FAQ

1. 1. Go to the place. Is there a step at the entrance? Measure the height of the step, if necessary (with a ruler or estimate using a hand width).
   2. Take a photo of the entrance. Be careful not to photograph anybody who might be walking by.
   3. Go inside and ask the staff if you can take a look at the WC and in case there is a high step or several steps at the entrance, if there is a mobile ramp available:
   • • Smile!
     • Introduction: “Hello, we’re taking a look which places in this area are accessible for wheelchair users and which are not.”
   • Questions: “I saw that there is a step at the entrance. Do you have a back door or side entrance that is accessible without steps or a mobile ramp that can be used as needed for wheelchair users?” and “Do you have a wheelchair accessible WC for customers? Can I take a look at it?”
   • Take a look at the WC.
   • Say thank you, goodbye and be on your way.
   • Save the information about the entrance, the rooms inside and the WC to www.wheelmap.org or on the Field Papers.

It is easiest to add a new place using the browser version at www.wheelmap.org. Click on “Add a new place” on the top right. You will then be led to a questionnaire where you can enter all the relevant information for this place. The questionnaire is completed when you press “send”. It can take a few minutes until the information is registered. Wait a bit and check back later to see if your entry was successful.

The more detailed your approach is or was, the more precise the questions will be that are asked of you. When adding a new place the questions can be more comprehensive than when editing an already existing location. For instance you can indicate if there is an automatic door, if service dogs are welcome or if the staff has been trained in interacting with people with disabilities. In addition you can add information on the accessibility and layout of a wheelchair accessible toilet. This information goes beyond the information that is gathered for the OpenStreetMap and therefore is added directly to the Wheelmap database. Data regarding new places on Wheelmap.org is independent from OpenStreetMap.

Once entered, this data can only be changed by someone of the Wheelmap staff. So please take your time when rating a new place. In case there are problems, you can send us an email at [email protected]

On the map click on the place whose rating you want to change. A window will open on the left side of your screen. Click on the pencil symbol and a new window will open where you can click on the correct color: 

Green for fully wheelchair accessible

Orange for partially wheelchair accessible

Red for not wheelchair accessible places. 

Make sure to read the detailed explanations regarding the colors and take another good look at the place: Is there a step and is it higher than 7cm? Are there steps inside the place, is there a mobile ramp and are you sure there is not an accessible entrance at the back door? When in doubt, ask a member of the staff of the place.

Please note: There are some places that you can not change on Wheelmap.org. These are places for which partner organizations have given us the data through the database accessibility.cloud. You can recognize these places because the external source is named at the bottom of the detail page of the place.

There are some places that you cannot edit on Wheelmap.org. These are places whose data has been supplied by our partner organizations (Parkopedia, Foursquare, Here, amongst others) through the database accessibility.cloud. You can recognize these places because the external source is named at the bottom of the detail page of the place. If the source is not OpenStreetMap and another name is listed instead, then this place cannot be changed on Wheelmap. However a link at the bottom takes you directly to the partner’s page, where it may be possible to edit the place’s information.

There are some places on Wheelmap.org where you can’t see or change the WC status. These places have a red accessibility status, which means that the entrance is not wheelchair accessible. Following the logic of accessibility, the bathroom in the same building is not wheelchair accessible due to the red location rating. Therefore, the WC is no longer displayed at all.

The two main criteria upon which a place is rated are: Does the place have a stepless entrance and are all the rooms inside accessible without steps? Depending on the answers, the place is then assigned the color green, orange or red, according to the traffic light rating system. You will find details on how to evaluate doors, side doors, ATMs, bus stops and stations, parking below.

The accessibility status:

Green = Fully wheelchair accessible

• Entrance: without steps
• Rooms: can all be reached without steps (e.g. all auditoriums in a cinema)

Orange = Partially wheelchair accessible

• Entrance: no more than one step which is not higher than 7 cm (3 in) (approx. one hand width)
• Rooms: the most important rooms can be reached without steps (e.g. certain auditoriums in a cinema)

 Red = Not wheelchair accessible

• Entrance: has at least one step that is higher than 7 cm (3 in) (approx. one hand width)
• Rooms: cannot be reached without steps

Grey = Unknown

• The wheelchair accessibility of the place is still unknown and needs to be marked

When rating a place you need to consider the following:

Doors

The properties of doors (e.g. swinging door, heavy, difficult to open) are not criteria within the Wheelmap traffic light system. The needs of persons with mobility restrictions are so varied that it is not possible to define a simple uniform criterion for this. Information on doors can be added as comments in the details of a place.

Side doors

When a place has stairs at the main entrance, but has a stepless back or side entrance, that is well marked at the front of the building, that place may be marked green if it meets the remaining criteria. 

ATMs

Both the height of an ATMs as well as its accessibility (stepless access) need to be taken into account. The user who is rating an ATM’s accessibility should ask him or herself: “Can the operating surface (keys, card slot, etc.) be reached by a person in a wheelchair?”

Bus stops and stations

At bus stops and train stations, only the wheelchair accessibility of the stop or station itself is relevant for the rating, that is if the waiting area can be entered without steps due to a lowered curb e.g. The accessibility of the public transportation vehicles is not rated. The local provider must be consulted with regard to the accessibility of its public transportation vehicles.

Parking

Parking lots and parking garages are rated as to whether or not they are theoretically wheelchair accessible. For parking lots the criteria include a stepless entrance and suitability of the type of surface. If a parking lot has a grass or gravel surface it should be marked as “not wheelchair accessible” (red). 

In parking garages please check if there is an elevator for reaching the different levels. Individual, so-called “disabled parking spaces” can not be displayed on Wheelmap at this point for technical reasons.

Ramps

If a mobile ramp is available at a place, and this is clearly communicated with a sign at the entrance, the place can be marked orange.

If a ramp is permanently installed at the entrance to a place, the place can be marked green.

If a ramp seems to be too steep or too narrow, this can be noted in the comments section of the place (e.g. “relatively steep ramp”).

The toilet accessibility status:

The accessibility of a toilet can be marked independently from the accessibility of the place where the toilet is located.

Green = Wheelchair accessible toilet

Red = No wheelchair accessible toilet

Grey = Unknown

The Wheelmap criteria for a wheelchair accessible toilet:

• no steps along the way to the toilet
• doorway’s inner width is minimally 90 cm (35 in)
• clear floor space is at least 150 cm × 150 cm (59 x 59 in)

Also helpful: 

• Wheelchair-height toilet seat
• Folding grab rails (or something similar)
• Wheelchair accessible hand basin

You do not have a smartphone or a mobile data flat in order to enter all locations directly online in the Wheelmap or the OpenStreetMap? For this case, there is the mapping tool “Field Papers”, a good way to capture your results with pen and paper during the mapping tour. In the following you find a detailed guide for using “Field Papers”:

Preparing the Field Papers

You will need:

• Computer with internet connection
• printer (preferably colored)
• paper

Start preparing:

1. Decide where you want to map.
2. Go to www.fieldpapers.org.
3. Zoom into the district or area you want to map.
4. Decide how big the mapping area should be. The more boxes you add to your map grid the larger this area gets. 

Suggestions:

• Plan at most 1 kilometre and one street side per hour for areas with many places (for example a shopping street).
• Do not zoom out too far in less densely populated areas: You should be able to determine exactly where you want to mark or re-enter a place if you are in front of it in the street.
• In less densely populated areas, you can also plan several small mapping walks, such as starting in one village, then driving to the next village, etc.

1. For a mapping event in the group, it’s best to set a larger grid. The same is the case if you want to map a long street that spans multiple boxes in the grid.
2. In any case zoom in closely into the map, you’ll need the space on the map for your notes, which you will later add right to this sheet of paper with your own handwriting!
3. Set the paper size as you would like to print it, we recommend “A4 landscape”.
4. Choose the base map. If you have a color printer choose “OpenStreetMap”. It works also fine for black and white printing or printing in scales of grey, but you may like the basemap “black & white” better. If you prefer a realistic view, you can also use satellite photos as a base map. Just have a look at the options and discover what you like best.
5. Click on “Download PDF” and then on “Print” in the PDF reader. Instead of printing everything, you can print the first page first and have a look at the overview of the grid. Then you can determine which route you want to go. We recommend you also compare the grid with the corresponding area as displayed on www.wheelmap.org. There you can see where there are still many grey spots meaning there is little or no information on the wheelchair accessibility status. According to your choice of route, you can print specific pages of the PDF only.
6. Print one copy of the collection of map sheets per person. This enables you to split up spontaneously (for example, left side of the street and right side of the street). For each sheet with a map, print a list for the notes for places that need to be added from scratch or that you want to add more details to than just the entrance and toilet status. (Example: With a grid of sections from A1-D4 you have a total of 16 map sections, that’s why you need 16 printouts of these 16 sheets plus 16 printouts of the list for notes.)
7. Clamp the collection of sheets to a clipboard in the following order: After each sheet of paper with a map section, put a printed list for taking notes of places. 

For Pros: You can tie the sheets together with a ring binder (for example in the copy shop), preferably with a cardboard as the last page, so you can write on it. You will need no additional pad or clipboard.

Mapping with the Field Papers

You need:

• Printed Field Paper / Map Collection
• Printed List(s) for places that need to be added in the OpenStreetMap
• Pens – best with thin lead and very black
• Clipboard or other portable desk pad
• Optional: Flyers and stickers from Wheelmap.org and Wheelramp.de
• Optional: Photo camera

Before you start: Briefing of the group prior to the event

Organize a meeting of all participants of the event at “headquarters”. There you can give a brief introduction, prepare and distribute your mapping materials, and divide the group into smaller teams. 

Important: Make sure to exchange your contact info. Note the mobile number of at least one person per team before you start and go out into the streets. Hand one collection of the field paper deck you prepared to each team and decide which team is mapping which section.

The teams go or drive to their assigned sections.

Mapping places with pen and paper

Just start with the nearest public place. Important: Use a new sheet of paper for your notes of every map section. Write down a title (e.g. “Wheelmapping in London”) and the map section reference (e.g. C4 – of course you will need the list only if you find a new place that needs to be added on the map C4 or if you want to add additional information to an existing place on C4). Once you go on to another map section (e.g. C5), you start a new list (named “Wheelmapping in London”, map reference C5) for all places in this new section. Start a new list, even if you only write down a single place on the list for this section – this is important for the digitization in a later step!

How to mark a place

1. Examine and mark the place, checking if there is a stepless entrance (=Y), one step with a maximum height of 7cm (which is roughly a hands width) (=P) or a higher or more than one step with no mobile ramp to overcome them (=N).
2. Then go inside and check out the toilet. Make sure there are no steps along the way to the toilet, a wide door (min. 90cm) and enough room to maneuver (min. 150cm x 150cm), if there criteria are met you may mark the toilet as WC, if not NWC and if there is no toilet OWC.
3. Do you find this place on the field paper?
4. If yes: CLEARLY write the accessibility status next to the place.

Y for “Yes, fully wheelchair accessible”

N for “No, not wheelchair accessible”

P for “Partially wheelchair accessible”

Then CLEARLY write the status of the toilet next to the place.

WC for “The toilet is wheelchair accessible”

NWC for “The toilet is not wheelchair accessible”

OWC for “There is no toilet at all”

1. If no: CLEARLY write a number on the map exactly on the spot where the place is located and draw a circle around the number.
2. Use the list that belongs to this part of the map grid and write down the number just given and its details (name, type [café, optician, bike shop, etc.], address, entrance status –Y/N/P, toilet status – WC/NWC/OWC.
3. Go to the next place and repeat the procedure.

Hand over the data

Return your deck of field papers (map grid and lists with the notes) to your mapping event headquarters to the person who will digitize the data. Ask if everything is readable and if not, add your notes in a more readable form.

Digitize the data

With a smartphone camera

• Look for a very (!) bright and windless place where you can photograph the paper, e.g. on the inner window sill by daylight
• Go to fieldpapers.org with your phone’s browser and click “Upload”.
• Click on the button “Browse …” and select as a source the camera of your mobile phone.
• Put the paper with the map and the list (if you used one) next to each other.
• Take a picture of both sheets in a single pic.
• The QR code must be clearly visible in the image.

With an A3 scanner

• Put the A4-sheet with the map and the A4-sheet with the list together on the scanner.

With a smaller scanner

• First scan only the lists one by one and upload them separately to a publicly accessible website on the internet (eg flickr, Google Drive, Dropbox, etc.).
• Shorten the URL of each link (e.g. on https://bit.ly or https://goo.gl)
• Write the shortened URLs of each scanned and uploaded list by hand on the belonging map sheet.
• Scan the map sheets where you added hand-written numbers and abbreviations during the tour plus the shortened URLs.
• After taking the picture or scanning the sheets, go to fieldpapers.org, click “Upload” and upload the pic or the scanned map sections one at a time.

Add the data to the OSM

1. Go directly to the Field-Papers link you want to edit (or navigate to the map snippets created for the mapping event by clicking “watch” – all generated maps will be displayed worldwide)
2. Select a map section you want to edit (for example, “Snapshot of B4”)
3. At the bottom right click on “edit in …” on “iD” to open the OpenStreetMap-Editor named “iD”.
4. You may have to register first with OpenStreetMap and confirm your email address.
5. The first time you open the iD editor, you will receive an introduction (tutorial). More information is also available at learnosm.org.
6. Edit the existing places or create new places based on the handwritten notes that you can now see semi-transparent under the map in the editor.
7. When you’re done with a map cutout, “save”. A “changeset” will be created. Write in the comment in a nutshell which mapping event you are participating in, preferably with a hashtag, for example: #wheelmapStuttgart
8. Repeat this until you have digitized all map sections.
9. The changes are visible within a few minutes at Wheelmap.org.