Urban barriers

Experts say that architecture of public spaces could be further marginalising those with disabilities

An elderly man with a walking aid navigating past a set of bollards near a pedestrian crossing between 3 Jalan Bukit Merah and the ABC Brickworks Market. Such barriers - placed along walkways to deter reckless motorcyclists, cyclists and motorised pe
An elderly man with a walking aid navigating past a set of bollards near a pedestrian crossing between 3 Jalan Bukit Merah and the ABC Brickworks Market. Such barriers - placed along walkways to deter reckless motorcyclists, cyclists and motorised personal mobility device riders - are a common sight, but social service organisations, industry professionals and academics say they also hamper access for those with mobility issues. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH
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Paralympic medallist and world champion Theresa Goh has surmounted a good many challenges over the course of her swimming career.

But in the midst of Covid-19, the 33-year-old, born with spina bifida and paralysed from the waist down, found herself stymied by a seemingly modest foe: a single kerb step outside a shopping centre.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on November 30, 2020, with the headline Urban barriers. Subscribe