The city of Odense, Denmark has worked with accessibility for several years; its goal is to create an uncomplicated, round-the-clock traffic system for all users. Among other things, this means that traffic areas and squares are planned and constructed to be as accessible as possible to everyone.

Public transport accessibility in many urban areas is problematic for a number of people and situations – e.g. the visually impaired, older people with limited mobility, people confined to wheelchairs or pushing walkers, parents with prams, etc.

Odense drafted an accessibility plan for the inner city in 2008. In order to improve the quality and public acceptance of this plan, two meetings were organised with interested citizens over the course of 2009.

At the first meeting, 45 older people were allowed an opportunity to point out places in the city where accessibility was poor. Participants worked in groups, discussing accessibility and marking up maps to reach a clearer understanding of the situation. They also talked about other transport-related problems.

Input was discussed afterwards, and two routes were nominated as focus areas for the new accessibility plan. Both routes are located in the city centre, as these areas were identified as ‘least accessible’ to older people. Afterwards, every obstacle on the two walking routes and possible solutions was identified.

The results were presented to 30 older people at a second meeting, and solutions to different types of problems were also discussed.

Odense is currently carrying out accessibility-related tasks; when the work is complete, participants of the two workshops will be invited for a walk along the routes to take note of new improvements – and, perhaps, to suggest new ones.

Dorthe Gyldenlund Råby