[Draft Proposal] Mobility Access Tags - Feedback wanted

Help and support Tagging help & support
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Hi everyone,

I’ve created a draft proposal for a more comprehensive mobility accessibility tagging scheme to complement and enhance the existing wheelchair=* tag:

:memo: Proposal: https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Proposed_features/Mobility_Access_Tags

The Problem

The current wheelchair=* tag has limitations:

  • Only addresses wheelchair users, ignoring people with walking aids, crutches, rollators, etc.
  • Doesn’t distinguish between different mobility requirements (can someone sit but not stand? vice versa?)
  • yes/no/limited is too vague
  • Missing objective details (how many steps? what slope? door width?)

The Solution

A new mobility:* namespace with tags like:

  • mobility:wheelchair=* / mobility:walking_aid=*
  • mobility:standing=required/optional/not_required
  • mobility:sitting=required/optional/possible/not_possible
  • mobility:steps=<number>
  • mobility:handrail=*, mobility:slope=*, mobility:door_width=*
  • And more…

Example Use Case

A playground spinning circle:
playground=spinning_circle mobility:wheelchair=yes mobility:walking_aid=yes mobility:standing=optional mobility:sitting=possible mobility:steps=0

Status: DRAFT - Feedback Wanted :thought_balloon:

This is still a draft and I’m actively seeking feedback before moving to formal proposal status.

Specific questions:

  1. Is mobility:* the right namespace approach?
  2. Are the proposed tags comprehensive and logical?
  3. Any concerns about coexistence with wheelchair=*?
  4. What’s missing or could be improved?

Especially welcome:

  • Input from accessibility mappers
  • People with lived experience of mobility impairments
  • Tool developers (Wheelmap, routing apps, etc.)

Looking forward to your thoughts and suggestions!

1 Like
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See step_count=*, the number of steps is independent from disability.

mobility:door_width => Key:width - OpenStreetMap Wiki on the door.

mobility:slope=* => Key:incline - OpenStreetMap Wiki

mobility:handrail=* => Key:handrail - OpenStreetMap Wiki

Better to keep the usual unit (m, not cm).
Better also to preserve the current tags, adding them to a wiki page dedicated to mobility.

accessibility is better if you want a namespace (mobility : novlang for transport).

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What’s the purpose of this? What wheelchair= implies is if it allows wheelchairs, it allows other mobility aids. *:wheelchair= and your mobility:*= attribute list are simply duplicates. You only need walking_aid , but that’s more difficult to assess than wheelchairs.
Warning to others: Don’t use AI to generate a proposal

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  • mobility:path_width= → width=
  • mobility:surface_quality= → smoothness=

If attribute on feature is needed: entrance:*=

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The big idea is to find a tagging schemata that applies to all means of transport and individual disabilities to tackle those.

To depict how stuff moves in space and how humans can use that and how it affects you - in a digitized form.

I witnessed a child using a springy and falling off, because they leaned back too much.
That led me to question myself if this stuff is given attention. Different mass can dampen the springy in mysterious ways. And we should have a way to depict that. In all walks and rolls of life.

wheelchair is still used ubiquitiously and that is a bit against the idea. And all that, because there is - so far - not a valid alternative to depict different forms of how mobility affects us.

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These are mostly different topics, while there’s a shared interest and facility userbase

  • Mobility aid, movement vs Playing devices, using equipment
  • Accessibility vs Safety, inclusive playing

They don’t need to be mixed. Should be 2 different proposals.

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