Reflections on Disability and the City – Concluding Remarks

This chapter is a reflection on people living with disability (PLWD) in the cities of South Africa and beyond. While the chapter provides a summary of the critical issues discussed in this book, it also forms the basis for highlighting appropriate and meaningful recommendations that can be incorporated in building cities that are accommodative of people living with disabilities. In this regard, the chapter begins by reflecting on emerging issues on disability in South African cities based on the case studies. Of critical importance is the observation that South African cities, which, in essence, were designed for minority white settlers possess some of the best facilities conducive for PLWDs. Such facilities are found throughout public spaces such as transport hubs, recreational areas, and shopping centres. However, the author also acknowledges that South African cities are divided cities, largely arising out of the apartheid system’s discriminatory policies. Hence any intervention measures to improve the plight of people living with disabilities have to be holistic in the sense that prevailing in cities are worse among people in the low-income bracket. Under such circumstances, the conditions of PLWDs is even worse off. Therefore, this chapter highlights these challenges in the context of South Africa but further provides appropriate intervention measures in the form of recommendation which should be beneficial to cities in both developed and developing countries. However, there is no “straight jacket” which comes in the form of universal solutions for practical problems – every situation is different. For that reason, any implementation strategy should be holistic and rightfully informed by the context.