Unimpaired City: Problems of Visually Impaired People in City Life

Aim of current study is to reveal the environmental problems in cities via qualitative method. For that purpose, study group consists of visually impaired people have problems in towns. Fourteen visually impaired people participated into study. Moreover, snowball sampling was used in current study. In data collection, semi-structured interview form was used. Reliability and validity was provided before collecting data. In analyzing data, descriptive and content analysis was used, themes and categories were created. These themes were difficulties in public transportation, park and sports areas, common use areas, state offices and hospital. In accordance to these themes, categories were created via content analysis. Participants reported that they mostly have problems regarding to voice systems in buses and stops. They generally need to ask someone to learn the stop or bus name. In parks and sport areas they generally have problems related to yellow lines, ramps and security. In common use areas, they suffer from cleaning and in state offices they complain about ATM systems and signing the documents. For the last theme –hospitals- participants mostly have problems regarding others’ attitudes, pyhsical structure of building and crowd. Their suggestions for hospital generally focus on providing an officer to help them during their hospital visit. Findings were discussed and suggestions were givens in line with results