ABSTRACT
The answer to this first question is clearly ongoing, with a requirement for structural and internal changes to UK campuses. In the meantime, can information regarding the accessibility of buildings be better represented so less time and energy is wasted unnecessarily? Detailed accessibility audits available via the Internet can provide some measure of information for potential and indeed current students at some Universities7. However, these are not a practical solution for the student seeking to orientate themselves to a new campus or unfamiliar buildings on a day-to-day basis, where a map might be more suitable. Earlier work by Vujakovic and Matthews9, for example, demonstrates the potential of city-wide accessibility maps, while one of Chard and Couch’s7 respondents notes with disappointment the removal of mobility-related symbolism on campus mapping. Many campus maps do contain accessibility symbols, but there is little in the cartographic literature regarding the most effective style, symbolism and scale of approach to accessibility mapping. Moreover, the creation of accessibility maps has traditionally required a significant surveying investment9, placing the ability for construction and the power of content in the hands of delegated authority rather than empowered citizen or group.
