Wheelmap.org

Wheelmap.org
Type of site
 Web mapping
Available in 22 languages
Owner Sozialhelden e.V.
Created by Christoph Bünte
Slogan(s) Find wheelchair accessible places
Website www.wheelmap.org
Alexa rank Increase 50 (GE 09/2014)
Commercial No
Registration No, only to add special comments
Launched 9 July 2010 (2010-07-09)
Current status Online
Content license
 CC BY-SA 2.0, CC BY 3.0

Wheelmap.org is an online, worldwide map for finding and marking wheelchair accessible places, developed by the German nonprofit organisation Sozialhelden e.V. Anyone can find and add public places to the map and rate them according to a simple traffic light system. The map, which is based on OpenStreetMap, was created in 2010 by a team around social entrepreneur Raul Krauthausen to help people who use wheelchairs or wheeled walkers to plan their days more easily. Parents pushing a baby carriage can also benefit from the Wheelmap information. Currently almost 600,000 public places worldwide can be found on the map. About 300 new places are added on a daily basis. Wheelmap ist available on the website and as an app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone.[1]

Tagging

Anyone can mark Points of Interest (bus stations, restaurants, cinemas, museums, banks, government offices, etc.).[3] according to their wheelchair accessibility on Wheelmap. A simple traffic light system is used to rate the wheelchair accessibility of a place:[2] The markings are inserted by using the simple traffic light system:

 Wheelchair accessible * entrance: ground level, without stairs
Green: * rooms: all rooms without stairs
* toilet (if toilets for visitors available): Accessible toilet
.
Restricted wheelchair accessible * entrance: one stage (7 cm/ 3 inch high) maximal
Yellow: * rooms: ground level of the most important rooms
* toilet (if toilets for visitors available)): no matter
.
 Not wheelchair accessible * entrance: with a higher stage then 7 cm/ 3 inch, or with several stages
Red: * rooms: not accessible
* toilet (if toilets for visitors available)): not accessible

Places that have not yet been rated on their wheelchair accessibility are marked gray. They can be marked quickly and easily by anyone, without prior registration. Registered users can add photos or comments with further details about the wheelchair accessibility of a place[3] Registered users can add images to a location and write a comment with further details about the wheelchair assibility of the place.

Weelmap.org focuses on the relevant accessibility informations and is not limited to wheelchair specific locations, such as therapy centers or toilets. Instead, wheelchair users should be include in Everyday life, focusing on public places of daily life including cafes, clubs, theaters, and basic public services, including public transportation, government offices and banks. Similar to Wikipedia, the user enters the information such that everyone helps to grow this tool from the bottom up.

Awards

Trivia

In the fall of 2011 Wheelmap.org was the subject of commercials of Google Inc. for the Chrome browser, which was broadcast on German television.[11]

References

  1. ↑ wheelmap-raul-krauthausen (de) in Die Zeit online
  2. ↑ Wheelmap at deutschland.de (Website in cooperation with the Federal Foreign Office (Germany)) Retrieved 14 September 2014
  3. ↑ wiki.openstreetmap.org, Retrieved 01 September 2014
  4. ↑ winners-of-the-inca-award-2010, Retrieved 14 September 2014
  5. ↑ The Guardian: winners-named-at-vodafone-smart-accessibility-awards, Retrieved 14 September 2014
  6. ↑ werkstatt-n.de/projects/wheelmaporg, Retrieved 14 September 2014
  7. ↑ land-der-ideen.de/365-orte/winner/wheelmap.org (de), Retrieved 14 September 2014
  8. ↑ 365-selected-landmarks/365-landmarks-land-ideas, Retrieved 14 September 2014
  9. ↑ Winners World Summit Award, Retrieved 14 September 2014
  10. ↑ The-first-european-award-for-social-entrepreneurship-and-disability, Retrieved 14 september 2014
  11. ↑ trivia, Retrieved 2014-09-01
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