Cork Views: We must design a city where everyone can thrive

As I used a lift with a friend recently, he remarked on how low the buttons were positioned.

“This design is silly,” he said, assuming it was an oversight. I paused and explained: “These buttons are low so that people who use wheelchairs or little people can access them.”

My friend, like many, had never considered this before. He hadn’t needed to.

This moment reflects an often-overlooked truth: privilege shapes how we experience the world.

If you’re someone without a disability, the world is designed for you - lifts, streets, and public spaces all cater to your needs. But privilege is temporary. One day, many of us will lose it, whether through illness, injury, or aging. We’ll find ourselves navigating a world that no longer accommodates us, wondering how we once took that ease for granted.

So, how do we ensure our cities work for everyone, not just for the privileged few?

What Does It Mean to Be ‘Normal’?

‘Normality’ is often defined statistically as one standard deviation from the mean. This range includes about two-thirds of the population, leaving another third outside it. Among those left out are people with disabilities - individuals whose needs and experiences often go unconsidered in the design of public spaces.

When architects and city planners design only for the so-called ‘normal’, they inadvertently exclude many people. This isn’t just a failure of design; it’s a failure of imagination. True inclusivity requires stepping out of our own experiences and imagining life through someone else’s eyes.

What is it like to navigate a street with a visual loss? To rely on a wheelchair in a world full of stairs? To find lighting inadequate because of night blindness? Or to attend a service where an official is talking behind a glass partition and your hearing aid cannot pick up their words?

Imagining these realities helps us to create spaces that serve everyone, not just the ‘average’ or ‘typical’ person.

Examples of Thoughtful Design in Cork

Cork isn’t without its successes. Kent Station, for example, stands out as a model of inclusive practice.

When I arrive, staff in high-visibility jackets are quick to approach, asking if I need assistance. They guide me through the gates, help me onto the train, and even radio ahead to Dublin to ensure someone is there to meet me.

Cork Airport is another excellent example. From check-in to boarding, porters are available to guide passengers with visual losses or other disabilities through security and other processes.

This seamless, respectful support shows what’s possible when inclusion is a priority.

These examples show that Cork can be a leader in accessibility when it chooses to be. But these successes are only part of the picture.

Areas for Improvement

Despite these positive examples, there’s still much work to be done. Consider electronic bus timetables. While helpful for many, they are often mounted too high for people with visual loss to read closely.

A simple adjustment - lowering them to head height - could make a big difference. Adding an audio function, activated by a button, would make these timetables accessible to even more people.

Lighting is another critical issue. Poorly lit streets are not just inconvenient; they’re dangerous, especially for those with conditions like Retinitis Pigmentosa or night blindness.

Addressing this would enhance safety and independence for many Cork residents.

Privilege Is Temporary

One of the most profound things I’ve heard came from a friend who uses a wheelchair. Before I lost most of my vision, he said the prophetic words: “You’re not disabled - yet,” pointing out that disability is not a question of if, but when.

If we live long enough, all of us will experience some form of disability. Privilege, he reminded me, is fleeting.

When we ignore the needs of others, we aren’t just failing them; we’re failing our future selves. By building a world that excludes, we create a society where many - including us, eventually - struggle to participate fully.

As we start a new year, let’s commit to rethinking what it means to design for humanity.

Architects, city planners, and policymakers must consult, most importantly, with people who have disabilities themselves, but also with occupational therapists and disability advocates to create spaces that reflect the diversity of human experience.

And as individuals, let’s expand our empathy. Let’s step out of our own experiences and imagine life through the eyes of someone else.

Because inclusive design doesn’t just benefit people with disabilities; it enriches all of us. It creates a city where dignity, independence, and opportunity are available to everyone - a city where no-one is left behind.