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The Empathy Tool: Addressing Accessibility Issues in Urban Spaces

The InclusiveSpaces project, focused on creating accessible and climate-adaptive urban spaces, is proud to introduce the Empathy Tool, designed to improve accessibility in urban areas by helping individuals in vulnerable situations report mobility challenges. Developed by the InclusiveSpaces partner MaasLab, the tool gathers data on travel needs to support better urban planning, design, and accessibility.

What is the Empathy Tool?

The Empathy Tool enables users (particularly those with disabilities, limited mobility, or other access needs) to report barriers in public spaces and document their travel experiences. More than just a reporting app, it functions as both a mobility diary and a data collection tool, capturing:

  • Route details (locations, timestamps, transport modes, speed)
  • Reports of inaccessible areas (via text, voice, or image)
  • Travel preferences and patterns over time

The data collected helps city planners and decision-makers identify and prioritize accessibility improvements based on real-world user experiences.

Designed with Users, for Users

Accessibility is at the heart of the tool’s design. It supports:

  • Voice and image recognition
  • Assistive tech compatibility
  • Customizable interfaces with adjustable text sizes and high-contrast modes

Crucially, development was shaped by feedback from demonstration sites in Larnaka, Geneva, and Budapest. For instance:

  • In Larnaka, users emphasized the need for intuitive navigation and simple reporting categories.
  • In Geneva, the tool was adapted to meet multilingual demands, ensuring accurate translations and culturally sensitive UI design.

In addtion, the Empathy Tool adheres to GDPR standards, ensuring user data is anonymized and collected only with explicit consent. Local partnerships (including with Geneva’s public transport operator TPG and Larnaka’s municipality) helped embed privacy-by-design principles into the tool’s structure and dashboard.

Real-World Testing & Engagement

Phased testing began in Larnaka and will expand to Geneva and Budapest. Trials will evaluate:

  • Tracking and geofencing accuracy
  • Usability of reporting functions
  • Dashboard visualization for planners and users

Community participation is encouraged through incentives such as local market vouchers, fostering both engagement and local ownership.

In Budapest, the tool will be tested against the city’s unique infrastructure and user needs, while in Geneva, linguistic diversity will continue to guide improvements to interface and support.

Each report submitted through the Empathy Tool feeds into an interactive dashboard accessible to urban planners. Early feedback has already revealed common barriers, such as uneven sidewalks and inaccessible bus stops, enabling cities like Larnaka to target improvements more effectively.

For users, the dashboard also serves as a navigation aid, helping them plan routes that are safer and more accessible, enhancing both independence and confidence in moving through the city.

Inclusive Design in Action

The Empathy Tool is one of several innovations being piloted within the InclusiveSpaces initiative. At the demonstration site in Larnaka, a holistic, user-driven approach is guiding accessibility improvements across the urban landscape. In addition to the solar-powered mobility kiosks with shared e-wheelchairs, the Larnaka site will feature:

  • iSEATRAC installations to enable autonomous beach access for wheelchair users
  • A digital accessibility evaluation tool for assessing the inclusiveness of public spaces and buildings
  • Indoor assistive technologies in selected public facilities
  • Travel demand data collection from individuals with impaired mobility, led by MLAB
  • Co-design workshops and universal design strategies involving the local community, coordinated by cambiaMO

These tools and technologies are designed to work in concert with the Empathy Tool, ensuring that improvements are based on real user experiences and needs.

Building a More Inclusive Future

By connecting citizens, urban planners, and policymakers, the Empathy Tool exemplifies the InclusiveSpaces project’s mission to create urban spaces that serve everyone’s needs. With continued collaboration and innovation, the project aims to pave the way for tangible improvements in accessibility, ensuring that all residents, regardless of ability, can navigate their cities with dignity and ease.

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