Interactively Modeling and Visualizing Neighborhood Accessibility at Scale: An Initial Study of Washington DC

Abstract

Walkability indices such as walkscore.com model the proximity and density of walkable destinations within a neighborhood. While these metrics have gained widespread use (e.g., incorporated into real-estate tools), they do not integrate accessibility-related features such as sidewalk conditions or curb ramps-thereby excluding a significant portion of the population. In this poster paper, we explore the initial design and implementation of neighborhood accessibility models and visualizations for people with mobility impairments. We are able to overcome previous data availability challenges by using the Project Sidewalk API, which provides access to 255,000+ labels about the accessibility and location of DC sidewalks.