We have grouped the barriers we identified into four main categories:
- Attitudinal Barriers: related to social norms, expectations, and how people are met and treated.
- Physical Barriers: obstacles in the built environment that limit access and mobility.
- Distressing Sensory Stimuli: environments with high sensory input that may cause discomfort, anxiety or overload.
- Lack of Accessible Information: insufficient or unclear information that makes it hard to plan, prepare or participate on equal terms.
Barrier no. 1: Attitudinal barriers
Attitudinal barriers relate to social norms, expectations of behaviour, and attitudes in public spaces. They occur when visitors, staff or systems misunderstand, judge or fail to accommodate people with disabilities and diverse needs.
Such attitudes can create significant stress for families, particularly parents, and this stress is often transferred to the child. The impact is not limited to a single moment, but can arise before, during and after a visit.
For children, new experiences are essential for development and participation in society. However, for families of children with disabilities these experiences often involve increased risk, uncertainty and emotional effort. As a result many families limit their participation and rely on familiar environments, which can lead to social isolation despite a strong desire to engage in everyday city life.
To ensure meaningful and dignified participation, access to the city must be
seen as a human right – and ensuring that access is a shared responsibility.
Quote from interview with a parent of a neurodivergent child:
”Our daughter doesn’t want us to tell others about her diagnoses – but everyone around will notice anyway. It’s just that you can’t see her diagnose. So we often get stares and comments.”
Quote from interview with a parent of a child using a wheelchair:
“At a playground, there was a truck for kids to play on. It had wheelchair-accessible entry to the cab but once you were inside you couldn’t reach the steering wheel. It’s completely wrong. It shows how society values individuals differently. Like my daughter would think, ‘Oh, at least I still got to watch my siblings play.’”
Barrier No. 2: Physical Barriers
Despite accessibility regulations and standards, many venues still contain a range of physical obstacles that limit participation. These include stairs, curbs, narrow passageways and high or fixed seating that make it difficult to navigate with mobility aids or when supporting multiple needs.
In addition to the main venue area, side facilities such as restrooms, changing rooms and food areas are often overlooked in terms of accessibility. Even everyday activities like dining out can require negotiation or assistance, rather than offering equal access. Futhermore interactive elements at venues such as museums or theme parks are frequently not designed with diverse users in mind.
Physical barriers not only prevent access to certain areas or activities – they also create friction, demand extra planning and add stress to experiences that should be enjoyable and inclusive.
Quote from interview with a parent of a child using a wheelchair:
”Access to toilets and changing facilities is a huge challenge for us. It’s difficult to spend extended time in the city because there’s no easy way to change on our daughter. With a height adjustable changing table, one person could handle it alone. But those are almost non-existent – even in hospitals. There is only one that I know of in Gothenburg.”
Quote from interview with a parent of a child using a wheelchair:
”In urban environments, there are so many steps and curbs. Simple physical barriers are extremely common – even in newly built areas. With a 4-year-old in one hand, a wheelchair in the other, and a 9 year-old asking, ’What’s the name of this statue?’ – that curb becomes a really big deal.”
Barrier no. 3: Sensory Barriers
Beyond physical accessibility, many environments present less visible but equally significant challenges. Unpredictability and disrupted routines can create stress, especially when combined with high sensory stimuli such as noise, smells and visual impressions in chaotic and complex settings.
Social interaction with unfamiliar people, fear of separation from family members and limited food and beverage options that do not meet a child’s needs can further increase discomfort.
Constrained freedom of movement – waiting in lines, remaining seated for long periods or navigating dense crowds – adds additional pressure. Even experiences designed to be enjoyable can become overwhelming, where excitement and stress become entangled and “too much of a good thing” turns into a barrier to participation.
Quote from interview with a parent of a neurodivergent child:
”My daughter is so enthusiastic about many things. She often says it’s the best day ever. But then it often becomes too much and she crashes even before we leave home. Especially when it’s something new – the excitement just gets overwhelming.”
Quote from interview with a parent of a neurodivergent child:
”The biggest challenge for us is large crowds. We don’t have a car and always rely on public transport. It’s exhausting and takes a lot of energy. Moving around in urban environments or shopping centers is almost unthinkable.”
Barrier no. 4: Information Barriers
Beyond on-site challenges, unclear or unreliable information can create barriers before a visit even begins. When details are vague or inconsistent, families struggle to assess whether a place will meet their needs.
Accessibility terms such as “quiet areas” or “wheelchair-friendly” are often undefined, and promotional descriptions may not match the actual experience, reducing trust and increasing uncertainty.
Time-related factors – waiting, crowds, breaks and sensory exposure – also require planning, but this is difficult without clear, tailored information.
Pre-visit information shapes expectations; when it falls short or is inaccessible, it can lead to stress or risk. The burden of finding and verifying details often falls on families, discouraging participation.
Quote from interview with a parent of a child with visual impairment:
”We don’t always want to stand out too much. We don’t request ‘special needs’ when we travel either, because then we just get their standardized package, which still isn’t individually adapted..”
Quote from interview with a parent of a neurodivergent child:
”Our son doesn’t like surprises. So we study all the event information ahead of an event; when the doors open, how many people there will be, how long the wait for a ride is, where the entrances and exits are, when a band goes on stage, when they leave – he wants to know all of that. Same thing when we’re in the city: we end up searching and googling everything before going there.”
Read more: Solutions for Everyday Barriers →