Barriers and facilitators for blind and visually impaired users of shared space Available to Purchase

To what extent do blind or partially sighted pedestrians perceive barriers or facilitators when moving through a shared space (SS)? The aim of this study was to understand in real-time, the perceptions, thoughts and emotions about their interaction with the SS, to enable the facilitators and barriers users encountered to be identified. This paper involves five case studies of blind/visually impaired adult pedestrians, using a verbal protocol analysis (VPA) method to explore their reactions to a SS in Poynton, North West England. The findings show that participants’ independent mobility was compromised. When crossing the SS, participants felt unsafe and experienced barriers finding the edge of the carriageway and while encountering street furniture. The authors conclude with a recommendation about the future use of the VPA method for application across a range of physical layouts and design details, and to more schemes (e.g. cycling) and diverse users.