Globally, there is an accepted need to provide equal access and opportunities to the 15% of the population that has a disability (WHO). A critical element of this is accessibility to physical spaces, which can enable people with disabilities to access employment, services and recreational activities to become equal members of society.

Accessibility is the level of access “on an equal basis with others, to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications”, according to the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Article 9). Physical spaces and transportation are accessible when the needs of people with disabilities (regardless of the type of disability) are met through modifications that put them on an equal basis with the rest of the population.