Disability GIS

Making diverse disability-relevant perspectives more visible by linking experience, theory, and ethics to spatial data, classification, and decision-making

What is Disability GIS? 

Disability GIS is an emerging area of GIScience linking theory, ethics, and power relations to the practical realities of data, classification, and decision-making. Our research focuses on making disability-relevant spatial knowledge consistent and usable for institutions through reproducible systems such as typologies, data dictionaries, schemas, standards, and implementation guidance. By transforming disability-relevant spatial knowledge into consistent, reproducible systems, we aim to make disability perspectives more visible in GIScience.

Current Projects

A photo of bikes in the foreground of a university campus

Mapping for Access

This research focuses on accessible maps for university campuses, which tend to have higher than average amounts of pedestrians and buildings in their space. We have partnered with multiple universities to create a methodology for developing campus maps that include critical accessibility information such as sidewalks, stairs, and entrances. 

Highlighted Publications and Work

A graph depicting the number of GIS scholarship discussing disability over time

GIScience II: Disability GIS

This publication in Progress in Human Geography (2025) details a literature analysis for assessing the conceptual and methodological gaps of disability representation in GIS scholarship.

Open Access Article

A campus map with accessible symbology included

Mapping for access: A methodology for improving inclusion on university campuses

Our publication in Cartographica (2023) details the methodology for creating an access map and impact it has had for the campus community and facilities services 

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Additional Related Publications

Academic Journal Publications and Conference Proceedings

Drew, H. & Fast, V. (2026). Mapping Mobility Barriers: A Comparative Evaluation of Five Accessibility Platforms. Proceedings of the 9th Conference on Spatial Knowledge & Information Canada.

Open Databases

Fast, V., Deitz, S., & Harrison, D (2025). Disability GIS Zotero Library. Borealis, V1.  

Falahatkar, H., & Fast, V. (2024) UCalgary Inclusive Map: Web Map, Data Typology, and Data Dictionary. Scholaris. 

Fast, V., Lamoureux, Z, & Derksen, L. Mapping for Access: Geodatabase, Data Typology, and Data Dictionary. Borealis, V1.