Originally Posted by
Rollfast
Persons using a wheelchair or other adaptive mobility device should not be limited in their travels or pursuits by the need for a higher or more expensive level of equipment necessarily.
The problem is you can't pave a sidewalk everywhere, so it makes sense to work on improving off-pavement mobility for wheelchair users as well as paving good sidewalks where that is appropriate.
That's why sloped curbs and added sidewalks are often added and in fact covered in road bills and other funding for cities and states. What you may consider ugly or detracting is a great service to others for whom it gives the opportunity to participate and recreate, adding to the vitality and pleasure of a life.
I am not bothered by sidewalks along roads at all. In fact, I am a strong supporter of them as I feel that everyone should be encouraged to walk along or otherwise traverse any paved corridor without worrying about colliding with motor-vehicles, and with a minimum of nuisance due to the noise they cause.
The places I think would be better left unpaved are trails with a rural, natural, or historical character. While some such places can be paved for easy access using normal mobility devices, I think there should also be unpaved trails, and I don't see why it wouldn't be generally beneficial to make off-pavement mobility devices within reach of potential users.
These places are for all people.
If my suggestion about off-pavement devices came across as an excuse to exclude people at first, that's unfortunate. My intent was to suggest greater inclusion could be achieved by improving off-pavement mobility, which in turn would make it easier to justify leaving currently unpaved trails unpaved.
Some trails are better paved for everyone involved, including cyclists and wheelchair users, but other trails are better left unpaved for walking/hiking, but also off-pavement wheelchairs. I don't see why that shouldn't be something to aspire to.