Singapore is a multilingual, multiethnic society with Malays, Indians, and Chinese
population that is ageing rapidly. Accessibility and inclusive design is becoming
increasingly relevant to Singapore as they face an increasing number of people with
disabilities within their diverse and ageing population.
Being a small, densely populated island-state with limited land, the Singapore
Government has been advocating the use of public transportation. At present, a majority
of the current population relies solely on the public transport system. Therefore, it is
important to ensure an inclusive wayfinding system is in place to facilitate efficient
mobility for a population with varying degree of capabilities. This applies especially to the
older population and people with disabilities who would prefer to live independently.
The objective of this study is to identify user information requirements for wayfinding.
Extensive literature review, expert review, interviews and journey shadowing sessions
were carried out with both international and local wayfinding planners as well as users of
the public transport system to investigate how inclusive design principles can be applied
to improve wayfinding and information accessibility for users of different abilities level.
Results show the ability of the passenger, the level of complexity of the stations and the
range of information presented are the three main factors which influence how easily
people find their way in the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system. Local wayfinding
planners feel there is a need to consider the requirements of users with special needs,
but this process is difficult without an education and an information tool as guidance.
This study has led to the development of a systematic Inclusive Wayfinding Assessment
Tool (IWA) which helps to facilitate and raise awareness for inclusive wayfinding in the
context of Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system.
