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for people like Marc Bookman who use a wheelchair just getting around requires lots of planning getting in a door may not be an issue but once inside things can still be tricky for anyone with a disability we're gonna keep track of the number of floors a number of stairwells a number of Oakman who's getting his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania is part of a growing movement to use mobile apps to collect information about accessibility and share it with the people who need it he created an app called the accessibility mapping project he and other volunteers visit each building to collect the data Oakland was born with a rare degenerative condition similar to AOS in the last couple of years he's had to use a wheelchair full-time he said changes to his own body have made him realize how accessibility may mean different things to different people I'm in a wheelchair so I'm gonna door to be a certain size I need there to be a push plate but I can't think from everyone else's point of view but if we have everyone being able to contribute their own understanding of what access is then we get a much more robust complete picture I'm going to look for a place to eat for dinner Sharon Pennock is a disability rights advocate and community organizer in suburban Philadelphia she's used several mapping apps to help her find a place to host events that are accessible to everyone so you could read the entryway now she's doing her own site surveys and updating the apps this is her second visit to a community center in Ardmore Pennsylvania since we were there last there's actually been a piece of furniture added that blocks the entrance to the bathroom sohe wheelchair user would not be able to get in there right now Pennock is grateful that the developers created these apps but she says many are still buggy or they don't provide enough information so frustrating she'd rather just fire up Google Maps and find what she needs she may soon get her wish google just announced its adding routes for wheelchair users to its Maps the fact that Google is now beginning to collect that information is is exciting to me and I hope that the places that pull information from Google will be pulling all of that information as well for Bookman it's all about raising awareness and opening a dialogue starting those conversations between what is access is like a pen what is access alike at Penn included in Philadelphia and what is access look like at Penn including Pennsylvania the u.s. the world is the conversation that I want to start