ABSTRACTS
Background: Wheelchair is the most commonly used assistive device among people with disability. Studies have shown the epidemiology of people living with disability in Africa (10% of the general population). Previous studies have been carried out to determine the accessibility of public buildings to wheelchair users, however the perceptions of the wheelchair users on accessibility to public buildings appears to have been neglected.
Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the level of wheelchair accessibility of public buildings in Benin City to people living with disability.
Methods: This is a mixed study consisting of quantitative and qualitative study. For the quantitative study, stratified random and Convenience sampling technique was used to select the various public buildings (categorized into health institutions, educational institutions, financial institutions, religious institutions and restaurants) and 5 major roads respectively for the quantitative study. Measurements taken from each public buildings were compared to an adapted version of the Americans with disabilities acts accessibility guidelines (ADAAG). While for the qualitative study, purposive sampling technique was implored for the selection of participants. A self-generated focused guide was used to obtain information on the socio-demographic data of the participants and their perceptions of wheelchair accessibility to public buildings during the focus group discussions.
Result: The data from the quantitative study was taken from 4 local governments within Benin city with the sample size of 101 public buildings. 51.8% of the public buildings’ main entrances measured were accessible to wheelchair users but 70.9% main entrances of the buildings had high barriers at the main entrances which made them inaccessible, Only 31.7% of buildings were equipped with ramps, and 90.6% of the ramp width were accessible to wheelchair users, 88 out of the 101 buildings were equipped with main entrance thresholds and only 6 of the 88 were accessible to wheelchair users, 96.2% of the routes measured are accessible and Out of the 32 buildings equipped with ramps, only 6.2% have the required dimension for accessibility. The accessible facilities in the various buildings were also measured: the toilet stall width and depth are 71.7% and 10.2% accessible respectively, 71.2% of the sinks are accessible and 2 out of 3 elevator doorways are accessible to wheel chair users.
The themes which emerged from the qualitative study include “Understanding the concept of wheelchair accessibility of public buildings”, “Structural Barriers and Human barriers of wheelchair accessibility to public building”, “Social and health consequence of lack of access to public buildings” and “Recommendations for improved accessibility”.
Conclusion: People living with disability have major rights which are not put into consideration when designing or buildings facilities in Benin city. The findings of this study revealed the low level of accessibility of public buildings in Benin city, Nigeria, and this could impinge on the major rights of people living with disability and limit community integration of wheelchair users.
