title: Accessibility to the public environment as perceived by teenagers with functional limitations in a south Swedish town centre.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Owing to physical inaccessibility persons with mobility restrictions and other functional limitations often face problems in public environments, leading to restrictions in activity and participation. To investigate general accessibility and perceived problems of accessibility to the public environment in a town centre, as well as visiting preferences to public facilities, among teenagers with functional limitations.
  
  
  METHODS
  An interview questionnaire specific to a south Swedish town was constructed and used with 33 Swedish teenagers with functional limitations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  To a varying degree, all 33 teenagers commented on accessibility problems, e.g. concerning uneven surface material outdoors, steps at entrances, heavy doors and restricted space indoors. The results also indicated that teenagers with functional limitations to a high extent want to visit the same environments as other teenagers, but that it is often impossible owing to accessibility problems. Furthermore, because of accessibility problems, many of the teenagers were dependent on personal assistance.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Inaccessibility results in dependence, which might affect personal development negatively, and much effort are required in order to ensure activity and societal participation. Efficient priorities in public environment accessibility matters and discussions with the actors involved require valid and reliable data on local accessibility problems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Occupational Therapy, Lund University, Sweden. agneta.fange@arb.lu.se
authors.forename: Agneta
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fänge
authors.forename: Susanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Iwarsson
authors.forename: Asa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Persson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001107:Architectural Accessibility; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011633:Public Facilities / Q000592:standards*; D013548:Sweden