Readable, intelligible and accessible station
Type of project: Exploratory research
Disabilities concerned: Hearing disability, Mental disability, Motor disability, Visual disability
Topics: Digital accessibility, Autonomy, Buildings and installations, Services and communication, Public transportation
Statut : In progress
The aim of this research is to explore the typology of communication patterns that facilitate or complicate access to information in railway stations from the point of view of persons with disabilities, and to develop practical ideas for improving communication in railway stations.
In railway stations, there are many facilities to promote the mobility and independence of persons with disabilities (PWD). However, PWD are sometimes unable to access them for a variety of social and linguistic reasons: signage at railway stations is lacking or is not visible/audible/tactile; messages on apps lack essential information for PWD; or some users do not respect signage.
While these problems are particularly pronounced during disruptions (delays, platform changes, construction work at railway stations, etc.), they can also arise in ordinary situations. This exploratory study proposes a detailed sociolinguistic study of a railway station undergoing change, that of Fribourg. Using smartphones or tools adapted to each person’s abilities, 12 PWD will document how they read, hear or feel information at railway stations in order to access essential places and services.
The PWD will thus offer an unprecedented perspective on their reading of an urban place that plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing their autonomy of movement. Their documentation of the railway station’s ‘linguistic landscape’ (study of texts, sounds, announcements, signs in the public space) will then be presented to some of the station’s managers and staff, with the aim of working together to find ways of better including the communicative needs of PWD in public transport.
Contact info
Institut de Plurilinguisme, Université et HEP de Fribourg
Philippe Humbert