobility, Access and Participation” (MAP). Preliminary findings from this project underscore the importance of neighbourhood accessibility including functionality, safety, appearance, maintenance, and social engagement opportunities for citizens highlighting distinct challenges encountered by people across various mobility, sensory and cognitive disabilities. Insights from the SWAN project provides valuable contribution to both scholarly understanding and practical applications, and underscore the value of community engagement in research to inform programmatic and policy changes using a social equity lens. |