Accessibility Inequality and Confronting the Global Access Gap: Global Realities of Uneven Access
摘要
In the contemporary urban and non-urban environment, accessibility inequality—a frequently disregarded yet systemically ingrained aspect of social injustice—has become one of the most obvious markers of exclusion. The third-tier inequality of accessibility is examined in this chapter. It is characterized by institutional, digital, informational, and spatial barriers that disproportionately impact the elderly, people with disabilities, and other mobility-disadvantaged groups. It highlights the systemic shortcomings and unequal reactions during the COVID-19 pandemic that made these inequalities worse by drawing on 10 case studies from various international contexts. More significantly, the chapter presents new approaches to disability justice, inclusive design, community-led solutions, and legal reform that give hope for reconsidering urban accessibility as a right rather than a luxury. It makes the case for a proactive reinvention of accessibility that is integrated into planning, government, healthcare, technology, and daily living through comparative study and grounded reflection.