Innovative Practice 2021 on Inclusive Employment and ICT
App facilitating citizen reporting of accessibility barriers
In 2014, La Confederación Española de Personas con Discapacidad Física y Orgánica (COCEMFE), a Spanish non-governmental umbrella organization, and Vodafone Foundation developed AccesibilidApp, a mobile app enabling citizens to report accessibility barriers in any built environment to COCEMFE, and COCEMFE then mediates with the entities responsible for its management and maintenance. From 2019 and 2020 a total of 2,331 incidents have been reported by 1,355 users across Spain.
| Name of Innovative Practice: | AccesibilidApp – Accessibility App |
|---|---|
| Organisation: | COCEMFE – Confederación Española de Personas con Discapacidad Física y Orgánica |
| Country of Implementation | Spain |
| Start Year | 2014 |
| Sub-Category | A project related to ICT |
PROBLEMS TARGETED
Despite a 2017 law requiring all public spaces in Spain to be accessible, compliance is low and there is no system to report barriers.
SOLUTION, INNOVATION, AND IMPACT
AccesibilidApp is free and fully accessible through any computer or mobile device. To report an outdoor incident in a public area the user registers its location and postcode, classifies the type of barrier that has been encountered by using a predefined list (e.g., damaged pavement, poor lighting, faulty traffic lights), and adds a photo and description.
Accessibility barriers can be reported across Spain. All incidents are received by COCEMFE, and a local COCEMFE organization mediates with the city council or other entity responsible for resolving the issue. Notably, the reporting person is kept informed about the process.
A prototype was created in 2014, which was redesigned for better accessibility and usability in 2019. It is in use throughout Spain, and COCEMFE has cooperation agreements on the local, regional, and provincial level for the management, mediation, and resolution of incidents.
In 2019 and 2020, 1,355 users have reported 2,331 incidents. Only 15 have been resolved.
A woman in a wheelchair faces a flight of inaccessible stairs at Retiro Park in Madrid. ©olmo calvo & x solidaria
FUNDING, OUTLOOK AND TRANSFERABILITY
The Vodafone Foundation financed the initial design and development of the app, which is now managed and maintained entirely by COCEMFE. Cooperation agreements have been signed with the city councils of Alcañiz (Teruel), Pamplona, Soria, Caspe (Zaragoza), and León.
COCEMFE aims to establish more cooperation agreements with local authorities and COCEMFE-affiliated organizations across Spain for incident management.
In response to COVID-19, COCEMFE adapted the app in April 2020 to be used to report accessibility barriers related to new public health measures, such as test station accessibility.
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