Assistive technology and the barrier-free city: A case study from Germany

The paper investigates how far the state-of-the-art technology of the inter net can contribute to the creation of a barrier-free city. The paper begins with a discussion of the general possibilities and potential of the intern et for disabled people. This discussion is followed by a presentation of th e significance of internet technologies for disabled people and urban devel opment. The practical application of the approach will then be illustrated by means of a case study: the KOMM project in Muenster, Germany. The paper concludes with an evaluation of the potential and the limits of the interne t for a barrier-free city.