Law and policy
Law and policy can be used in different ways to make our streets more accessible. Law can sometimes be used to challenge a particular barrier that caused you harm. Good law and policy can help prevent barriers being designed into streets in the first place, and make sure that existing barriers are systematically dismantled. Here, we provide information and ideas about using law and policy in these different ways.
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Using law to address specific barriers (UK)
Use this guide if you have encountered accessibility-related problems while walking or wheeling around city streets. It provides possible ways of taking action to tackle the problem. View the full version of the UK guide.
Please note – this guide is not legal advice. If you are thinking about suing somebody, it is important that you seek professional advice first.
Evidencing the problem
Note the address of the problem or use the WhatThreeWords app.
Take a photo or video of the problem.
Take the contact details of witnesses who saw you struggling with the problem.
Evidencing how the problem affected you
Doctor’s note containing any physical/emotional/psychological injury you experienced.
Personal note, together with any accompanying evidence, of how the problem affected your plans and activities on the day and/or longer term.
Personal note of the date/ dates of the harms and ongoing harm/inconvenience/limitation caused.
Identifying who is responsible for the problem
Think about:
Who could have done something that would have stopped the problem happening or made it less serious?
Who could do something differently which would remove the problem or make it less serious?
Reporting the problem
Depending on what the problem is, consider reporting it to:
The person causing the problem. Consider asking a friend or other supporter to accompany you, or even to do this on your behalf if you are concerned about a negative reaction.
Your local authority.
FixMyStreet, which sends a report to your local council.
Letting the police know about the problem
If you think the problem in question amounts to a crime, you can contact the police to report it. Unless there is a real emergency, you should dial 101. The Police UK website provides more information on what to report and how to report it:
https://www.police.uk/pu/contact-the-police/what-and-how-to-report
Taking legal action
Consider what you want your action to achieve, and how much time, energy and money you want to commit.
Bringing a case for disability discrimination
If you think you might have a case for disability discrimination under the Equality Act 2010 (which applies to England, Scotland and Wales), it is worth seeking legal advice. The Act is complex and bringing a case, particularly without a lawyer, can be very demanding. It can also be expensive, although it doesn’t have to be.
Working out where to go for legal advice can be daunting. The Citizens Advice Bureau is a good source of free advice. In England, details are at: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk
In Scotland, details are at: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/scotland
And in Wales, details are at: https://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/wales
There is a House of Commons Library briefing paper which provides information about sources of legal help and advice, and how to pay for it, including: Finding legal help; Self-representation; Legal aid; Pro bono legal help; Other ways of finding legal advice, including organisations which provide help and advice in connection with specific legal issues. It is at:
https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN03207/SN03207.pdf
The Law Centres Network defends the legal rights of people who cannot afford a lawyer. It includes a searchable directory. It is at:
MyGov.Scot provides a list of legal advice organisations in Scotland at:
https://www.mygov.scot/legal-advice
For disabled people, the Disability Justice Project provides resources to help find legal support and guidance at:
The Disability Law Service provides specialist legal advice for disabled people, their families and carers on various issues including disability discrimination at:
By Telephone at: 020 7791 9800.
Specific advice on equality and human rights matters is freely available from the Equality Advisory & Support Service at:
https://www.equalityadvisoryservice.com/app/home
It provides a helpline, advice and assistance which can be reached by phone –
Helpline: 0808 800 0082;
Textphone: 18001 0808 800 0084.
It also makes various template complaint letters available on its website, which you could adapt for your own particular case.
Reasonable Access is a disabled people’s organisation that aims to empower other disabled people in the UK to assert and enforce their right to access through peer assistance and information. On its website, there is a range of very helpful guidance, including on how to make a complaint about disability discrimination: https://www.reasonableaccess.org.uk/
The Disability Justice Project is run by Inclusion London; it supports London Deaf and Disabled People’s Organisations to use the law to help Deaf/Disabled people make their rights to independent living and access to goods and services a reality. On its website at: https://www.disabilityjustice.org.uk/
There are interactive themes, which provide information about your rights, what to do when things go wrong, and template letters – one of which is ‘physical barriers’: https://www.disabilityjustice.org.uk/take-action/physical-barriers/
If you choose to bring a case without legal representation, make sure you are fully aware of the risks and costs before going ahead. Doug Paulley has written a helpful Guide to help Disabled People Sue Service Providers for Disability Discrimination, as Unrepresented Litigants in Person in England. This is called DART – the Disability Attitude Readjustment Tool and is available at: https://www.kingqueen.org.uk/dart/
Bringing a Case for Negligence/Delict and Related Wrongs
For injuries and other harm (like economic loss) because of someone’s lack of care, seek legal advice about ‘negligence’ (England and Wales) or ‘delict’ (Scotland) from the
Using law to address specific barriers (India)
Use this guide if you have encountered accessibility-related problems while walking or wheeling around city streets. It provides possible ways of taking action to tackle the problem. View the full version of the India guide.
When streets are difficult to use, pedestrians with disabilities often internalise the problem. Thinking of it as something external – about how streets are designed, managed and used – is more empowering and change-oriented. This is a way of thinking based on the ‘social model of disability’.
Please note – this guide is not legal advice. If you are thinking about suing somebody, it is important that you seek professional advice first.
Evidencing the problem
- Note the address of the problem or use the WhatThreeWords app.
- Take a photo or video of the problem.
- Take the contact details of witnesses who saw you struggling with the problem.
Evidencing how the problem affected you
- Doctors note containing any physical/emotional/psychological injury you experienced.
- Personal note, together with any accompanying evidence, of how the problem affected your plans and activities on the day and/or longer term.
- Personal note of the date/dates of the harms and ongoing harm/inconvenience/limitation caused.
Identifying people /organisations responsible for the problem
- Think about:
- Who could have done something that would have stopped the problem happening or made it less serious?
- Who could do something differently which would remove the problem or make it less serious?
Thinking about possible types of action
- Consider what you want your action to achieve, and how much time, energy and money you want to commit? Types of possible action include:
Reporting the problem
If the problem is caused by somebody who lives or works in your neighbourhood, consider letting them know about the problem and its impact on you. If you do not know them well, and are worried about how they might react, it is sensible to ask a friend, neighbour or other person to come with you. They might help explain the problem and advocate for you, or just be there to support you and give you confidence. Or, depending on the situation, you might prefer to ask them to speak to the person causing the problem without you being there at all.
If the problem is in a public space (e.g. a pavement), it is always worth raising the issue with your municipal corporation. You can identify your local corporation using this link: https://igod.gov.in/leg/L008/organizations
For Delhi, reports can be made at https://mcdonline.nic.in/portal/
For Pune, reports can be made at https://www.pmc.gov.in/en/online-services, or phone (toll-free) 1800-1030-222
You are also able to register a complaint with the Chief Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities at https://ccpdcourt.gov.in/efiling or with your State’s Commissioner. Similarly, the National Human Rights Commission receives complaints at https://nhrc.nic.in/complaints/complaints/how-to-file-a-complaints or you can make a complaint to your State’s Commission which are listed here https://nhrc.nic.in/about-us/state-commission.
Letting the police know about the problem
If you think the problem amounts to a crime, report it to the police. Unless there is a real emergency you should not dial 112, but you can make a report to your local police service.
Bringing a case for disability discrimination
Some inaccessible situations may feel like discrimination. If you think you want to start a case for disability discrimination, it is worth seeking legal advice. Bringing a case, particularly without a lawyer, can be very demanding. It can also be expensive, although it doesn’t have to be.
The main providers of free legal aid are the Legal Services Authorities. You can apply for legal aid from the National Legal Services Authority at https://nalsa.gov.in/services/legal-aid/apply-for-legal-aid
You can also find the website for your state’s Legal Services Authority at https://www.india.gov.in/topics/law-justice/legal-aid and apply here instead.
The Department of Justice also manages a list of lawyers who offer pro bono services at https://serviceonline.gov.in/serviceLinkHome.html?serviceToken=GEnPsEv0YR546
Bringing a Case for Negligence and Related Wrongs
If you have been injured or suffered some kind of economic loss because of somebody’s lack of care, you might consider bringing an action for what is called ‘negligence’. To find out whether this is a possibility, you should seek legal advice. The sources of legal advice mentioned at the beginning of the Bringing a case for disability discrimination section above are good starting points for this type of claim, as well as for discrimination claims.
Using law to address specific barriers (Netherlands)
Use this guide if you have encountered accessibility-related problems while walking or wheeling around city streets. It provides possible ways of taking action to tackle the problem. View the full version of the Netherlands guide.
Please note – this guide is not legal advice. If you are thinking about suing somebody, it is important that you seek professional advice first.
Evidencing the problem
- Note the address of the problem or use the WhatThreeWords app.
- Take a photo or video of the problem.
- Take the contact details of witnesses who saw you struggling with the problem.
Evidencing how the problem affected you
- Make a note of how the problem affected you – eg:
- Any physical harm you suffered, with doctor’s note where possible;
- Any psychological/emotional harm you suffered, with doctor’s note where possible;
- How the problem affected your plans and activities on the day and, where relevant, longer term;
- Date or dates of the harms and limitations the problem has caused you.
Identifying people /organisations responsible for the problem
- Think about responsibility broadly – not just about strict legal responsibility. The purpose is to identify people and organisations who might be relevant to follow-up actions you want to take. Useful questions to help with this are:
- Who could have done something that would have stopped the problem happening or made it less serious?
- Who could do something differently which would remove the problem or make it less serious?
- You are likely to come up with more than one person or organisation.
Thinking about possible types of action
- Consider what you want your action to achieve, and how much time, energy and money you want to commit? Types of possible action include:
Reporting the problem
Depending on what the problem is, consider reporting it to:
- The person in your neighbourhood causing the problem. Consider asking a friend or other supporter to accompany you, or even do this on your behalf, if you do not know the person causing the problem and are worried about how they might react.
- Your municipal government – e.g. via online complaint mechanisms in Utrecht and Almere.
Letting the police know about the problem
If you think the problem in question amounts to a crime, you can contact the police to report it. Unless there is a real emergency, you should not dial 112. Instead call 0900 8844. If you are Deaf or hard of hearing, for non-emergencies you can contact a text equivalent via 0900 1844. There is also an anonymous tip-line to report crimes via 0800 7000.
More information on what to report and how to report it can be found at https://www.politie.nl/contact
Bringing a case for disability discrimination
Some inaccessible situations may feel like discrimination. If you think you want to start a case for disability discrimination, it is worth seeking legal advice. Bringing a case, particularly without a lawyer, can be very demanding. It can also be expensive, although it doesn’t have to be.
Working out where to go for legal advice can be daunting. The websites Discriminatie.nl and Gratis juridisch advies – Het Juridisch Loket are good starting points for free advice. You can find further information at:
The Netherlands Institute for Human Rights has the mandate to protect and promote human rights in the Netherlands, and assesses whether equal treatment laws have been violated. Complaints are dealt with free of charge. The Institute’s decisions are not binding, however, so parties have no obligation to abide by them. You can find information about it, including a link to report discrimination, at:
Every Dutch municipality is obliged to provide its citizens with access to an office that handles, registers and reports on complaints and reports about discrimination. Anti-Discrimination Bureaus (ADBs) perform these tasks independently and free of charge. You can find more information at:
https://discriminatie.nl/wat-is-een-discriminatiebureau
The national discrimination helpline is 0900 235 4354. Calls cost €0.10 per minute and are automatically transferred to your anti-discrimination bureau.
If you have filed a complaint with the municipality, and you still feel wronged by the conduct of the municipality you can file a complaint at the local or national Ombudsman. Further information is available at:
https://www.nationaleombudsman.nl/mogen-wij-uw-klacht-behandelen
Bringing a Case for Negligence and Related Wrongs
If you have been injured or suffered some kind of economic loss because of somebody’s lack of care, you might consider bringing an action for under the Civil Code. To find out whether this is a possibility, you should seek legal advice. The best source of legal advice is the Juridisch Loket. More information is available at:
Using law to address specific barriers (Kenya)
Use this guide if you have encountered accessibility-related problems while walking or wheeling around city streets. It provides possible ways of taking action to tackle the problem. View the full version of the Kenya guide.
Please note – this guide is not legal advice. If you are thinking about suing somebody, it is important that you seek professional advice first.
Evidencing the problem
- Note the address of the problem or use the WhatThreeWords app.
- Take a photo or video of the problem.
- Take the contact details of witnesses who saw you struggling with the problem.
Evidencing how the problem affected you
- Make a note of how the problem affected you – eg:
- Any physical harm you suffered, with doctor’s note where possible;
- Any psychological/emotional harm you suffered, with doctor’s note where possible;
- How the problem affected your plans and activities on the day and, where relevant, longer term;
- Date or dates of the harms and limitations the problem has caused you.
Identifying people /organisations responsible for the problem
- Think about responsibility broadly – not just about strict legal responsibility. The purpose is to identify people and organisations who might be relevant to follow-up actions you want to take. Useful questions to help with this are:
- Who could have done something that would have stopped the problem happening or made it less serious?
- Who could do something differently which would remove the problem or make it less serious?
- You are likely to come up with more than one person or organisation.
Thinking about possible types of action
- Consider what you want your action to achieve, and how much time, energy and money you want to commit? Types of possible action include:
Reporting the problem
Depending on what the problem is, consider reporting it to:
- The person in your neighbourhood causing the problem. Consider asking a friend or other supporter to accompany you, or even do this on your behalf, if you do not know the person causing the problem and are worried about how they might react.
- Your county government.
Letting the police know about the problem
If you think the problem in question amounts to a crime, you can contact the police to report it. Unless there is a real emergency, you should not dial 999. The Kenya Police Service website provides more information on what to report and how to report it:
Bringing a case for disability discrimination
If you think you might have a case for disability discrimination under Article 27 of the Constitution, it is worth seeking legal advice. Bringing a case, particularly without a lawyer, can be very demanding. It can also be expensive, although it doesn’t have to be.
Working out where to go for legal advice can be daunting. Kituo cha Sheria is a good source of free advice. You can find information on their services at:
The National Council for Persons with Disabilities provides legal advisory services for persons with disabilities, their families and carers on various issues including disability discrimination. You can find information on their services at:
The National Gender and Equality Commission has the mandate to promote and ensure gender equality, principles of equality and non-discrimination for all persons in Kenya (with a focus on Special Interest Groups, including persons with disability, older members of society, minority and marginalised groups) as provided for in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. You can find information about the Commission at:
The Article 48 Initiative is a women-led organization by and for persons with disabilities. They provide legal aid, legal support and training on disability law and policy. You can find information about the Article 48 Initiative at:
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights has a broad mandate to promote and protect human rights in Kenya. The Commission provides some legal services to the public through the receipt and processing of complaints and offers complainants legal advice. You can find information about the Commission at:
Bringing a Case for Negligence and Related Wrongs
If you have been injured or suffered some kind of economic loss because of somebody’s lack of care, you might consider bringing an action for what is called ‘negligence’. To find out whether this is a possibility, you should seek legal advice. The sources of legal advice mentioned at the beginning of the above are good starting points for this type of claim, as well as for discrimination claims.
Using law to address specific barriers (USA)
Use this guide if you have encountered accessibility-related problems while walking or wheeling around city streets. It provides possible ways of taking action to tackle the problem. View the full version of the USA guide.
Please note – this guide is not legal advice. If you are thinking about suing somebody, it is important that you seek professional advice first.
For anybody wanting to try to remove an accessibility-related problem, the following actions and options are worth considering:
Evidencing the problem
- Note the address of the problem or use the WhatThreeWords app.
- Take a photo or video of the problem.
- Take the contact details of witnesses who saw you struggling with the problem.
Evidencing how the problem affected you
- Doctors note containing any physical/emotional/psychological injury you experienced.
- personal note, together with any accompanying evidence, of how the problem affected your plans and activities on the day and/or longer term.
- Personal note of the date/ dates of the harms and ongoing harm/inconvenience/limitation caused.
Identifying people/organizations responsible for the problem
- Think about responsibility broadly – not just about strict legal responsibility. The purpose is to identify people and organisations who might be relevant to follow-up actions you want to take. Useful questions to help with this are:
- Who could have done something that would have stopped the problem happening or made it less serious?
- Who could do something differently which would remove the problem or make it less serious?
- You are likely to come up with more than one person or organisation.
Thinking about possible types of action
- Consider what you want your action to achieve, and how much time, energy and money you want to commit? Types of possible action include:
Reporting the problem
Depending on what the problem is, consider reporting it to:
- The person in your neighbourhood causing the problem. Consider asking a friend or other supporter to accompany you, or even do this on your behalf if you are concerned about possible bad reactions.
- Your local authority.
Letting the Police Know About the Problem
If you think the problem in question amounts to a crime, you can contact the police to report it. Unless there is a real emergency, you should not dial 911. The websites for city police departments provide more information on non-emergency issues, what to report and how to report it.
Atlanta Police Department: https://www.atlantapd.org/about-apd/contact-us
Syracuse Police Department: https://www.syr.gov/Departments/Police
For other cities, try the law enforcement directory: https://www.police1.com/law-enforcement-directory
Bringing a case for disability discrimination
If you think you might have a case for disability discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act 1990, it is worth seeking legal advice. The Act is complex and bringing a case, particularly without a lawyer, can be very demanding. It can also be expensive, although it doesn’t have to be.
- The ADA National Network provides information, guidance and training on how to implement the Americans with Disabilities Act. The network consists of 10 Regional ADA Centers located throughout the United States and an ADA Knowledge Translation Center. You can find the Center that serves your state at:
https://adata.org/find-your-region
- Examples of more local sources of advice include:
- Disability Rights New York:
- The Central New York Legal Help Line is available to any resident of the 13-county service area who qualifies based on income; they provide advice and counsel regarding a wide array of civil legal issues over the phone:
- Law Help New York offers a variety of self-help tools, including on the rights of people with disabilities in public places:
- New York State Unified Court System’s Court Help site also provides user-friendly forms, directions, and advice:
https://www.nycourts.gov/courthelp
- The Georgia Advocacy Office website contains further information and suggestions for securing adequate access for persons with disabilities:
- By phone at 404.885.1234 or 800.537.2329 (voice or TDD)
- Disability Law & Policy Center of Georgia is a non-profit organization that enforces the legal rights of people with disabilities through education, individual case assistance, mediation, and complex litigation:
Instructions on filing a complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice can be found at: How can I file an ADA complaint with the U.S. Department of Justice? | ADA National Network
Bringing a Case for Negligence and Related Wrongs
If you have been injured or suffered some kind of economic loss because of somebody’s lack of care, you might consider bringing an action for negligence. To find out whether this is a possibility, you should seek legal advice. The sources of legal advice mentioned at the beginning of the Bringing a Case for Disability Discrimination section above are good starting points for this type of claim, as well as for discrimination claims.
Policy briefs
Coming soon: The IPS policy briefs summarise relevant policy in each IPS Project country. They are currently being revised and updated and will be added to the site soon.
Stories of solidarity
We have gathered stories of pedestrians’ experiences of exclusion in public space, coping strategies and steps taken to pursue change. In future months we aim to collect more voices to build upon these initial examples. Please read the stories gathered thus far.
Legal Reports
The IPS legal reports summarise relevant law in each IPS Project country. They are available on the web, or downloadable as PDF or Word documents.
Publications
Anna Lawson, Maria Orchard and Ieva Eskyte, Disability, Accessibility and Mobility Justice: A Multinational Analysis of Rights to Inclusive Pedestrian Journeys (Bristol University Press, forthcoming).
Anna Lawson, Ieva Eskyte and Maria Orchard, ‘Accessibility Matters: Enabling Law, Enabling Legal Theory’ in Neha Jain and Sarah Nouwen (eds), Equality and International Law: Disabling and Enabling Law (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).
Anna Lawson, ‘Accessibility and the Limits of the Equality Act 2010: Time for a UK Accessibility Act?’ (2025) Current Legal Problems 1-39. Full article.
Anna Lawson, Maria Orchard, Dick Houtzager, Sanjay Jain, Agnes Meroka-Mutua, Lawrence Mute, Barry Whaley, and Sofia Raseta, ‘Inclusive Public Space project: Law, disability and accessibility’, Open Access Government (April 2025) 292-293. Full article.
Anna Lawson, Dave Lynch, Maria Orchard, Sofia Raseta and Will Standing, ‘Fostering awareness of what stops pedestrian environments being inclusive and accessible: Resources and reflections from a multinational study’ (2025) 23 The Project Repository Journal 98-101. Full article.
Naomi Lawson-Jacobs, Lewis Lockwood, Sofia Raseta, Dick Houtzager, Sanjay Jain, Anna Lawson, Agnes Meroka-Mutua, Lawrence Mute, Maria Orchard and Barry Whaley, ‘Law’s role in fostering inclusive and accessible pedestrian environments: insights from a multinational study’ (2024) 21 The Project Repository Journal 84-87. Full article.
Anna Lawson, Ieva Eskyte, Maria Orchard, Dick Houtzager and Edwin Luitzen De Vos, ‘Pedestrians with Disabilities and Town and City Streets: From Shared to Inclusive Space?’ (2022) 7(2) The Journal of Public Space 41. Full article.
Dick Houtzager, ‘Toegankelijkheid openbare ruimte, regels en realiteit’ (2021) 5 Handicap & Recht 45. Full article (in Dutch).
Anna Lawson and Maria Orchard, ‘The Anticipatory Reasonable Adjustment Duty: Removing the Blockages?’ (2021) 80(2) The Cambridge Law Journal 308. Full article.
Ieva Eskyte, Anna Lawson, Maria Orchard and Elizabeth Andrews, ‘Out on the streets – Crisis, opportunity and disabled people in the era of Covid-19: Reflections from the UK’ (2020) 14(4) Alter 329. Full article.
Published with MDPI
The following articles are published as part of the multidisciplinary topic collection with MDPI (Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute) on ‘Accessibility and Inclusion for Pedestrians with Disabilities: Law, Policy, Practice and Politics’, edited by Maria Orchard, Anna Lawson, Victor Santiago Pineda and Jim Walker. Full topic collection.
Dick Houtzager and Edwin Luitzen De Vos, ‘Accessibility of Dutch Public Space: Regulations and Local Actions by Pedestrians with Disabilities’ (2025) Laws 14, no. 4: 51. Full article.
Sanjay Jain and Malika Jain, ‘Revisiting the Conceptual Terrains of the Right to Accessibility in India: The Role of Judicial Enforcement’ (2024) Laws 13, no. 4: 54. Full article.
Laverne Jacobs and Harry Dhaliwal, ‘Disabled Pedestrians, Micromobility, and Furthering Disability Equality Law through Consultation: A Case Study of the Toronto E-Scooter Ban’ (2024) Laws 13, no. 4: 52. Full article.
Anna Lawson, Maria Orchard, Ieva Eskyte and Morgan Campbell, ‘Enhancing the Accessibility of Pedestrian Environments: Critical Reflections on the Role of the Public Sector Equality Duty’ (2024) Laws 13, no. 4: 43. Full article.
Lawrence M Mute and Agnes K Meroka-Mutua, ‘Leveraging Continental Norms and Mechanisms to Enhance Barrier-Free Access for Pedestrians with Disabilities in Kenya’ (2024) Laws 13, no. 2: 11. Full article.
Barry A Whaley, Jonathan G Martinis, Giuseppe F Pagano, Sara Barthol, Jessica Senzer, Pamela R Williamson and Peter D Blanck, ‘The Americans with Disabilities Act and Equal Access to Public Spaces’ (2024) Laws 13, no. 1: 5. Full article.
Yochai Eisenberg, Mackenzie Hayes, Amy Hofstra, Delphine Labbé, Robert Gould and Robin Jones, ‘Performance Metrics for Implementation of Americans with Disabilities Act Transition Plans’ (2024) Urban Science 8, no. 2: 27. Full article.
Tally Hatzakis, Laura Alčiauskaite and Alexandra König, ‘The Needs and Requirements of People with Disabilities for Frequent Movement in Cities: Insights from Qualitative and Quantitative Data of the TRIPS Project’ (2024) Urban Science 8, no. 1: 12. Full article.
Posters
Sofia Raseta, Anna Lawson and Lewis Lockwood, ‘Inclusive Public Space Project: Law, Universality and Difference in the Accessibility of Streets’ (CDS Conference 2024). View poster and download.