Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

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Research in Transportation Business & Management

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rtbm

Evaluation of walkability and mobility requirements of visually impaired

people in urban spaces
Tiziana Campisi a, Matteo Ignaccolo b, Giuseppe Inturri c, Giovanni Tesoriere a,
Vincenza Torrisi b, *
a
Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, University of Enna KORE, Cittadella Universitaria 94100 Enna, Italy
b
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, Catania 95125, Italy
c
Department of Electric, Electronic and Computer Engineering, University of Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, Catania 95125, Italy

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The objective of this work is to evaluate the walkability of urban environments from the perspective of visually
Commented path method (CPM) impaired people, developing a qualitative analysis based on Commented Paths Method (CPM) to derive sub­
Visually impaired people jective evaluations from the practical experience of specific paths. Multiple-choice questions, in applying Likert
Walking accessibility
scale were used to assess physical characteristics (e.g. slope surface, sidewalk width) related to infrastructural
Perceptions and feelings
elements of the analyzed path and their influence in the difficulty of movement, as well as interferences (e.g.
Likert scale
need to stop, help from other people) and feelings (e.g. anxiety, tiredness) experimented along it. The elaboration
of single judgments allowed the calculation of disaggregated and global Walkability Indices and the elaboration
of associated thematic maps, as an innovative integration of the method, to highlight the critical aspects related
to each stretch in which the path was divided.
Results deriving by the implementation of a case study in the city of Enna (Italy) have revealed a greater
weight to infrastructural criticalities with respect to perceived interferences, demonstrating coherence with the
current situation of the analyzed area and increasing the study’s validity. The research moves towards more
inclusive public policies, capturing the subjective point of view of this specific target of users with visual dis­
abilities, which is fundamental in the construction of the knowledge and crucial to improved walkability for all.

1. Introduction
The evolution of the cities of the 21st century is strictly connected to
the concept of simplest mobility for all people, increasing the accessi­
bility and walkability of urban spaces and promoting the types of
transport that reduce externalities as much as possible (Ignaccolo et al.,
2020; Ignaccolo, Inturri, Giuffrida, Le Pira, & Torrisi, 2019). This in­
crease allows a diffusion of knowledge and fruition of urban spaces to all
citizens or tourists, both able-bodied and with disabilities. Unfortu­
nately, to date, the choice of modes of transport in urban areas is
currently being compromised by disability. Although the absence or
poor supply of transport services is often mentioned as a reason for the
lack of inclusion for people with disabilities, there are still few studies
quantifying the lack or critical issues related to the access of people with
disabilities in their daily lives, especially in low and middle income
countries (Kett, Cole, & Turner, 2020).
The development of the city and related infrastructure needs to be
carefully assessed from the point of view of accessibility. The term
accessibility is declined according to different aspects related both to the
improvement of travel from an origin to a destination (Geurs & Van
Wee, 2004; Van Wee, 2016) and to the removal of architectural barriers
to guarantee the access (Martin, 1987; Rhoads, 2010). In the first case,
accessibility refers to the ease of reaching each opportunity and it could
be defined as “the intensity of the possibility of interaction and ex­
change” (Engwicht, 1993; Hansen, 1959). It depends both on the land
use (e.g. proximity of different destinations) and the transport system (e.
g. easiness to reach them through different transport modes). In the
second case, the interpretation of the meaning of accessibility is mainly
related to the reduction of the impedance to movement through the
removal of barriers and the compliance of infrastructures and facilities
to design standards. It is more suitable to measure to which extent the
built environment is friendly to walk, particularly in the case of people
with disabilities. Therefore, this study refers to this second interpreta­
tion of accessibility, hereinafter referred to as “walking accessibility” or

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: vtorrisi@dica.unict.it (V. Torrisi).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2020.100592
Received 4 June 2020; Received in revised form 29 September 2020; Accepted 6 November 2020
2210-5395/© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Please cite this article as: Tiziana Campisi, Research in Transportation Business & Management, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rtbm.2020.100592
T. Campisi et al.
more simply “walkability”. Walking accessibility can be viewed as the
“ability to access” and benefit from some system or entity(Lid and Sol­
vang, 2016)(MBS, 2020). The concept often focuses on people with
disabilities or special needs (e.g. the Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities) and their right of access, enabling and supporting the
use of assistive technology. Walkability, improved thanks to the use of
technologies, is the key to inclusive, sustainable and smart cities (Mollá-
Sirvent, Mora, Gilart-Iglesias, Pérez-delHoyo, & Andújar-Montoya,
2018; Norgate, 2012; Torrisi, Ignaccolo, & Inturri, 2018b).
Urban context planning is based on some parameters that allow in­
dividuals to be able to carry out their activities and move easily (Tira,
Tiboni, Rossetti, & De Robertis, 2018). This strategy linked to walk­
ability concepts has become important for promoting sustainability. The
role of walking for well-being in later life has been studied in the context
of various studies on health but also urban and sociology and research
on transport (Garau & Melis, 2019; Ignaccolo, Giuffrida, & Torrisi, 2018;
Rossetti, Tiboni, Vetturi, & Calderòn, 2015). Walking is the most com­
mon and easy way to move, often acting as a complementary to other
transport modes in the view of inter-modality. All studies show that
walking can contribute to well-being in future life both:
• indirectly: it allows people to have access to opportunities in specific
places;
• directly: considering active lifestyle and health; the happiness and
pleasure experienced during a walk with others, relevant in an
attractive environment.
The processes of vision are related to complex phenomena that
concern not only the visual capacity, but they intertwine biological
skills, mental activities and elements acquired through perceptual
experience. In particular, people with vision problems or blindness do
not have the same ability to directly use the transport modes as an able-
bodied person, but they often need physical (e.g. blind person assistance
or guide dog) or instrumental help (i.e. the use of the white cane) to be
able to move. Various environmental and social factors can influence the
perception of urban spaces or interior spaces by impaired and blind
people. Often chaotic cities and loud noise can reduce the perception of
space by mostly blind people, as it happens in able-bodied children
(Tesoriere, Campisi, Canale, & Severino, 2018). Policies to increase
walkability cannot be applied and spread in all cities in the same way:
think, for example, of the historic centers of some Italian cities charac­
terized by narrow streets and steep slopes (Campisi, Canale, & Tesoriere,
2019). These aspects also reduce the orientation of a blind or partially
sighted person especially if the context is unknown or complex. The
planning and design of urban spaces must therefore take into account,
from the beginning, the need to respond to the difficulties and needs of
many people with physical, hearing and visual disabilities, so that they
learn to move independently to access all the services of the city and
fully living its public spaces. Since many of the daily activities are
controlled by sight, it is understandable to admit that a visual impair­
ment can easily turn into a multi-dimensional disability.
In literature, several researches correlate transport to people with
disabilities and often focus on the acquisition of data through surveys
and interviews. Unfortunately, these methods are not easy to use in the
case of people with vision problems. The aim of this study is to propose a
method to assess walkability from the perspective of visually impaired
people. The methodology follows a qualitative approach, based on a
survey that collects data on the experiences, perceptions and feelings
that a sample of visual-impaired pedestrians report after walking along a
selected path.
Walkability is generally studied through quantitative approaches,
such as advanced spatial statistics (Cuthill, Cao, Liu, Gao, & Zhang,
2019), or qualitative such as questionnaire and face-to-face interviews
(Anthun et al., 2019; Biernacka & Kronenberg, 2019) and Commented
Paths Metohod (Lima & Machado, 2019). Šakaja (2020) uses in-depth
interviews to investigate how blind and visually impaired people
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Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
using the white cane conceptualize the urban space. Padzi and Ibrahim
(2012) provide a qualitative approach through site observation and in­
terviews involving both staff and disabled users while accessing the train
station. Some authors (Clifton & Handy, 2003; Steckler, McLeroy,
Goodman, Bird, & McCormick, 1992) point out the importance of
integrating quantitative and qualitative methods, being the firsts able to
produce outcome that are usually transferable to some larger population
and the seconds able to maintain rich details on the participants of the
study. Further issues are relevant when dealing with people affected by
with different degrees and times of disability, to be taken into proper
consideration, pro instance, during the survey design (e.g. the help of a
person reading, bigger characters, limited number of questions).
In order to correlate the information to the urban spaces covered, in a
preventive phase it is necessary to define and evaluate on the basis of the
type of handicap of the subject these aspects:
• to analyze in detail the spaces and paths of the experiment through a
numbering of specific points (i.e. stairs or buildings);
• to minimize the external information to the critical issues that are
being evaluated during the path (luminous or acoustic signals or
advertising panels, etc.);
• to simplify the questionnaires with simple and immediate answers;
• to ensure the presence of an assistant during the commented route
activity.
Some studies in the literature consider the assessment of spaces by
people with visual impairments through the use of cognitive maps and
other tools for spatial coding of large geographic spaces (for example
audio-tactile maps, tactile maps and direct experience of movement
along the routes). In agreement with Papadopoulos, Barouti, and
Koustriava (2018) blind people become more familiar to a place when
use a tactile map compared to the audio-tactile or still compared to
walking along the path without aids. Another type of investigation
approach, proposed by Thibaud (2001) is the Commented Path Method
(CPM), a qualitative method useful for urban planning investigation on
the quality of urban environment, through interviews and/or ques­
tionnaires or with the help of technologies such as GPS sensors or by
using videos. These data can be integrated with different ITS technolo­
gies improving data acquisition and mobility solutions (Meissonnier &
Dejoux, 2016; Torrisi, Ignaccolo, & Inturri, 2018a; Torrisi, Ignaccolo,
Inturri, & Giuffrida, 2016). In fact, through a qualitative approach,
based on the identification of abstract concepts, the CPM allows the
analysis of not only infrastructural but also perceptive variables. It
considers the subjectivity of people walking, their perceptions, judg­
ments and emotions in relation to the built environment. Meissonnier
and Dejoux (2016) extended the application of the method in the case of
cognitive or mental disease. Layeb and Salem (2014) used it to capture
the emotional states of subjects also in presence of audio signals and
other environmental parameters that allows a better sense of orientation
especially in the case of people with visual impairments.
In this regard, the present research work shows an integrated
methodology based on a CPM evaluation implemented with visually
impaired people, collecting the answers not in a descriptive way but
through judgments based on the Likert scale for the calculation of
walkability indices. Subsequently, chromatic maps are used for the
representation of these judgments associated to each stretch of the
analyzed path, for a more immediate and comprehensive interpretation
of the results, compared to the analysis of verbal answers and comments.
The structure of the paper is organized as follow: Section 1 states the
main aim and the objectives of the work, providing an adequate back­
ground on qualitative research approach and implementation of CPM;
Section 2 deals with mobility of people with visual impairments,
providing a vision of this disease worldwide with specific regard to the
national and local context and focusing on the concepts of walkability
related to this category of users; Section 3 defines the methodological
framework, highlighting the main elements of the qualitative analysis, i.
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

e. the selection criteria of the sample, the formulation of the question­ global number of people (millions) who are blind or have moderate to
naire, the application of the method to obtain a subjective evaluations of severe visual impairment, from 1990 to 2050 has a growing trend.
the analyzed path and the calculation of walkability indices; Section 4 Nevertheless, the cases of blind people are slightly increasing while
introduces the study area, describing the territorial framework and the people with reduced visibility presents a trend that grows more.
selected sample; Section 5 describes the obtained results, by providing a In Italy, there are currently about 2 million people with visual dis­
discussion related to the calculation of walkability indices and the abilities, about 3% of the national population. Among these, 116.932 are
processing of thematic map and a check of consistency in relation to totally blind, while 1,383,922 maintain a residual visual impairment. In
feelings and emotions; finally Section 6 provides the conclusions Sicily, considering its 5,056,641 inhabitants, an estimated of 17,413 are
addressing the main implications of this work and giving some sugges­ disabled blind people (ISTAT, 2017). Table 1 reports the data relating to
tions on the development of future research. the number of blind people in Italy in 2016, in relation to the resident
population in each region. It clearly emerges that the number of people
2. The mobility of people with visual impairments affected by this disability in Sicily is the highest among all the regions,
aggravated even more when compared to the number of local
The mobility of a blind or visually impaired person is often assisted inhabitants.
by an accompanying person to support their inability to perform certain Population growth and aging will increase the risk of more people
movements independently. The need of the accompanying person is acquiring vision problems, but at the same time, the number of people
often experienced with a certain degree of impatience because is asso­ interested in a city without sensory and perceptual barriers will grow
ciated with a kind of passivity and dependency. To be a guide for blind more and more with the extension of life expectancy. The experience of a
people is not an easy task and it is difficult to understand when they person with vision problems varies according to many different factors.
really need help, because often blind people do not have a better These includes, for example, the availability of prevention and treat­
developed hearing than others (González-Mora, Rodriguez-Hernandez, ment services, the access to visual rehabilitation (including support
Burunat, Martin, & Castellano, 2006; Landau, Gleitman, & Landau, products such as white glasses or sticks) and the degree of accessibility
2009), they simply use it better and more often, especially to orientate that a person with this type of disability may have to the built envi­
themselves in their movements; in familiar surroundings they move with ronment or to transport services and related information.
greater sureness, while in unknown places or full of obstacles they have
greater difficulties and need an accompaniment. Valuable help is also 2.2. Aids to the movements and walkability assessment for visually
offered to them by carers and/or guide dogs. The following sub-sections impaired people
show how this type of disability is widespread, also at national and local
levels and the architectural and urban planning measures implemented The severity of the disease affects the possibility of being able to
to facilitate their movement in urban contexts. move freely or semi-freely. Although, these problems generally diminish
as the experience with the environment increases, unfortunately many
2.1. Categories of visual impairment and spread of the disease cities have not yet implemented dedicated itineraries.
The identification of obstacles in the immediate proximity is gener­
A visually impaired is identified as a person who is suffering from ally obtained with a combination of residual vision, hearing and tactile
visual damage with “a decrease in the ability to see up to a certain point sensing using the white cane. This perception is limited only to a short
which causes problems that cannot be solved by usual means, such as distance (generally about 1 m, i.e. the detection radius of the white
glasses”; while blindness is “the state of not being able to see due to stick), in other situations obstacles are difficult to detect (e.g. those at a
injury, disease or genetic conditions”; totally blind refers to a complete different altitude from the ground). Furthermore, the use of technology
loss of vision. In accordance with the World Health Organization (WHO) can help people with visual impairments both on the street (Giudice &
(Word Health Organization, 2018), and at the national level with the Legge, 2008; Wachaja et al., 2017) and in public transport (Krainz,
Law n. 138/2001, 2020, it is possible to identify different degrees of
visual disabilities in relation to the visual acuity (VA)1: Table 1
Number of blind people in Italy in 2016, in relation to the resident population in
• “blindness”, a VA of less than 3/60 or a corresponding loss of visual each region (Authors elaboration from ISTAT, 2017).
field of at least 10◦ in the best eye; Regions Resident Number of blind Blind/Resident
• “severe visual impairment”, a VA of less than 6/60 but equal to or population people ratio
greater than 3/60; Piemonte 4.392.526 7.145 0,2%
• “moderate visual impairment”, a VA less than 6/18 but equal to or Valle d’Aosta 126.883 256 0,2%
greater than 6/60. Lombardia 10.019.166 12.168 0,1%
Bolzano 524.256 718 0,1%
Trento 538.604 936 0,2%
According to estimates by the WHO Blindness and Deafness Pre­
Veneto 4.907.529 7.774 0,2%
vention Program, approximately 285 million people are visually Friuli Venezia 1.217.872 1.799 0,1%
impaired worldwide, while 39 million are blind and 246 million have Giulia
low vision or severe or moderate visual impairment. About 90% of the Liguria 1.565.307 2.643 0,2%
Emilia Romagna 4.448.841 6.055 0,1%
world’s blind people live in developing countries,65% of the blind and
Toscana 3.742.437 6.566 0,2%
82% of the blind are over 50, although this age group represents only Umbria 888.908 2.199 0,2%
20% of the world population. In terms of geographical distribution, the Marche 1.538.055 3.377 0,2%
prevalence of distance vision impairment is four times higher in low- Lazio 5.898.124 9.125 0,2%
and middle-income regions than in high-income regions (Bourne et al., Abruzzo 1.322.247 4.159 0,3%
Molise 310.449 1.081 0,3%
2017). In accordance with Vision Loss Exert Group’s estimates of the
Campania 5.839.084 11.260 0,2%
Puglia 4.063.888 10.467 0,3%
Basilicata 570.365 1.842 0,3%
1
The visual acuity is defined as the eye’s ability to perceive and resolve fine Calabria 1.965.128 5.783 0,3%
details of an object and directly depends on the sharpness of the image pro­ Sicilia 5.056.641 17.413 0,3%
Sardegna 1.653.135 4.166 0,3%
jected on the retina. It is the inverse of the angular size minimum that an object
Total 60.589.445 116.932 0,2%
must have in order to be perceived correctly.

3
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

Bischof, Dornhofer, & Feiner, 2016). The aid of tactile routes or the
arrangement of street furniture can facilitate the mobility of the visually
impaired and blind (Abd Hamid & Edwards, 2013). A city can be defined
accessible and integrative only if it offers adequate tools for the orien­
tation and recognition of places, facilitating sensory and perception
especially in those public and open spaces, often highly limiting such as
squares or parking lots (Mrak, Campisi, Tesoriere, Canale, & Cindrić,
2019).
A qualitative analysis of the context by the blind and visually
impaired can be better conducted by addressing the sensorial-perceptive
aspect, stimulated by a correct rehabilitation of the residual senses
(sight, hearing, touch, etc.) and which allows a better organization of
space. In addition, an improvement in social adaptation, especially if
accompanied by good training in the use of mobility aids (guide, dog,
cane, optical and technological aids, etc.) increases their orientation and
mobility capabilities (Marston & Golledge, 2003). The qualitative
analysis can be supported by aids which, as the environments vary, in­
door (I) or outdoor (O) can be defined as mitigation solutions to the
problem. Taking this into account, Table 2 below summarizes some
fundamental aids for improving the perceptual sense of urban redevel­
opment/regeneration (UR) and/or technological support (TS).
Some research studies have been based on the visual experiences and
spatial abilities of people affected by blindness, confirming that vision
plays a critical role in the cognition of outdoor environments and out­
lining which environmental factors can influence perception (Thinus-
Blanc & Gaunet, 1997).
Qualitative and quantitative analysis, development of ad hoc indices
and evaluation through audit are some of the methods found in the
literature to assess walkability, intended as the elimination of infra­
structural barriers and consequent possibility of access. Consistent with
these observations, mobility and urban studies pay increasing attention
to environmental and subjective conditions that favour the walking of
different categories of pedestrians (Blečić, Cecchini, Congiu, Fancello, &
Trunfio, 2015; Campisi et al., 2019; Ignaccolo et al., 2019). Its health
benefits, the environment and the economy, the presence and quality of
sidewalks and other infrastructural elements dedicated to pedestrians,
traffic and road conditions, land use patterns, building accessibility, and
safety are all factors influencing walkability (Blečić et al., 2015; Torrisi,
Ignaccolo, & Inturri, 2017a, 2017b). A disaggregated analysis of access
travel to Washington Metro services by residents of Montgomery
County, Maryland, shows that urban design, and in particular related to
the pavement and its layout together with the size of the road,
significantly influence whether someone reaches a stop on foot or not
(Cervero, 2001). In accordance with Šakaja (2020), using the method­
ology of in-depth interviews it was possible to investigate the use of
white cane by blind and visually impaired users that facilitates their
mobility and helps them to navigate the urban space.
Several public spaces were investigated in the literature through
questionnaires. In accordance with Šakaja (2020), the qualitative
approach was used considering a specific public space, i.e. the railway
station, where data were collected through site observation and in­
terviews involving both staff and disabled users.
The evaluations carried out by experts to characterize the built
environment were mainly based the assessment of the urban design
qualities of road landscapes and particular portions of it (e.g. pavement
or stops) and/or by carrying out processes of verification and control of
the infrastructure. In particular, these assessments were promoted by
statistically analyzing the relationships between physical characteristics
and urban design quality assessments, in order to define concrete actions
and measurement protocols for urban design qualities (Ewing, Handy,
Brownson, Clemente, & Winston, 2006). Furthermore, quantitative
analysis was carried out to define the correlation between environment
and user through indicators or synthetic judgments. In fact, this meth­
odology, according to Evans IV, Perincherry, Bruce Douglas, and G.
(1997), is useful to link the effects of the transit access environment in
transport planning models considering a measure called Transit
Friendliness Factor (TFF). It is defined as a function of the characteristics
of the area surrounding a transit stop (e.g. quality of pedestrian facil­
ities, character of nearby roads, presence of services at the stop and
proximity to potential destinations), calculating a current and a future
TFF value.
Different methodologies are used to define indices to assess walk­
ability and these indicators have already been in use for several years. In
particular, since 2007 there is the Walk Score company, which has
produced space analyses in countries such as the United States, Canada
and Australia (Carr, Dunsiger, & Marcus, 2010). Similarly, there is the
evaluation of Walkanomics for the assessment of the level of pedestrian
friendliness of cities characterized by mass tourism (Gorrini & Bertini,
2018). Other indicators such as the Pedestrian Environment factor (PEF)
and the Pedestrian and Bicycle Environmental Factor (PBEF) take into
account the surrounding road infrastructure with particular reference to
pavements for both pedestrians and cyclists.
Through the verification and audit processes, it is possible to assess
and measure walkability. Among them, the Pedestrian Environment

Table 2
List of aids for blind and unpaired people moving in urban spaces (Authors elaboration).
Criticalities Environment Intervention Possible Solution References

Architectural Barrier
Absence of Local Information
Avoiding Objects or Obstacles
Detecting changes in Ground
Level
Road Crossing
Adaptation to Changes in
lighting
I/O UR Loges (Martincigh, Bizzotto, Seghetti, Di Guida, & Perrucci, 2019)
Tactil Maps (Ghamari & Panahzadeh, 2012; Wolniak, Skotnicka-Zasadzień, &
Research to Design approach (RtD) Zasadzień, 2016)
TS Technology applied to accessible (Perna, Bregasi, Kristo, & Hoxha, 2019)
architecture (Williams et al., 2016; Zimmerman & Forlizzi, 2014)
I/O TS APP Smartphone (Moder, Hafner, & Wieser, 2014)
O APP Smartphone (Croce et al., 2019)
O UR SOLID model (Uzan & Wagstaff, 2018)
TS Map data (Jeamwatthanachai, Wald, & Wills, 2017)
Ambient Assisted Living technologies (Oliveira & Bordini, 2019)
Mobility technology (Hersh, 2018)
I UR Tactile surface (Rosburg, 2008)
I/O TS Obstacle sonification (Presti et al., 2019)
RFID and GPS (Yelamarthi, Haas, Nielsen, & Mothersell, 2010)
O TS Intersection signal timing and Auditory (Johnni, 2009)
Messages
TS APP Smartphone (Basavaraju & Hegde, 2015)
UR Infrastructure intervention (Liao, 2013; Schroeder et al., 2016)
Tactile Feedback (Parente & Bishop, 2003)
Maps (Liao, 2011)
I/O UR Quality of lighting (Brunnström, Sörensen, Alsterstad, & Sjöstrand, 2004)
O TS Devices (Davis, 1999; Freeman, Wilson, & Brewster, 2016)

4
T. Campisi et al.
Review System (PERS) is a well-established and widely used walkability
audit tool, with several applications in UK (Kartsidimas & Ronquillo,
2010). In terms of safety related to walkability, the Pedestrians’ Quality
Needs Project (PQN) can be found in the literature, demonstrating the
added value of a systemic approach compared to sectoral ones, by
investigating the quality needs of walking with the structural needs and
the related functional interventions and strategies to be adopt for the
improvement or mitigation of impacts in Europe (Methorst et al., 2010).
The perception of spaces by blind and visually impaired people was
assessed in accordance with Espinosa, Ungar, Ochaita, Blades, and
Spencer (1998), considering and comparing the judgments provided for
long and complex paths to those obtained from direct experience or a
combination of direct experience and a tactile map or a combination of
direct experience and a verbal description of the area, highlighting
better results in the participants in the tactile map condition. The
different perception that each person can have related to the charac­
teristics of the environment and the access availability, it influences the
walkability environments (Tuan, 1983). Considering this element of
subjectivity, derived from the perceptions and the emotions along the
path, represents an important variable which becomes indispensable in
the case of people with disabilities (Cohen & Duarte, 2018).
Therefore, this study arises from these perspectives, considering the
practical-sensible perception of visually impaired people, not only based
on their disability and their motor skills, but also on the feelings that are
generated during the movement in relation to the context. In this regard,
it was taken under consideration the judgment of visually impaired
people through a structured survey, so as to capture their personal
evaluation related to the environment along the path and measure the
accessibility considering the subjectivity of walking.
3. Methodology
The proposed study sees the involvement of a sample of subjects
affected by visual impairment, with the aim of investigating their
behaviour along a predetermined path, with the help of an accompa­
nying person, and evaluating their perceptions and feelings during the
walk.
The qualitative approach based on the survey to assess the walk­
ability of urban spaces from the perspective of visually impaired people
consists of a 3-step process:
Fig. 1. Methodological framework.
5
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
• First phase: the definition of the sample to gather information
through a first exploratory questionnaire (ES1);
• Second phase: the selection of a sub-sample and the analysis of
subjective evaluation along the path via CPM administering a second
questionnaire (ES2) through a guide;
• Third phase: the evaluation of walkability through the assessment of
visually impaired pedestrian perceptions and feelings along the path,
by calculating disaggregated and global indices and elaborating
thematic maps.
Fig. 1 shows the framework of the methodological procedure to
achieve this goal:
3.1. First phase: sample definition and initial investigation
The different needs of blind and visually impaired people are
investigated by offering varied ways of participation (e.g. on paper,
Braille-based, web-based). In the present work, a sample of visually
impaired adults was involved through a paper survey for the commented
path. The recommendations to improve the overview and ensure that
the questions transmit its meaning regardless of the context are char­
acterized by a clear information about the survey topic; a reduced
number of question and answer types as few as possible; the information
about the duration of the survey also by adding page numbers; clear
instructions on how to complete and return the questionnaire (Mitchell,
Ciemnecki, CyBulski, & Markesich, 2006; Porter, Whitcomb, & Weitzer,
2004). In this case, for the design and administration of the survey it was
necessary to consider the contribution provided by the person who reads
and facilitates the compilation by these people with disabilities. Ac­
cording to (Kaczmirek & Wolff, 2007), reading aids have become com­
mon practice as they improve the focus of a specific text or word.
Therefore, the creation of the survey had to take into consideration
cognitive processes and accessibility standards of this special category of
users.
The people with visual impairments to be investigated through the
survey were selected by referring to the official register of the Italian
Union of Blind (from Italian “Unione Italiana dei Ciechi e degli Ipove­
denti” - UICI), which is an ONLUS that offers multiple services aimed at a
real and active participation of the blind in social life. The sample was
selected from the regional list of the analyzed case study, considering
T. Campisi et al.
several criteria: people over 18 (due to the privacy policies for minors),
both male and female, with different degrees of visual impairment (both
blind and partially sighted) and diverse disability times.
The initial investigation and data acquisition involved a basic sta­
tistical analysis of the whole sample (i.e. survey ES1 – Appendix A) in
order to inquire socio-demographic data, type of disability and travel
habits and also to investigate their opinions about walkability and their
emotions and perceptions referring to the context of analysis in general
(not to a specific path). In this first step of analysis, the sample was
divided into subgroups (or strata) who all share a similar characteristic,
separating the groups on the basis of the type of disability (i.e. blind and
partially sighted) and mobility habits (frequency of movements and
knowledge of the analyzed area) because it might reasonably expect the
measurement of interest to vary between the different subgroups. Thus,
in the second phase of the analysis (e.g. survey ES2 - Appendix A), a sub-
sample was selected and the survey was administered along the path. In
this regard, the sub-sample was obtained by choosing non-equal sample
sizes from each stratum. In particular, it was decided to deepen the
analysis with visually impaired subjects since the number of blind
people in the whole sample was a minority and they have a partial in­
dependence in movement, so as to be able to obtain the right concen­
tration during the path to answer the questionnaire thanks to the help of
the guide. Moreover, the selection was based on convenience sampling,
favoring participants based on their availability and willingness to take
part of the field experiment, considering the fact that obtain data with
specific reference to this category of users is a demanding operation
(Lewis, 2004; Schakel et al., 2019). However, efforts were made to
guarantee variability with respect to gender, age, degree and time of
disability and frequency of movements.
The initial investigation to characterize the sample and define the
path was carried out using the collected data from paper survey (i.e.
ES1), administered by reading the contents aloud and asking the user to
choose the answers. The surveys were based on single or graded closed-
ended questions, offering to the respondents pre-filled answer options. It
was used the Likert Scale, because it constitutes one of the most reliable
systems for measuring opinions, perceptions and behaviour. Compared
to binary questions, which offer only two answer choices, Likert type
questions provide feedback that allows to understand whether the
judgment is consistent or not. The applied Likert Scale was based on 5
points rating, where 1 is the lowest score and 5 is the highest score
attributed to the importance or influence of a specific infrastructural or
perceptive aspect (i.e. “very low”, “low”, “moderate”, “high”, “very
high”) (Campisi, Torrisi, Ignaccolo, Inturri, & Tesoriere, 2020; Likert,
1932).
Data acquired from the first survey, were organized into two section:
the first section (ES1-1) was related to the socio-demographic charac­
teristics (e.g. age, sex), the degree of disability, the presence of a possible
guide (dog or human guide) and travel behaviour (e.g. number of trips
per day or week); in the second section (ES1-2) it was examined the
difficulty of the visually impaired people during their usual movements.
The judgments about the walkability related to functional elements of
the environment (i.e. sidewalks, squares, streets, parking, stairs and
crossing), feelings and sensations (e.g. stress and anxiety, fatigue and
frustration) were investigated.
3.2. Second phase: subjective evaluation through commented path
The second phase of the procedure was constituted by the subjective
evaluation of the path, developed through the CPM (Thibaud, 2001). It
is a methodological approach to observe and analyze public spaces for
the evaluation of pedestrian perception, particularly effective in the case
of people with disabilities (Garfinkel, 1984), since it focuses on their
direct involvement because the conditions of the environment have re­
percussions on their own disability (Duarte & Cohen, 2006). The
application of this method was based on the analysis of individual
subjective perception of a given path, offering a detailed description of
6
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
the negative (i.e. interferences) and positive (i.e. helps) aspects linked to
the living environment and its walkability (Thibaud, 2013; Tuan, 1983).
In particular, the analysis was carried out going along the path with the
participants, by checking their interaction with the physical elements of
the infrastructure (e.g. motorized traffic, street furniture) and by eval­
uating the emerged critical issues and the sensations experienced during
the walk. It was decided to administer the questionnaires by adopting
the presence of an able-bodied accompanying adult who helped in
reading the questionnaire and who provided support during the execu­
tion of the path. It was divided into stretches selected tendentially at the
intersection nodes and in correspondence with variations in the char­
acteristics of the section (i.e. presence and width of the sidewalk; pres­
ence or absence of parking; width of the roadway; presence of obstacles/
accesses; percentage of vehicular traffic, etc.). Moreover, stretches were
identified in the case of different infrastructural elements, i.e. stairs and
squares, which in this case do not consist of a linear extension, but they
coincide with the infrastructural element itself.
The elements for which a judgment has been requested were the
following: Sidewalk, Crossing, Stairs, Square, Parking and Street. The
first section (ES2-1) was referred to the specific path survey, investi­
gating the difficulty of movement linked to physical elements (e.g. slope,
obstacles, sidewalk width), the inferences during the movement (e.g.
need to stop or help from other people) and the experienced feelings and
emotions (e.g. fear, fatigue) the end of each stretch; the second section
(ES2-2) essentially followed the contents of the previous section ES1-2,
concerning the mobility opinion about accessibility and walkability of
the urban environment, with a specific focus on the analyzed path,
asking for an overall judgment on the path, both from the participant
and the guide about the worst and the best stretches of the path; finally
the third part (ES2-3) was related to the observation by the guide
regarding the interaction of the visually impaired people with the sur­
rounding environment.
3.3. Third phase: assessment of walkability based on perceptions and
feelings of visually impaired people
The third phase of the study consisted in the evaluation of walk­
ability from the perspective of visually impaired through the calculation
of indices and the elaboration of thematic maps.
Starting from the individual judgments of the participants involved
in the experiment, disaggregated indices WIdis were calculated for each
variable taken into consideration. The formulation of these indices was
determined by averaging the judgments and normalizing them with
respect to the minimum and the maximum values of the respective re­
sponses, coinciding with the maximum and minimum values of the
Likert scale, as each variable has always presented judgments between 1
and 5 (extremes included). The disaggregated indices were calculated as
follows (Eq. (1), Eq. (2) and Eq. (3)):
WI dis = X * j (1)
Sk
with:
⃒ SK ⃒
⃒̿ ⃒
⃒X − xS min⃒
⃒ ij ⃒
X * j = ⃒⃒ S (2)
S
k j
⃒
xij max − xSij min⃒
∑
N
̿
SK xSij
(3)
i;=1
Xj =
N
where xSij is the single judgment related to the variable j, expressed by the
̿
SK
participant i and referred to the stretch S; Xj is the average judgment
obtained considering all the participants and associated to a single
stretch; X*Sj K is the previous normalized value with respect to minimum
T. Campisi et al.
and maximum values of the judgments associated to the variable j; j ∈
[1,n] where n is the total number of considered variables during the
survey; n ∈ [1,N] with N corresponding to the total number of partici­
pants; k ∈ [1,K] where K represents the total number of sections into
which the path was divided.
Subsequently, by grouping the judgments by two categories (i.e.
related to the difficulty and interferences during the movement) it was
possible to calculate for each stretch the global indices WIgl, as a linear
combination of the disaggregated ones WIdis calculated for the variables
taken into consideration. This calculation could be further enhanced by
attributing weights to the individual variables, deriving from a multi-
criteria analysis or from an ad hoc investigation. Furthermore, it could
be possible to introduce the parameter relating to the linear extension in
applying the equivalent distance method (Wibowo & Olszewski, 2005).
After evaluating the considered variables in a disaggregated way, the
global indices were designed by aggregating the individual judgments
with respect to two fundamental factors of the qualitative analysis: those
related to the difficulty of movement deriving from infrastructural
barriers (i.e. Surface level variation/Unevenness; Presence of obstacles;
Absence or reduced width of the sidewalk (if present); Surface Slope)
and those related to perceptions due substantially to interference during
movement (i.e. Need to stop; Help from other people; Change of path).
These global indices were able of highlight the different perceptions by
visually impaired people with respect to the physical elements of the
infrastructure compared to their personal experience felt during the path
(Eq. (3)):
∑
n
X* j k
S
(3)
j=1
WI gl =
n
Furthermore, with respect to the CPM presented in this study, the
interpretation of the subjective assessments of the path by the in­
terviewees was supported and enhanced by the representation of these
indices on thematic maps with different chromatic scales (using condi­
tional formatting based on a variation range of 2 colors and 5 steps), in
order to highlight the stretches with greater critical issues.
4. Case study
4.1. Study area and sample selection for initial investigation and data
acquisition
The study was conducted in February and early March 2020 (before
the start of the lockdown due to COVID19), in the city of Enna, a small
mountain town located roughly at the centre of Sicily, southern Italy
(Fig. 2), with a population of 27.268 inhabitants (ISTAT, 2016). The
participants were selected from official list provided by the Local Health
Authority (from italian Azienda Sanitaria Provinciale – ASP) of people
with visual impairments (both blind and partially sighted) of the city of
Enna that are also updated by the local section of the National Blind and
Impaired ONLUS, denominated Unione Italiana dei Ciechi e degli
Fig. 2. Identification of territorial framework and study area.
7
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
Ipovedenti (UICI-Enna). In total, the number of registered people with
visual disabilities for the entire municipality of Enna is equal to 594
units (divided in 233 males and 361 females). Considering only the
members of the city of Enna, the number decreases to 201 units, of
which 27 are under the age of 18 while the remainder are all adults.
From the point of view of disability, only 65 of them are completely
blind, 93 are partially blind and 43 are defined as visually impaired,
although the latter two categories are often considered together.
In order to explain the objectives of the research and the ways of
involving the participants, two meetings were held at the UICI-Enna,
where people with visual disabilities generally go to obtain medical
examinations and specific courses with indications for their disability.
The first exploratory survey was administered to the extended sam­
ple of 79 interviewed and the results provided information relating to
socio-demographic data, the type of disability, the mobility habits and
an initial knowledge about the opinions relating to the walkability of the
territorial context. The sample consisted of 2% blind and the rest visu­
ally impaired, in particular 40% belonging to the II category, while 58%
belonging to the I category. As regards age, the majority was between 40
and 54 years old (i.e. 65%), followed by those between 55 and 64, a
small percentage of people between 18 and 24 and 25–39 years, while
none with reference to the highest marginal age group (i.e. > 65). Few
interviewees stated that they had a guide presence during their move­
ments and only one the dog guide, most likely due to the fact that the
majority of them were visually impaired with a reduced severity of
disability compared to that of a blind person. Almost all of them
declared to have a good knowledge of the surrounding places, in cor­
respondence with UICI-Enna, due to the periodic attendance, despite not
having an assiduous frequency of walking (i.e. only 30% every day, 55%
once or several times a week and the remaining once a month or rarely).
The study area and the identification of the path in which to carry out
the experiment was selected in relation to the degree of knowledge of
the area., referring to a neighborhood characterized by a greater
knowledge by them. It is located in the upper part of the city, near the
historical center, characterized by narrow and steeply sloping streets,
and specifically it coincides with the area where UICI-Enna is sited. It
was identified an articulated path of short range. The selection was
made taking into consideration the walking feasibility of the path from a
visually impaired people. It is about 600 m long and includes sloping
sections (i.e. with ups and downs), the presence of an open public space
(i.e. the square) and the presence of stairs. All these elements were useful
for testing the sensations of the investigated sub-sample in correspon­
dence of different conditions and situations of movement, from a mul­
tiple perspective (both infrastructural and emotional).
Then, in the second phase, a sub-sample was selected according to
the methodological description, made up of a total of 21 visually
impaired (with different degrees and times of disabilities and different
frequencies of movement), who demonstrated to be more interested and
available to implement the CPM along the path. In this context, it is
important to highlight the difficulty in finding people with this type of
disability, willing to participate in research-oriented activities. In fact,
T. Campisi et al.
some interviewees declared that they feel uneasy or unable, still others
said they feel embarrassed to be observed during the experiment, and
still others showed a negative prejudice (despite the presence of the
guide) in being able to answer a questionnaire during the walking ac­
tivities (especially if obstacles are present). This is the reason that
although this second sub-sample is more restricted, it becomes repre­
sentative of this category of users, as the study included people with
different characteristics related to the disability and also it allowed an
analysis based on their subjective perception of walkability.
4.2. Commented path and questionnaire data analysis
The commented path was carried out along a closed “quadrilateral”
with a total length of about 600 m, chosen not only for its geographical
location, but also for the different infrastructural elements that char­
acterize it (Fig. 3). In fact, in a relatively short distance (a very important
aspect in the case of visually impaired people who usually do not walk
long distances), there is the presence of two uphill sections with a
gradient between 18% and 23%, two flights of stairs placed laterally to
the square, the presence of roadside car parks and a parking area adja­
cent to the square and the presence of a sidewalk (not exceeding one
meter in width) placed only on one of the four sides of this quadrilateral.
In order to facilitate the collection and obtaining of significant data,
as described in the methodological section, the path has been divided
into 6 sections as shown in Fig. 6 (respectively S1 Via Manzoni; S2 Stairs;
S3 Square; S4 Via Archimede; S5 Via Vittorio Emanuele; S6 Via S. Eligio)
and the walk was carried out from S5 towards S1, in the opposite di­
rection to the vehicular flow. The choice of path sections was based on
the following criteria: they had approximately the same length between
100 and 150 m, had the presence of a walkable surface with a slope
greater than 18% and were partially suitable or accessible for people
with visual impairments. To achieve the accessibility goal, the re­
searchers carried out a preventive inspection of the area to evaluate
whether it was accessible for reduced visibility.
In each step of this research, we followed the ethical principles of the
Helsinki Declaration and obtained the informed consent of the partici­
pants. Considering the group derived from the second selection, the 26%
of adults with visual impaired (I and II category) took part in this study.
Specifically, 42% of participants had partial blindness or light
Fig. 3. Selected path for the application of CPM (with photographic description) and identification of analyzed stretches.
8
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
perception and the remaining 58% participants had profound visual
impairments (their visual acuity was less than 1/40). The sample con­
sisted of 67% male and 33% females. The ages ranged from 20 years to
61 years with 60% of 45–54 years old; 12 participants out of these 21
lost their vision before the age of 10, 6 participants lost their vision at
the age of 18, and the other three participants lost their vision at some
point between the ages of 20 and 25.
The path was performed by recording information about spatial el­
ements (e.g. trees, parking positions, road surface problems, incorrect
presence of street furniture, ramps or stairs, etc.) with reference to the
exact position in each stretch. It has also attempted to reduce the pos­
sibility that a specific type of spatial information or perceptions would
be easier (or more difficult) to express and evaluate, leading to an error
of interpretation. These analyzes allowed the calculation of both dis­
aggregated and global accessibility indices (but always referring to the
single stretches), able of considering the real conditions of accessibility
by these individuals and making the priorities emerge through their
interactions with the urban public environment.
5. Results and discussion
This section reports the results deriving from the second survey
administered to the sub-sample via the CPM along the path. Therefore,
the findings derive from the ES2 section of the survey, allowing to
analyze (i) the influence of physical elements in the difficulty of
movement, (ii) perceptions and interferences during movement and (iii)
feelings and emotions along the path. Moreover, for (i) and (ii), through
the aggregation of the considered variables, it was possible to calculate
global indices for each stretch and elaborate thematic maps for a more
immediate visualization and interpretation of the research findings.
The results of the survey and the judgments expressed by the re­
spondents were consistent with the state of the art of the study area and
its objectively verifiable criticalities, despite their visual disabilities. In
fact, as highlighted below, the most negative evaluation was attributed
to the most critical infrastructural issues (e.g. the absence or reduced
width of sidewalks or poor maintenance generating irregular ground
surface).
T. Campisi et al.
5.1. Analysis of physical elements and their influence in the difficulty of
movement
This phase of the investigation had the objective of studying the way
in which people with visual impairments perceive their paths and urban
spaces (e.g. squares, stairs, streets, sidewalks, etc.) taking into consid­
eration the physical elements and also the obstacles that characterize
these spaces (Table 3). The analysis revealed a difficulty in movement by
these people in all the considered stretches, above all because of the
presence of obstacles. This aspect had repercussions on the presence and
width of the sidewalk which is not very influential if it is not fully
accessible. In fact, although the section S6 is characterized by the
presence of a very small curb, the difficulties of movement encountered
were less pronounced because this stretch had the least number of ele­
ments that presented difficulties of mobility. The most influencing fac­
tors that contributed to the difficulties and discomfort of visually
impaired people was represented by the surface level variation and its
maintenance conditions, considered as the main cause of the continuous
necessity to stop and often get help from other people.
Fig. 4 shows the thematic maps realized for the four analyzed
physical characteristics related to physical elements that influenced the
participant’s movement.
The first map (Fig. 4a) displays the indices associated to the surface
level variation and unevenness. It is noticeable that the higher value was
obtained for S1 and S2. This is due to the fact that the stairs have a
partial coverage that generates irregularities. These are also featured in
Via Manzoni, especially at the roadside, with consequent decrease in
grip. S3 has a slightly lower index, but nevertheless the conditions of the
pavement of the square are quite critical due to poor maintenance.
Furthermore, the wrong choice of the type of material for the paving
square makes the walking surface slippery and difficult to clean. S5 has
also the same value of the index, as there are bituminous conglomerate
irregularities and there is also a difference in height between the drains
and the road surface, especially at the roadside, where the pedestrians
walk. Finally, S6 has the lowest index, which corresponds to a minor
criticality associated with the pavement unevenness as Via S. Eligio has
been recently asphalted. Maintenance works were also carried out in Via
Vittorio Emanuele, but it is a busier road and therefore subject to greater
deterioration.
The second map (Fig. 4b) shows the values of the indices related to
the presence of obstacles. In this case, S2 and S3 present the most critical
value of this index. In fact, at the stairs there are flower boxes incorrectly
allocated, following their movement for the execution of maintenance
works. Even in the square there are obstacles, consisting of similar
flower boxes, with the presence of benches that do not allow to lean on
the railing while walking. Furthermore, the placement of a fountain in
the center of the square represents an obstacle to the movement. An
equal value of the index is attributed to S1 and S5, because of the
planters in Via Archimede and the vegetation that occupies part of the
sidewalk vegetation that occupies part of the sidewalk in Via Manzoni,
hindering the pedestrian path. The criticality of S4 emerged since,
sometimes in Via Archimede there is no correct regulation of parking (i.
e. cars double-parked) because there is a supermarket and the parking
supply is poor. Also, in this case S6 obtained the best index, since Via S.
Eligio is characterized by residential exits, therefore, the owners
demanded the elimination of obstacles in the immediate vicinity and the
presence of parking was limited.
Table 3
Disaggregated indices related to difficulty of movement.
Stretches S1 S2 S3
Level variation and unevenness 0.650 0.700 0.500
Presence of obstacles 0.600 0.700 0.700
Sidewalk width 0.650 0.550 0.400
Surface slope 0.375 0.750 0.650
9
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
The third map (Fig. 4c) is referred to the sidewalk width, thus S2 and
S3 have not been evaluated. All four other stretches presented a high
index which is associated with a generalized criticality deriving from the
fact that all sidewalks are less than one meter wide. In addition, the
coating material of the sidewalk has not undergone maintenance and
therefore, there are irregularities that make the walking surface slip­
pery. Via S. Eligio is the worst because it has a curb of about 40 cm at the
roadside, Via Manzoni has a sidewalk of about 80 cm and Via Archimede
of about 1 m, but occupied by obstacles (i.e. planters, rubbish bins,
lighting poles, parked cars). Lastly, Via Vittorio Emanuele does not
actually have a sidewalk but a sort of platform.
The fourth map (Fig. 4d) represents the indices associated with sur­
face slope. There is a high slope all in general in the study area, between
18 and 23%. S2 and S4 obtained higher indices because the connecting
stairs between Via Manzoni and the square must overcome a high dif­
ference in height (i.e. over 2.5 m), thus they have a high gradient as also
Via Archimede, since it is a link between S1 and S5 which are at different
levels. Following there is S3, which derives from the fact that the square
has both a diagonal and longitudinal inclination from S6 to S4 of
approximately 8–10%, that is noticeable. This is because beneath the
square there is a parking lot, and therefore in ancient times it repre­
sented a covering surface and it was necessary to have a certain incli­
nation to ensure the correct water runoff. Finally, S1, S5 and S6 showed
slightly lower indices, but these are sloping stretches.
5.2. Analysis of perceptions and interferences during movement
In this second phase of analysis, the interferences and perceptions
experienced during the movement were investigated. In general, the
perceptions of each participant were different, as they were mostly
influenced by a character of subjectivity. However, the judgments
attributed to the stretches reflected the quantity and type of critical is­
sues or obstacles present in each of them and encountered during the
path. Speed variations (i.e. slowing down) were noted by the guide in all
stretches, this is way the first interference during the movement was
considered the need to stop, which has obtained the higher value of
average index (Table 4):
Sections that presented more interference during the path were S2
and S4, mainly because of the surface slope and the presence of obsta­
cles, with consequent variation of the walking gait. These evidences are
represented from a graphical point of view through the following the­
matic maps (see Fig. 5).
In more details, Fig. 5a represents the need to stop along the path. This
need, in the case of people with visual impairements derives from a
variation in slope or a difficulty in spatially identifying the elements in
which they move. To increase these critical issues, there is also the lack
of maintenance of both the infrastructure and the public greenery as
well as the presence of incorrectly positioned urban furniture. In the
specific case of section S2, partial presence of handrails that can help
moving along the steps. Moreover, as the stretch S4 was uphill, the need
to stop was felt by almost all interviewees at the end of Via Archimede
(at the beginning of the stretch S5).
Fig. 5b shows the attitude to change of path, and this variation in
trajectory was mainly due to the presence of manholes, holes and cracks
on road surface and the presence of obstacles represented by urban
furniture (expecially along S4). On the other hand, the presence of
parked vehicles, and the associated entry and exit maneuvers, prompted
S4 S5 S6 Average Std. Dev
0.250 0.500 0.100 0.450 0.232
0.450 0.600 0.200 0.542 0.191
0.650 0.600 0.850 0.617 0.147
0.850 0.400 0.250 0.546 0.238
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 4. Thematic maps related to physical elements and difficulty movement (a) Surface level variation and unevenness; (b) Presence of obstacles; (c) Sidewalk
width; (d) Surface slope.

Table 4
Disaggregated indices related to interferences during the movement.
Stretches S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Average Std. Dev

Need to stop 0.50 0.70 0.40 0.65 0.50 0.10 0.475 0.214
Help from other people 0.45 0.50 0.40 0.50 0.45 0.20 0.417 0.113
Change of path 0.50 0.50 0.35 0.50 0.45 0.10 0.400 0.158

people to change their trajectory on section S5, placing themselves
closer to the centerline, as there were not many passing vehicles and in
any case being in the company of the accompanying guide.
Finally, the map showed in Fig. 5c displays the necessity of help from
other people. The help of a guide, also as support, was requested almost
all along the path, both for physical limitations of the participants and
critical issues related to irregularities of the ground surface and also for
the need to have someone to interact and dialogue with during the walk
(this especially for women).
Certainly, the knowledge of the area, being some participants
residing in a neighborhood of 500–600 m, facilitated the walk globally.
But the absence of certain reference points and the correct positioning of
urban furniture have created real architectural barriers, generating
critical issues that surely would have been perceived in an even more
negative way by those who rarely approach to move in this area.
5.3. Global indices evaluation
In order to have an aggregate assessment considering the findings
that have emerged so far, the calculation of global indices for each
stretch was carried out downstream of the disaggregated analyzes. The
values summarized in the Table 5 proved that, in general, the sections
with more difficulty and interference during the trip were S2, followed
by S4, while S6 proved once again to be the best stretch.
Specifically, a comparison between the two global indices is pre­
sented, respectively referred to the physical elements related to the
difficulty of movement and to the perceptions and interferences of
movement experimented by the visually impaired people along the path.
Fig. 6 shows the thematic maps that have been obtained through the
calculation of global indices for each stretch.
In the map at the far upper left in Fig. 6a, it is possible to observe that
the most critical stretch is S2. As a matter of fact, the stairs represent an
element of strong discontinuity, compounded by the presence of ob­
stacles and the impossibility of holding the handrail, which generates
inability to orientate itself for the visually impaired. Conversely, the
stretch S6 is instead the one characterized by less criticality. In fact, it
emerged from previous evaluations that Via S. Eligio presented less
pavement irregularities thanks to recent maintenance works, less traffic
flows and reduced slope. Furthermore, since there are no trees, street
furniture and other elements that can create interference or represent

10
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

Fig. 5. Thematic maps related to interference during the movement (a) Need to stop; (b) Change of path; (c) Help from other people.

Table 5
Global index for each stretch.
Stretches S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 Average Std. Dev

Difficulty of movement 0.57 0.68 0.56 0.55 0.53 0.35 0.539 0.106
Interferences of movement 0.48 0.57 0.38 0.55 0.47 0.13 0.431 0.160

Fig. 6. Thematic maps related to Global Indices evaluation (a) Difficulty of movement; (b) Interferences of movement.

11
T. Campisi et al.
obstacles, this makes both the level of vision and motor skills better for a
visually impaired people. It is possible to note that S3, i.e. the square,
which should be a favorable element since it is a wide space without the
interaction with vehicular traffic, on the other hand is considered crit­
ical element due to the deteriorated pavement, the presence of obstacles
and the double inclination.
It is noticeable a similar ranking referred to the global index related
to the interferences of movement, as shown in Fig. 6b. The associated
thematic map has a lighter coloring and this is due to the fact that the
values of the indices deriving from the interviewees’ evaluations are
lower. This demonstrates that a greater weight to infrastructural criti­
cality with respect to perceived difficulties has been attributed. This has
meant that in this second case, if compared with the first map, the S3
index is lower than those associated with S1, S4 and S5.
5.4. Evaluation of feelings and emotions and analysis of perspectives
about the path
The sections in which there were registered the major critical issues
from an infrastructural point of view and consequent interference during
the movement, they also negatively influenced the feeling and emotions
experienced along the path. The choice and identification of feelings and
emotions was made in accordance with Lima and Machado (2019), by
identifying those associated with people with visual disabilities and
subsequently as a result of the two initial pre-survey briefings at UICI-
Enna, identifying those most influential for the sample. Table 6 shows
the results obtained through the part of survey aimed at investigating
the sensations of participants during the CPM implementation. This
analysis allows to deepen from an emotional point of view the feelings
and emotions experienced by the visually impaired along the path for
each stretch walked. In this vision, the aim is not only to analyze the
influence of physical barriers in the assessment of walkability, but also
non-physical barriers that can be determined by moods (e.g. anxiety or
fear of climbing stairs, regardless of the slope or its state of maintenance)
affecting the experience of the path by the visually impaired.
It is noticeable that there were no direct relationships with the
attributed judgments and obtained indices in previous evaluations
related to infrastructural elements, but rather with the experienced de­
gree of difficulty imposed, deriving from the presence of obstacles that
interfere with the movement. For this reason, the sections with which it
is possible to associate the most negative sensations were S2 and S3. In
this regard, the square, precisely because of its high state of deteriora­
tion of the pavement, was the cause of impediments in the movement of
these people, generating negative emotions within them. This made it
possible to carry out a check on the consistency of the previous judg­
ments attributed both to the variables linked to infrastructural aspects
and to those depending on interference in the movement.
The most experienced feeling was tiredness, followed by strangeness
and diffidence. The discontinuity of elements, both infrastructural (i.e.
the stairs) and due to the presence of physical elements (e.g. obstacles,
holes and roughness of the ground surface) generate negative feelings, i.
e. the fatigue, which greater for these different abled persons both from
partial vision and from problems in moving in space without help.
Furthermore, although it was an area well known by the participants
of the experiment, the feeling of estrangement from the places has
emerged, because the irregularities and obstacles encountered made the
Table 6
Indices associated to feelings and emotions along the path.
Stretches S1 S2 S3
Anxiety/Worry 0.45 0.55 0.35
Impatience/Frustration 0.50 0.50 0.30
Insecurity 0.30 0.75 0.70
Strangeness/Diffidence 0.56 0.70 0.75
Tiredness 0.40 0.85 0.55
12
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
need to change the path and the risk of falling to the ground. Subse­
quently, in order of decreasing intensity, the emotions associated with
insecurity and frustration emerged. The first was always associated with
sections S2 and S3 for the reasons above mentioned and also to the fact
that the square is an “open” space with fewer spatial references, while
the second occurred with the same degree of stairs also in sections S1
and S4 due to the presence of numerous cars irregularly parked,
generating the inability to use the sidewalk and therefore the lack of
continuity along the path.
Lastly, the feelings felt slightly reduced by the participants were
anxiety and worry. Anxiety is associated with a hostile attitude accom­
panied by a sense of insecurity and apprehension and by physical
symptoms such as increased heart frequency, sweating etc. It is a
physiological reaction of the organism with function of adaptation to
stressful situations. It manifests itself in response to riskier situations
considered unsafe and, in this case, it was verified above all in corre­
spondence with the stairs (Zhao, Kupferstein, Tal, & Azenkot, 2018).
Therefore, the visually impaired people were characterized by
negative feelings and emotions overall, showing negative peaks at the
most discontinuous elements (i.e. stairs) or large spaces with uneven
characteristics (i.e. the square). An improvement in maintenance con­
ditions and a correct positioning of urban furniture will reduce the
critical issues and it would be remarkable to record the improvement of
previous negative judgments.
5.5. Qualitative evaluation perception of the accompanying persons
Finally, to capture the global perspectives about the path, an overall
qualitative assessment of it was requested, referring to both visually
impaired people and accompanying persons. In this regard, it was asked
to indicate the best and the worst stretches in terms of walkability, on
the basis of the participants’ perceptions and the observations relating to
the behaviors and attitudes by the researchers who accompanied them
during the path.
By summarizing the responses from both groups, in accordance with
the obtained findings from the analysis and the assessment of global
indices, the best stretch was S6, as Via S. Eligio is the section that pre­
sented less critical issues from an infrastructural point of view and fewer
physical interferences. Instead, as regards the negative evaluation, an
interesting dichotomy between stairs and square with respect to the
judgment of the visually impaired people and accompanying guides has
emerged. In fact, for the first ones it emerged that about 66% considered
S2 as the worst stretch, i.e. the stairs, and the remaining part declared
S3, i.e. the square (since open space without structural landmarks),
while the second ones unanimously indicated the stairs, as providing the
worst walkability conditions. These results clearly highlighted the
different perceptions experienced by an able-bodied and a person with
disabilities: what could normally seem to be the most critical infra­
structural element during a walk, i.e. the stairs, since they are consid­
ered elements of discontinuity, in the practical experience of the visually
impaired along the path, it has been overcome by the criticalities of an
open space without structural landmarks, i.e. the square, that quintes­
sentially should be an infrastructural element with less interference.
Moreover, it allows to state that visually impaired people that partici­
pated to the experiment didn’t evaluate the sections comprehensively
and that the presence of a stretch considered physically accessible
S4 S5 S6 Average Std. Dev
0.25 0.25 0.30 0.358 0.120
0.50 0.30 0.25 0.392 0.120
0.35 0.45 0.25 0.467 0.211
0.40 0.35 0.35 0.519 0.178
0.45 0.50 0.50 0.542 0.159
T. Campisi et al.
alternating with some sections that are absolutely inaccessible due to the
presence of obstacles and poor maintenance entails a global criticality of
the entire path. This is the reason why it is not correct to consider for an
area or a path an “average walkability index” in the case of people with
disabilities, as critical issues even if localized can preclude the possi­
bility of reaching their destination and therefore the walkability of the
whole. Accordingly, it is advisable to always refer to walkability indexes
associated with the individual stretches of the path. They can be
contemplated either as disaggregated indices, considering single vari­
ables associated with them, or as global ones, considering linear or
weighted combinations of several variables correlated to each other. In
this way, it is possible to establish critical thresholds affecting the
walkability of a path and identify where it is necessary to take priority
action.
6. Conclusions and future research
This work investigated the moving habits, physical interactions and
emotional perception of a group of individuals with visual impairments.
For this purpose, the CPM was implemented, in applying a survey along
the path and recording at the end of each stretch the answers obtained
by the interviewees, in order to allow researchers to collect their opin­
ions. The innovative aspect is represented by the coordinated applica­
tion of the CPM implemented with visually impaired people, collecting
the answers not in a descriptive way but through judgments based on the
Likert scale and using these results for the calculation of disaggregated
and global walkability indices, which were represented on thematic
maps with chromatic scale. They represent a useful element of the
applied methodology, in which as the value of the indices increases (i.e.
getting worse), darker colors were associated, thus allowing to imme­
diately identify the major criticalities associated with each stretch. In
this way, the method empowered the qualitative analysis of the
knowledge for the single sections of the path.
Acting in a targeted way, improving the quality of stretches that
present more critical issues can contribute to the overall improvement of
a path, since, as emerged from the results of the survey, localized criti­
calities can negatively influence the walkability of the entire path.
Therefore, the elimination of infrastructural barriers and the improve­
ment of the state of maintenance can not only reduce the physical dif­
ficulties and interferences of movement, but also influence the
perceptions of visually impaired, making localized improvements of
single sections of a path indirectly improves the others. In this sense, the
analysis carried out, with the evaluation of distinct indices for each
stretch allows to identify in a direct and punctual way the most critical
sections on which to act with priority of intervention.
Furthermore, given the recurrent uncomfortable attitude of this
category of individuals to making themselves available to research ex­
periments, and considering the variety of the selected sample in terms of
degrees and times of disability, it becomes representative. Regarding the
object of the study, the work manages to make inclusive this category of
users, i.e. visually impaired people, in the identification of public pol­
icies to improve walkability, especially referring to the social aspect of
sustainability. Accompanying them along the path, allowed the re­
searchers to be able to make assessments of their behaviour in corre­
spondence with the single stretches, in relation to both the interaction
with the infrastructural elements and the perceptions and sensations
experienced.
The first explanatory survey allowed to gather information about the
type of disability, the mobility habits and an initial knowledge about the
opinions relating to the walkability of the territorial context. It emerged
that people with non-severe visual disabilities (i.e. without total blind­
ness) and the visually impaired make walking trips with a weekly and
sometimes daily frequency, even without the help of an accompanying
person. Therefore, the presence of infrastructural barriers that hinder
along their path makes challenging their experience, both from a
physical and emotional perspective, leading to quite negative judgments
13
Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx
for all the elements (i.e. sidewalk, crossing, stairs, square, parking,
street) of the urban area.
From the analysis of physical elements, the recurrent variation of the
surface level and its unevenness was the aspect that most negatively
influenced the sample of visually impaired people, often resulting not
only from infrastructural discontinuity elements (e.g. the stairs), but also
from poor maintenance of the ground surface. Furthermore, it emerged
that the width of the sidewalk did not have a significant heft in the
judgments. In fact, for sections with different widths, similar indices
have been found as the presence of obstacles makes it impossible for a
partially sighted person to use the sidewalk continuously, tending not to
appreciate the difference in width at all.
The analysis based on perceptions highlighted a greater influence of
infrastructural criticality with respect to perceived difficulties. The in­
terferences experienced were proportional to the amount and type of
obstacles present along the path. In general, the main critical issues
encountered were the parked cars, the presence of external obstacles (e.
g. planter boxes), irregular ground surface; all the physical attributes
that prevent good accessibility to the participants have emerged.
Taking experience of the path, the participants assessed the physical
elements according to their access potential of continuous walkability.
Therefore, it emerged that the square, which could be considered an
easily accessible element, obtained high criticality indices due to the
presence of critical infrastructural factors that had negative re­
percussions in terms of interference in movement and unpleasant sen­
sations. In this regard, the analysis of feelings and emotions
experimented along the path represented consistency check to validate
the previous judgments linked to infrastructural elements, as the most
negative sensations were registered in correspondence of the stretches
with poor maintenance conditions and high presence of obstacles and
barriers, highlighting the greater feeling of insecurity experienced both
in correspondence with the stairs and in the square. Accordingly, from
the comparison of the overall judgments required by both visually
impaired and able-bodied people as accompanying persons, the square
was judged as more critical stretch for over 30% of the participants with
visual disabilities, unlike the uniform judgment given by the able-bodied
guides who unanimously identified the stairs as the most critical infra­
structural element. This demonstrate that, in the case of people with
disabilities, it is not correct to consider an average walkability index
linked to the entire path, as the criticality of a single section can
contribute to making critical the walkability of the entire path.
The findings of this study are satisfactory because allow to include
the participation of this specific target group of users in the construction
of the knowledge. There are often no common participatory experiences
in urban public projects and policies by individuals with visual
impairment. Thus, the analysis of environmental perception through a
direct experimentation represents not only an advancement from a
methodological point of view, but also a political issue to be addressed,
in order to meet the real needs of all users, also with a focus on specific
groups with particular characteristics, e.g. people with disabilities,
enabling their participation in public policies and collective projects.
Through the evidences emerged from the implementation of the CPM, it
is possible to identify practical policies for improving the walkability of
the path and the exploitation of the study area. Some interventions for
improving the mobility of visually impaired people in this context
concern not only the removal of obstacles and architectural barriers (e.g.
paying attention to the correct placement of street furniture), but also a
better quality of maintenance, such as the resurfacing of the pavements.
In fact, if the ground surface is not well maintained, it can generate
difficulties in the walking of an individual with a disability and generate
negative sensations even in correspondence with open environments, i.
e. squares, although not presenting physical barriers. Certainly, paying
attention to street furniture also represents a design implication to
improve walkability in urban contexts. Especially for people with dis­
abilities, the presence of railings and handrails can facilitate their
movements at flights of stairs and along stretches without spatial
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

references. Furthermore, the correct maintenance of public green would Acknowledgements

have positive impacts, not only from the aesthetic point of view we are
normally used to thinking about, but also in terms of reducing and
eliminating physical obstacles, for example in correspondence of a
sidewalk. Furthermore, among the policies to promote walkability, the
widening of sidewalks represents a priority, which in historical urban
contexts, characterized by narrow streets and steep slopes, could be
managed through the conversion of part of the carriageway currently
used as a parking. In accordance with these design and policies impli­
cations, the methodology allows to identify and establish intervention
priorities for the most critical sections.
This paper lays the foundations for further research, that aims at the
integration of a quantitative methodological approach via multi-criteria
analysis, also including other variables to analyze the concept of walk­
ability in an even wider way and trying to explore the behaviour of both
blind and partially sighted individuals.
This work has been partially financed by the MIUR (Ministry of
Education, Universities and Research [Italy]) through a project entitled
WEAKI TRANSIT: WEAK-demand areas Innovative TRANsport Shared
services for Italian Towns (Project code: 20174ARRHT; CUP Codes:
E44I17000050001, J74I19000320008), financed with the PRIN 2017
(Research Projects of National Relevance) programme. We authorize the
MIUR to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes,
notwithstanding any copyright notations thereon. Any opinions, find­
ings and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are
those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of the
MIUR. This study was also supported the University of Catania within
the project “Piano della Ricerca Dipartimentale 2016-2018” of the
Department of Civil Engineering and Architecture and the project “Piano
per la Ricerca 2016-2018 - Linea di intervento 2” of the Department of
Electric, Electronic and Computer Engineering.

Appendix A. Structure of the questionnaire

ES1-1 Socio-demographic details

Gender □Male □ Female

Age □18–24 □25–39 □40–54 □55–64 □≥65
Type of Visual Acuity Impaired people blind
1st cat. 3rd cat. - 4th cat.
2nd cat. 5th cat.
How many years have you been affected by Visual Problems? <1 year 6–10
2–5 >10
Job □student □worker □retiree □ other
Guide Presence □YES □NO
Dog Guide Presence □YES □NO
How many times do you get to walk around Enna? Once or Several Times A Day; Once or Several Times A Week; Once A Month; Rarely

ES1-2 Mobility opinion

How accessible do you think is Enna city? Sidewalk; Crossing; Stairs; Square; Parking; Street LIKERT SCALE 1–5
How walkable do you think is Enna city?
What sensations do you feel when moving in correspondence of pedestrian roads / crossings Anxiety / Fear; Impatience and frustration; Insecurity;
in Enna? Confidence-Calm; Fatigue
What sensations do you feel when moving in correspondence of Sidewalk in Enna?
What feelings do you feel when you move around square in Enna?
What feelings do you feel when you move around stairs in Enna?

ES1-3 Mobility attitude

How many times do you get to walk around Enna? Once or several times a day; Once or several times a week; Once a month; Rarely
What duration do your movements usually have? Less than an hour; A couple of hours; More than half a day
What length do your movements usually have? Short distance (Few meters); Medium distance (few kilometres); Long distance (More
than 2 km, so walking is unthinkable)
With which vehicle do you move usually? Walking (alone); Walking (with guide or family); Car; Public transport; Other
Please add a short description of the routine of everyday movements Descriptive
How much do you feel limited / physically limited in your movements? LIKERT SCALE 1–5
How family is this area for you?
How much do you know the path we are going to do?

ES2-1 Path survey

Compared to the stretch you have just walked, how do you evaluate these aspects? S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6
FEELING OF MOVEMENT DIFFICULTY: LIKERT SCALE 1–5
Surface level variation / Unevenness; Presence of obstacles; Absence or reduced width of
the sidewalk; Surface Slope
INTERFERENCE OR DISCONFORT DURING THE MOVEMENT:
Need to stop; Help from other people; Change of path
FEELINGS EXPERIMENTED DURING THE MOVEMENT:
Anxiety/Worry; Impatience/Frustration; Insecurity; Strangeness/Wariness; Tiredness

ES2-2 Global path opinion

How accessible do you think the path is? Sidewalk; Crossing; Stairs; Square; Parking; Street LIKERT SCALE 1–5
How walkable do you think the paths is?
Final judgment on the path: S1- S2 - S3 - S4 - S5 - S6 Participant perspective
What are the worst and the best stretches of the path? Guide perspective

ES2-3 Guide observation

How do you evaluate these aspects, related to the participant? S1- S2 - S3 - S4 - S5 - S6 LIKERT SCALE 1–5
Pauses for reflection in the evaluation; Walking pace (1 slow/5 fast); Variation in
movement; Emotional changes (1 stable/5 changes)

14
T. Campisi et al. Research in Transportation Business & Management xxx (xxxx) xxx

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