Políticas públicas, inovação tecnológica e engajamento social: comparando estratégias de acessibilidade urbana em Seattle/EUA e Natal/RN

Abstract

The construction of democratic cities aims to promote equal access to goods, services, and urban environments for all citizens. In this regard, accessibility emerges as an indispensable element in ensuring that citizens with disabilities access the right to the city. In this dissertation, we conduct a comparative analysis of the strategies used to advance urban accessibility in Seattle, United States, and Natal, Brazil. This comparison allowed us to identify patterns, shortcomings, and opportunities for improvement in each city, contributing to a deeper understanding of urban accessibility strategies in different contexts. We start from the premise that promoting accessibility is a global challenge, but each city tackles this task according to strategies relevant to its geographical, political, economic, and social contexts. We collected data through semi-structured interviews with policymakers, researchers, and accessibility advocates in both cities. Also, through document analysis, participant observation in workshops and study groups on technological innovation, and focus groups with families of people with disabilities and accessibility researchers. This study concluded that both cities have robust legislation on the subject and well-defined public policies, notwithstanding most policies are enforced through judicial means. Additionally, we found accessibility projects for leisure, such as the Seattle Children’s Playgarden and Natal Praia Inclusiva in each city, and the employment of storytelling techniques in both cities as a strategy for social engagement. Finally, we noticed that technological initiatives for urban accessibility in Natal are still in their early stages, while in Seattle, projects like AccessMap and Project Sidewalk demonstrate significant potential to advance the debates and practices of urban accessibility in different cities around the world.