Abstract
This article documents barriers to access by wheelchair in a sample of privately owned, public use settings in a large midwestern city and describes efforts to prompt voluntary removal of barriers in these settings. Approximately 2,000 public use settings (e.g., hotels, restaurants, theaters) were surveyed to identify barriers to access by persons with disabilities. A sample of 420 at least partially accessible settings was selected to evaluate the effects of different intervention strategies in promoting barrier removal. Seven different intervention packages designed to encourage managers to call or write for free technical assistance in making their settings more accessible were evaluated. The intervention packages did not differ significantly in their effectiveness in prompting managers to request assistance. Phone calls to managers who did not receive intervention packages suggested that calls alone were as effective as the intervention packages in prompting managers to request assistance.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.