Across the city in wheelchair: the visible and invisible, virtual and real changes in the exploration of the urban environment

When navigation in the environment is constrained by the need of a wheelchair, my mobility is not limited only by architectural barriers. Glances, voices, carelessness or, in contrast, the exaggerated, not required, attentions can also psychologically limit mobility. However, the difficulties following paralysis have brought out new skills and resiliences, that allow me to look beyond the obstacle and find resources where nobody would find them.
This research project is aimed to explore the delicate balance between invisible (personal) and visible (architectural) barriers, and between invisible (my resilience) and visible (what I am able to do) resources. By means of structured interviews and tasks of navigation on maps and on streets, we will explore this fascinating conjunction and fight, allowing to understand what difficulties can bring out from the human soul, in terms of skills and in particular in an act so simple as riding in the city can be.