Mastodawn

My train journey home starts with another accessibility rant (sorry, I've got an hour on a train and I didn't bring a book). Time to talk about something few think of as an accessibility aid

Benches

Most people take for granted that they can stand for half an hour or an hour to wait for a train. But for a surprisingly high number of people. Standing for even a few minutes can be agony. These people might not look like they need accessibility aids. But not being able to sit can be a problem
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Quixoticgeek 2d ago

As part of the ongoing enshittification of the built environment, benches have been disappearing. This is because people moan that the benches get used, by homeless people who use them to lay down on. Or youths who hang out on them. The former is often countered by seat designs that stop a person laying down. It's called hostile architecture. People put effort into making bother people uncomfortable. Rather than solving homelessness. Which is something that's really easy to solve.
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Jules she/her 2d ago

@quixoticgeek there was a good post on here somewhere about how hostile architecture is the opposite of the kerb cut effect. Just like kerb cuts for wheelchairs also help people with bikes, prams, suitcases, in the way accessibility measures help people beyond those who they're initially aimed at, hostile architecture targeted at unhoused people makes life harder for everyone beyond its designated targets.

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Magnus Ahltorp

@afewbugs @quixoticgeek And even kerb cuts are semi-hostile, since they work on the principle that cars are first-class citizens, while pedestrians and cyclists are second-class citizens.