Accessibility in the City of Stockholm : a qualitive study from the perspective of wheelchair users

This study aims to investigate what accessibility looks like in the city of Stockholm from wheelchair users and from a human rights perspective. The study also aims to shed light on how the Traffic Office in Stockholm works with accessibility. I have chosen to do a qualitive study where the empirical data was obtained from three different source materials. Partly via individual semi-structured interviews with the Traffic Office and with three wheelchair users who live in the city of Stockholm. Partly via two participant observations with a wheelchair user. Finally, from the swedish handbook Stockholm - en stad för alla (2008), written by the Traffic Office, which is based on laws and guidelines of how to make an environment useful for people with disabilities. The study shows that there are environmental barriers for people with disabilities in Stockholm. These can be lack of architectural structures (e.g. ramps, elevators), obstacles in the environment as well as inaccessible buildings. The study also shows that the functioning body as a norm is constantly present and much in our society is adapted accordingly. Based on Crip-theory, the study focuses on wheelchair users perspectives and their experiences of when their disability in relation to the environment becomes a functional limitation.