Learning from disabled people about qualities and obstacles in historic cities: the case of Liège

The historic hearts of many European cities are famous touristic destinations which are sought after by local and international visitors. However, the restrictions and obstacles within the historic fabric limit the diversity of visitors who can access and benefit from these sites.
Disabled people – i.e., those with sensory, mobility or mental abilities differing from the general public’s – are often inadvertently excluded from the touristic experience of historic cities. This exclusion from sharing the story of the past narrated through the historical architecture and urban spaces leads to further marginalization and disconnection from society. By contrast, opening up the historic built environment to a broader and more diverse audience facilitates disabled people’s interaction not only with the past but also with other members of society while on par. This can potentially strengthen their connection to heritage and to others as a step towards more inclusive societies.
In this context, our research seeks to investigate the necessity, means and methods for adopting an inclusive approach in the conservation of historic built environment. To this end, this paper explores the interaction of disabled people with the historic fabric of Liège.
By being confronted with disabling situations in their daily life, people living with an impairment acquire a unique expertise-by-experience: a fresh point of view in understanding the built environment providing insights and solutions for creating spaces that are suitable for more people. Collaborating with such ‘user/experts’ through field studies allows us to attend to their experience and insights, and to identify existing limitations and potentials in the historic urban space in Liège. For each user/expert a city tour is planned beforehand in which the routes are adapted from the relevant tourist guide booklets of the Liège tourism office. The user/experts’ experience of and statements about their visit and the researchers’ observation of it reveal qualities and obstacles regarding opportunities for inclusive tourism in this historic city.
Offering insights into how these historic districts are experienced from different perspectives, our study is a step towards informing professional experts’ decisions for making the historic fabric more inclusive for residents and tourists. Such studies contribute to creating a knowledge and experience base which is expected to gradually shift the prevalent commonly inadvertent exclusivity in tourism practices to clear and consciously informed choices that can improve the sense of belonging and attachment among residents and visitors.