Customizable mobility. Find routes that are right for YOU!
Mobility preferences you can customize:
- Maximum uphill steepness
- Maximum downhill steepness
- Street avoidance
- Avoid raised curbs and stairs
- Avoid noisy/crowded streets (sidewalks and crossings adjacent to primary streets)
- Select landmark callouts for screenReader mode
Plan pedestrian trips around actual mobility needs.
AccessMap is a free web application for pedestrians, wheelchair users, blind and low-vision travelers, caregivers, planners, and researchers. It helps people understand and compare routes using sidewalks, crossings, footways, slope information, accessibility preferences, and screen-reader-friendly guidance.
Instead of assuming one route works for everyone, AccessMap helps people choose routes that better match how they actually move through the built environment.
Why AccessMap exists
Most digital maps present one version of the environment to everyone. But the same block can feel very different depending on slope, curb ramps, crossings, landmarks, assistive technology, and how a person moves. AccessMap exists to make those differences visible and useful in route planning.
One route does not fit every pedestrian
- A route that works for one traveler may be difficult or impossible for another.
- Steep grades, missing curb ramps, noisy streets, and inaccessible crossings matter differently for different people.
- Traditional maps often hide those differences.
Routes reflect the traveler
- Route planning is conditioned on the person, not just the street network.
- Preferences change both what the map shows and which route is recommended.
- AccessMap helps people plan with more transparency before they leave.
Better information leads to better trips
- People can compare route tradeoffs more clearly.
- Agencies and researchers can better understand pedestrian access conditions.
- Community feedback helps improve the underlying data over time.
When to use AccessMap
AccessMap supports several common needs. These examples help show how the tool can be useful in practice.
I need to get somewhere
- Select a region.
- Choose a mobility profile or customize preferences.
- Set an origin and destination by search, map click, or current location.
- Review route summary, directions, and trip info.
I need to know whether this route works for me
- Compare mobility profiles.
- Adjust steepness limits, barrier avoidance, and street avoidance.
- Inspect route colors, incline bar, and route statistics.
- Use directions, landmarks, and alerts during travel.
I want to help improve the map
- Select a feature or a route step.
- Open the feedback form.
- Report what is inaccurate, misplaced, or missing.
- Help strengthen future routes and pedestrian data quality.
What this looks like in AccessMap
Add real screenshots here to make the main use cases easier to understand at a glance.
Route planning view
Route planning
Show the search bar, route line, route summary, and directions panel.
Mobility profiles and preferences
Profiles and preferences
Show how steepness, barriers, and street preferences can change the route.
Explore AccessMap
Start with the sections below for a fuller explanation of what AccessMap does, who it is for, how it works, and how you can get involved.
AccessMap is a web-based, accessibility-first route planner. It uses detailed information about sidewalks, curb ramps, slopes, crossings, footways, and landmarks to generate walking and rolling routes that reflect a person’s mobility needs rather than just street centerlines.
- Plans routes that respect slope tolerance, curb ramp needs, and other accessibility preferences.
- Helps users see barriers such as missing sidewalks or challenging crossings before traveling.
- Supports safer and more usable connections to transit and community destinations.
- Shows route directions, trip information, elevation change, and route conditions in one place.
- Individuals with disabilities and older adults planning daily trips.
- Blind and low-vision travelers using screen readers and landmark-based navigation.
- Caregivers and service providers supporting trip planning.
- Community organizations and advocates documenting barriers and accessibility gaps.
- Planners, agencies, and researchers working on accessibility, ADA, and pedestrian data quality.
AccessMap combines a connected pedestrian graph with configurable accessibility preferences. It uses OpenSidewalks, an open standard for describing pedestrian infrastructure such as sidewalks, curb ramps, crossings, and related features, together with OpenStreetMap, a collaborative open map of the world. Those data help AccessMap translate user settings into route choices that can avoid or penalize steep slopes, missing curb ramps, inaccessible crossings, or noisier streets.
- Mobility profiles: Start with profiles such as manual wheelchair, powered wheelchair, support cane, blind and low-vision, or custom.
- Customizable mobility preferences: Adjust uphill and downhill steepness, barrier avoidance, and street avoidance to better match your trip.
- Route transparency: Review slope, crossings, barriers, landmarks, directions, and trip information before starting travel.
- Non-visual support: Use landmark-based alerts and screen-reader-friendly step-by-step guidance.
- Community feedback loop: Report missing, inaccurate, or changed features so the data can improve over time.
AccessMap is currently available in selected regions with high-quality pedestrian network data. Coverage depends on the availability, structure, and validation of local pedestrian infrastructure information. Additional regions can be added as data becomes available and is brought into the same schema.
You can help improve AccessMap by leaving feedback on map features and route steps when something is missing, inaccurate, or newly changed on the ground. If you are interested in bringing AccessMap to your city or participating in related pedestrian data work, contact the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology.
AccessMap supports screen-reader use, keyboard interaction, and high-contrast interface elements. Users can also manage research tracking preferences within the application.
Tutorials
These tutorials introduce the concept, show how to plan a route, explain preferences and non-visual navigation, and show how users can help improve the map.
Why generic maps are not enough
- Why pedestrians encounter the same environment differently.
- How slope, curb ramps, barriers, and context change the route.
- Why personalized routing requires richer pedestrian data.
Plan your first route
- Select a region and profile.
- Set waypoints by search, map click, or current location.
- Review route summary, directions, and trip information.
Profiles, preferences, and non-visual navigation
- How mobility profiles affect route options.
- How steepness, barriers, and street avoidance change the map.
- How landmark alerts and screen-reader support work during travel.
Help improve the map
- Report inaccurate or missing feature information.
- Leave feedback on route steps and real-world conditions.
- Strengthen the next trip for future users.
AccessMap user manual
Read the full guide directly from the TCAT Wiki.
Try AccessMap now
Choose a region, select the mobility profile that best matches your needs, and plan a route. You can refine preferences at any point and share route links directly.
Get involved
Use feature feedback or route-step feedback when you notice missing or inaccurate conditions. If you want to explore AccessMap in your city or collaborate on related pedestrian data efforts, contact the Taskar Center for Accessible Technology.
summary
Sidewalks are the vital threads linking us to travel options, but they come with challenges. AccessMap.app bridges gaps by providing detailed info on pedestrian paths, transit stations, elevation changes, curb ramps, and more. Tailor routes to your mobility and preferences for a hassle-free journey. Now with native support for screen readers and step-by-step instructions for both indoor and outdoor facilities. Your path to accessibility starts with AccessMap.app, because everyone deserves to connect seamlessly in our communities!
Deploying AccessMap in your city
If you are interested in adding your city to AccessMap, please email us at help@accessmap.atlassian.net. We will evaluate the eligibility of your city or region based on the completeness and quality of the pedestrian network data in OpenStreetMap and/or your local transportation agency data store.
Do you want to participate in co-design for AccessMap Multimodal?
Take our survey at tinyurl.com/GoAccessMap or contact uwtcat@uw.edu to join our beta!
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