Acessibilidade e mobilidade em espaços usados por portadores de deficiência visual: o caso do entorno do Instituto dos Cegos - Campina Grande - PB.

Abstract

This research focuses on the accessibility and mobility in the spaces used by visually impaired people, taking as the object of an empirical research the "surroundings of the Institute of the Blind – Campina Grande – PB" (IC-CG). For this, it started from the following questions: the surroundings of IC-CG presents adapted to facilitate the locomotion of their users? If not, what are the tactics of spatial mobility that they use to come and go at this institution? In view of the raised problematic, the research had as the general objective: check the conditions of infrastructure and accessibility and safe mobility of the students who attend classes in the IC-CG in the neighborhood of Catolé – Campina Grande – PB. And had as the specific objectives the following: to identify the difficulties presented faced by the visually impaired people, to get around the surroundings of the IC-CG; to verify if the structure of the IC-CG is suitable to accommodate students satisfactorily; to analyze whether conditions of urban mobility for users of the IC-CG in the surroundings of this institution and, finally, to analyze the tactics of spatial mobility used in the vicinity of the IC-CG by its users. The methodology adopted was the literature search for the theoretical basis of the Inclusive Education Policy and to comprehend the Laws that guarantee the rights of the visually impaired people. On the other hand, it was constituted as a case study performed in a specific place, without worry of comparing the results of the research, but, indeed, find satisfactory answers to the issues investigated. Thus, this case study consisted of a qualitative research. To obtain the empirical data, we resorted to the application of questionnaires with closed and open questions. Finally, the survey results showed that the space surrounding the IC-CG features problems of infrastructure and accessibility, which hinder the mobility of visually impaired people who use it. Because of that, these individuals use, as a tactic of spatial mobility, the other senses to recognize and orient themselves in the vicinity of the referred Institute.