How is mobility a barrier when completing Wright and Sites ‘A Mis-Guide to Anywhere?’

Abstract

The overall purpose of this study is to investigate mobility in its relation to a series of walking tasks. The central research question aim to answer is into this study is: “How is mobility a barrier when completing Wright and Sites ‘A Mis-guide to Anywhere?’” The book in question designed for walkers in the urban environment inside and contains with tasks, often referred to as ‘Mis-Guides’, for the reader to complete. The purpose of the research is to discover if mobility creates a barrier when completing each individual task, and therefore the opening up the question of what limitations can present themselves on a mobility impaired user. The study follows a practice-based method of research into Wright and Sites Mis-Guides in a qualitive form, through the use of a practical portfolio and photographic documentation. This allowed the researcher to record each experience, as well as offer an alternative option for a mobility impaired person to complete. As a researcher and a participant in the study, with an anterior cruciate ligament injury, it should be considered that this study is based on personal experience. The findings determine that mobility is an obstacle when attempting to complete 45% of the Mis-Guides themselves. The most significant result is the environment surrounding the Mis-Guides as well as mobility creates a barrier to certain users being able to successfully complete the mis-guides. It could be argued that the Mis-Guides are only suitable for average walkers and not suited to a mobility impaired user. Although a selection of the Mis-Guides are partly suited to a mobility impaired user, the environment surrounding the entire book is not best suited.