Moving Freely: Safe Mobility for People with Disabilities in Bogota

Project theme: Sustainable, Inclusive and Active Mobility (SIAM) solutions; Speed reduction

BY KAREN GABRIELA jaimes

This project aims to highlight the experiences of people with disabilities (PwD) in daily mobility, addressing safety concerns and mental health impacts. We’ll conduct in-person participatory workshops to gather insights from their mobility experiences, road safety challenges, and mental well-being, and an on-site role-playing activity to foster empathy among participants and generate valuable reflections on accessibility challenges. Our project will wrap up with a comprehensive manifesto with evidence-based recommendations for improving road safety standards and ensuring PwD’s personal safety.

It will also include an artistic intervention in a public space, featuring key manifesto messages to increase visibility and public awareness.

ABOUT THE PROJECT LEAD

KAREN GABRIELA jaimes

Karen Gabriela Jaimes was born in Bogotá, Colombia, in 1998. She is a Civil Engineer with a Master's degree in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Transit and Transportation from the Escuela Colombiana de Ingeniería Julio Garavito. She has specialised in road safety and sustainable mobility and has collaborated with Despacio since 2024.

As Road Safety Coordinator, she has acquired experience and skills in collecting primary and secondary information. She has also participated in projects on sustainable mobility, road safety, and gender approaches.

Impact snapshots

• Conducted disability workshop and experiential activities during Ciclovia Day.

• Released manifesto on inclusive infrastructure and road safety standards.

• Met with city council advisor and shared project insights at Despacio.

ABOUT THE LEAD ORGANISATION

despacio

Despacio is a colombian research center that aims to promote quality of life in cities during all the stages of the human life cycle, through applied research that challenges intuition. Its philosophy is similar to the Slow movement, which seeks to improve well-being from the most individual and familial aspects (eating, commuting, raising children, organizing the home and work) to the most collective (planning and managing slow, humane, and sustainable cities). Despacio centers its work on three issues: city, life, and climate. The organization pursues these via publications, events, and a laboratory.