2021 4th International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT)
Graph Representation of Road Network for
Mobility-Impaired Persons
2021 4th International Conference on Information and Computer Technologies (ICICT) | 978-1-6654-1399-2/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE | DOI: 10.1109/ICICT52872.2021.00039
Bernard H. Ugalde Albert A. Vinluan
AMA University New Era University
Quezon City, Philippines Quezon City, Philippines
bernardugalde@gmail.com albertvinluan@gmail.com
Abstract — One of the recurring issues mobility-impaired
persons have to deal with is traveling alone in a wheelchair
blindly without prior information regarding the accessibility of
the planned route. Ordinary people usually choose the shortest
path, but people with ambulant disabilities may prefer a longer
route that does not include an uphill. The purpose of this paper is
to extract the graph representation for people with reduced
mobility across Baguio's Central Business District. The PWD
ramps and wheelchair passable drop curbs were located with a
smartphone GPS. Google Maps was used to verify the
coordinates. The road distance was calculated using the
Haversine formula as verified using Google Earth. The Lavene's
Test for equality of variances and T-test of equality of means
were used to check the significant difference between the derived
values against Google's data. The derived latitude and longitude
using a mobile phone's GPS did not differ significantly from the
Google Maps coordinates. Moreover, the study showed that the
calculated road distance using the Haversine formula did not
vary considerably from the Google Earth distance. As such, the
study aims to provide time and safety benefits by presenting a
novel model representing the road network as a graph for
mobility-impaired persons.
Keywords— graph, road network, haversine, mobility-impaired
persons
I. INTRODUCTION
One billion people or about 15 percent of the global
population suffer from an impairment, while 2-4 percent of
them face severe operating issues [1], [2]. These people often
go unseen and are usually forgotten [3].
In fact, individuals diagnosed with ambulatory disabilities
remain among the most vulnerable populations that warrant
great attention as they impact a wide variety of people around
the globe [4], [5], [6]. This puts forth [7] the claim that nearly 2%
of the entire global population is in need of ambulatory devices.
A point in case is Philippines where the percentage of
people with disabilities (PWDs) is estimated to be around 1.57
percent of the total population based on the 2010 Population
and Household Census [8]. Interestingly, a large number of
PWDs are in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR),
making it a part of the top 5 regions in the country.
Considering the 2010 population census [9], the City Social
Welfare Development Office of Baguio has estimated the city's
overall number of disabled persons to be around 1,400. PWDs
978-1-6654-1399-2/21/$31.00 ©2021 IEEE
DOI 10.1109/ICICT52872.2021.00039
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Jennifer T. Carpio
University of Makati
Makati City, Philippines
jennifer.carpio@umak.edu.ph
in the area comprise 1.2 percent of the overall population of
318,676 in the city [10].
The growing demand for equal privileges and rights paved
the way for the government to implement several laws and
regulations supporting the interest of people with disabilities.
These aim to enhance the overall health and social integration
of PWDs in terms of education, wellness, fitness, leisure, work,
and other facets of social progress. To illustrate, disability-
related events are allowed based on the City Ordinance No. 24
Series of 2017 [11]. Many regulations involve Batas Pambansa
344, which requires the construction of equipment inside
institutions to facilitate the mobility of PWDs. It also involves
the Republic Act 7277 or the Magna Carta for PWDs, which
ensures suitable housing. This allows the process of enhancing
infrastructures and increasing the availability of PWD-friendly
amenities, as specified by law.
Various studies had been conducted to distinguish people in
wheelchairs from those who rely on other persons. These also
look into increasing social integration in the effort to defend
the aforementioned legislation for the advantage of PWDs.
They vary from studies on core attributes for the creation of
assistive location-based technology [12] to investigations on
the concept and execution of direction-tracking mobile
application frameworks [13], [14], [15].
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Several studies in the past investigated and stressed the
need for navigation assistance for mobility-impaired persons.
Szücs [16] conducted a study that sought to find the
equilibrium in the path optimization problem and proposed a
solution in route planning in a road network for a user where
the roads have uncertain attributes. It later revealed that the
approach was sufficient and had the appropriate solution for
large networks.
In addition, Muñoz et al. [17], developed a project called
SIMON which endeavored to use ICT services to support the
independent living and societal participation of mobility-
impaired people in connection to on-street public parking areas
and multiple transport modes. It was piloted in Madrid, Lisbon,
and Parma. SIMON was built on existing mobility services,
using the infrastructure of the cities and the necessary work
integration to provide a seamless services integration layer that
can be instantiated in different cities.
194
 Mantha et al. also [18] proposed an architecture based on
Mobile Augmented Reality to support the development of
indoor navigation systems dedicated to wheelchair users. The
architecture was capable of recognizing CAD drawings of the
buildings and dealing with accessibility issues of wheelchair
users.
Comai et al. [19] developed another system called Maps for
Easy Paths (MEP) to enhance geographical maps and
accessibility of urban pedestrian pathways for people with
mobility problems. Their experimental results showed the
feasibility and applicability of the approach.
Priandani et al. [20] also proposed a mobile application
using location-based service by utilizing the mobile device
GPS service to determine the beginning position of a non-
wheelchair user. Based on the user's coordinates, the
Haversine formula was used to identify the location of the
nearest potential point as the user departs from the beginning
point to his destination
On a similar note, Winarno [21] put forward a proposal on
a location-based service using the haversine method to
calculate the distance between two locations. The study
developed the Haversine method for measurement and
estimation of distance with limitation in localization.
Mokashi et al. [23] also illustrated the impact of geographic
information systems in the planning of transport services with
the Transport for London (TfL) as the case study. The study
was focused on the identification of GIS features, which
support the planning of transport services. The results of the
study showed that Transport for London was already using GIS
but to a minimal extent.
Interestingly, Rodriguez-Sánchez and Martinez-Romo [24]
proposed and validated a service system in the context of
wayfinding in order to improve the smart cities mechanism:
smart mobility, smart people, smart governance, and smart
living services. The platform provided a universal and
accessible solution to manage wayfinding applications that
focused on people with a disability in indoor and outdoor
environments. The results were efficient and remarkable.
In a more local context, Castillo [25] proposed a mobile
application for new students and visitors to explore and
navigate the campus grounds of the Technological Institute of
the Philippines - Quezon City. The mobile application utilized
Google Maps to identify the current location of a non-
wheelchair user and map the route from the origin to the
destination inside campus using the fuzzy logic algorithm to
derive the optimal route, and channel selection algorithm to
locate the nearby user within a perimeter.
Lastly, Arellano et al. [15] proposed the implementation of
an application that can guide disabled people. It was based on
the geolocation and destination of the user. The access ramps
coordinates were expressed in Decimal Degrees (DD) and were
obtained using a smartphone's GPS. The Dijkstra algorithm
was used for the route development that includes the value or
"weight" of each path.
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III. METHODOLOGY
The study focused on Baguio City, a mountainous province
in Northern Luzon, Philippines. It is situated about 1,470
meters above the average sea level, so it gives off a cool
climate deeming it the Summer Capital of the country [26].
It considered three (3) participants with permanent mobility
impairment who used a manually powered wheelchair and are
still able to utilize smartphones. They were identified using
purposive sampling. Request for cooperation and assurance of
confidentiality of information were strictly observed.
The volunteer respondents were asked to locate wheelchair
passable drop curbs and PWD ramps across Baguio's Central
Business District (CBD) on May 20, 2020. The participants
used two test trails per drop curb and ramp, and the average
was derived from the two readings. The locations were
measured in Decimal Degrees (DD) with the help of the GPS
of an Android 10 smartphone. Google Maps was used to verify
the location coordinates. Moreover, Google Earth was used to
establish the edges validated through ocular inspection. The
edges' weight was in accordance with the distance between the
vertices extracted using the Haversine formula and expressed
in Equation (1) [27]. The calculation was verified using Google
Earth.
distance = 2 + ( 1) ( 2) (1)
Lavene's Test for equality of variances and T-test of
equality of means were used in the statistical computations and
analysis in the paper. Lastly, with the help of the GraphTea
simulation program, the graph was visualized. Mnemonics
were used to reflect vertices because coordinate measurements
were not supported by the simulation program. Some of the
shortest paths from the graph were simulated. Thus, the
resulting graph model was defined.
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
A field experiment was done to locate each ramp around
the CBD of Baguio covering Abanao Road, Session Road,
Harrison Road, Calderon Street, Lake Drive, Fernando Bautista
Drive, Shanum Street, Perfecto Street, Luneta Hill, and Upper
Session Road. The road stretch covers major government
establishments, shopping malls, restaurants, and hotels in the
city.
PWD Ramp Wheelchair Passable Drop Curb
41%
59%
Fig. 1. Total number of ramps in Baguio's CBD
In total, 135 access ramps for PWDs and fairly good drop
curbs were found in the Baguio's CBD, as shown in Fig. 1.
 TABLE II. INDEPENDENT SAMPLE TEST OF LATITUDE
Lavene's Test for Equality of
T-Test of Equality of Means
Variances
Variance 95% Confidence Interval of
Sig. Mean Std. Error the Difference
F Sig. t df
(2-tailed) Difference Difference
Lower Upper
Equal variances
0.000 0.991 -0.008 268 0.994 0.0000 0.00029 -0.00057 0.00056
assumed
Equal variances
-0.008 268.000 0.994 0.0000 0.00029 -0.00057 0.00056
not assumed

An independent sample T-test was run to test if derived the CBD of Baguio. The results of this study were consistent
latitude with a mean equal to 16.4111 and standard error of with the previous studies conducted [28], [29], [30].
0.00029 is comparable to Google Maps latitude measurement
with a mean of 16.4111 and standard error of 0.00020 as Based on Google Earth, the connection of the vertices in
shown in Table 1. the map was identified, as demonstrated in Fig. 2. In order to
ensure the edges were correctly aligned, they have been further
TABLE I. GROUP STATISTICS OF LATITUDE
checked by means of an ocular visit. With this, a total of 168
edges were identified.
Latitude N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
Derived 135 16.4111 0.00236 0.00020
Google
135 16.4111 0.00236 0.00020
Maps

The statistical result indicated that indeed the two

approaches were comparable, t(268)=-0.008, p>0.05.; likewise,
equality of variance did not differ significantly under Levene's
Test (p>0.05), as shown in Table 2.
At the same time, an independent sample T-test was run to
test if the derived longitude with a mean equal to 120.5961 and
standard error of 0.00025 is comparable to Google Maps
longitude measurement with a mean equal to 120.5961 and
standard error of 0.00025, as shown in Table 3.
Fig. 2. Access ramps around the CBD of Baguio
TABLE III. GROUP STATISTICS OF LONGITUDE
The distance in meters was used as the weight of each edge.
Longitude N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean The distance was derived using the Haversine formula and
Derived 135 120.5961 0.00291 0.00025 validated through Google Earth.
Google
135 120.5961 0.00292 0.00025
Maps An independent sample T-test was run to test if the road
distance calculated using Haversine formula (mean = 56.4619,
standard error = 4.49) is comparable to Google Earth distance
The statistical result indicated that indeed the two (mean = 56.1250, standard error = 4.488) as shown in Table 5.
approaches were comparable, t(268)=-0.001, p>0.05.; likewise,
equality of variance did not differ significantly under Levene's
TABLE V. GROUP STATISTICS OF ROAD DISTANCE
Test (p>0.05), as shown in Table 4.
Road N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean
The current study has confirmed the reliability of the
Haversine 168 56.4619 58.20125 4.49033
derived latitude and longitude as a source of location Google
information of the PWD ramps and passable drop curbs around Eath
168 58.1250 58.17527 4.48832

TABLE IV. INDEPENDENT SAMPLE TEST OF LATITUDE

Lavene's Test for Equality of Variances T-Test of Equality of Means

95% Confidence Interval of
Variance Sig. Mean Std. Error
F Sig. t df the Difference
(2-tailed) Difference Difference
Lower Upper
Equal variances
0.000 0.993 -0.001 268 0.999 0.0000 0.00035 -0.00070 0.00070
assumed
Equal variances
-0.001 268.000 0.999 0.0000 0.00035 -0.00070 0.00070
not assumed

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 TABLE VI. INDEPENDENT SAMPLE TEST OF ROAD DISTANCE
Lavene's Test for Equality of
T-Test of Equality of Means
Variances
Variance 95% Confidence Interval of the
Sig. Mean Std. Error Difference
F Sig. t df
(2-tailed) Difference Difference
Lower Upper
Equal variances
0.000 0.998 0.053 334 0.958 0.33690 6.34886 -12.15190 12.82571
assumed
Equal variances
0.53 334.000 0.958 0.33690 6.34886 -12.15190 12.82571
not assumed

The statistical result indicated that indeed the two
approaches were comparable, t(334)=0.053, p>0.05.; likewise,
equality of variance did not differ significantly under Levene's
Test (p>0.05), as shown in Table 6.
The study shows that both Haversine Formula and Google
Earth distance values obtained did not differ significantly. It
can be concluded that the Haversine formula that was used on
the road distance computation has a small difference compared
to Google Earth distance measurement. The same findings
were reported by [31], [32], [33], [34] in their studies.
Fig. 3. Partial map of the 135 ramps around the CBD of Baguio
The graph was visualized using GraphTea, as shown in Fig.
3. The coordinates were converted as nodes, and the edges
were labeled accordingly. The graph can be characterized by a
maximum degree of 3 and with a minimum of 1. This means
that the vertex's degree with the greatest number of edges
incident to it is three, while the degree of the vertex with the
least number of edges incident to it is one. The graph girth size
is 4. This implies that the graph contains a cycle, and the
length of the shortest cycle is 4. There are no other connected
components in the graph. The graph has a minimum of 4 colors.
There are four triangles in the graph, in which three vertices
and three edges form a triangle.
Fig. 4. Simulation of the shortest path
The graph was then tested for the shortest path as shown in
Fig. 4. The start vertex was selected as 1 and the ending vertex
as 26. Dijkstra is the routing algorithm. The graph was able to
generate the shortest path as 0 > 18 > 19 > 20 > 21 > 22 > 23 >
24 > 25 > 26.
V. CONCLUSION
Travel navigation of people with ambulant disabilities is
undeniably important to allow them to move around safely and
swiftly. Determining the proper route after locating the correct
PWD ramps and wheelchair passable drop curbs is a crucial
task. This study proposed a model to help mobility-impaired
persons and people around them to represent a road network as
a graph.
The results of the study indicated that the derived latitude
and longitude of the PWD ramps and wheelchair passable drop
curbs using the GPS of a mobile phone did not significantly
differ from the Google Maps coordinates. Also, the calculated
distance between nodes did not vary considerably from the
Google Earth measurement.
The empirical study of road modeling demonstrates the
applicability of the proposed approach. In the future, it is also
expected to further optimize the weight of the graph
considering the multiple convergent criteria that affect the
selection of the best path.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors wish to thank AMA University, Philippines for
the wonderful opportunity and continuing support on this kind
of work.
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