Accessible Route Walk Audit

Groups walk a stretch of the neighborhood and rate whether it supports active leisure for people who use wheelchairs, push strollers or have low vision. Students practice critical observation of their community, active walking and proposing real improvements.

How to play

1. Set up 5 groups of 5 and give each a stretch of about a quarter mile that ends at a park or sports facility.
2. Explain the checklist (3 min): sidewalk width, curb ramps, ramps, surface, benches, water fountains and obstacles.
3. Each group assigns roles: map, tape measure, phone photos and two note-takers.
4. Walk the stretch for 12 minutes, stopping at anything questionable; a sidewalk under 5 feet wide or a step with no ramp is a barrier.
5. Back at the start (5 min), each group picks its biggest barrier and writes a specific fix.
6. Share out (3 min) on a class map marking stretches green, yellow or red.

Rules

• Measure and photograph from the sidewalk without blocking anyone.
• Photograph the environment only, never people.
• Every barrier gets a map location plus a measurement or photo.
• The group waits for the last person before every crossing.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: the student is the group expert on a stretch with guaranteed access.
• Visual impairment: the student checks tactile paving and audible signals with a guide partner.
• Lower fitness: assign the shortest stretch and the note-taker role.

Learning goals

• Analyze how accessible the community is for physical activity.
• Collect objective data with measurements, photos and a map.
• Propose realistic fixes that support inclusive active leisure.

Equipment for a class of 25

• observation checklists: 25
• measuring tapes: 5
• smartphones: 5
• maps: 5

Teacher tip

Choose stretches with obvious barriers to spark discussion. If the city has a public feedback form, submitting the proposals is very motivating.

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