Wheelchair-Friendly Places Near You

Restaurants, cafés, toilets, shops, stations — clearly labeled green/yellow/red. With a filter for fully accessible places only.

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Fully accessible Limited access Not accessible Accessible toilet Tap a marker for details and directions.

What does this map show?

This map only shows places with an explicit wheelchair status tagged in OpenStreetMap: restaurants, cafés, bars, shops, train stations, pharmacies, cinemas, theatres, and toilets. The upside: you don't rely on guesswork — if a restaurant is green, someone verified it. The downside: places without a tag don't appear — "no marking" doesn't mean "not accessible." When in doubt: call. Toilets with the accessible tag get a separate marker — often the most important info for a city outing. The "only fully accessible" filter hides yellow and red.

Data source: OpenStreetMap & Wheelmap

Data comes from OpenStreetMap, loaded live via the Overpass API. The central tag is wheelchair=yes/limited/no, optionally extended with toilets:wheelchair, tactile_paving, wheelchair:description. A large share of the tags comes from Wheelmap.org — an initiative of Sozialhelden, filling OSM with wheelchair data since 2010. You can rate places yourself in the Wheelmap app (one tap on the traffic light) and the rating lands directly in OpenStreetMap.

When do I need this map?

  • Wheelchair users: Planning a city visit, a café meet-up, or shopping — avoid steps, narrow doors, or missing toilets ahead of time.
  • Parents with strollers: Step-free entrances and wide doors are essential with a buggy. The same tags help.
  • Seniors with walking aids: Walker users also look for step-free routes and seat-height toilets — the "fully accessible" filter usually fits.
  • Travel with heavy luggage: Stations with platform elevators are marked here — important with suitcases, not only wheelchairs.
  • Event planning: Organizing a meet-up or family party — you need a venue where all guests can enter, including grandma with her walker.

What the colors mean

  • Green — step-free access, door wide enough, accessible toilet if applicable. Tag: wheelchair=yes / designated.
  • Yellow — limited: a small step, narrow door, or non-accessible toilet, but the rest works. Worth a call.
  • Red — explicitly not accessible (e.g. heritage staircase, cellar venue). A mapper checked and marked it.

Tips & advice

  • Data quality varies a lot by city — Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna are very well covered; small towns are often sparse. Cross-check with Wheelmap.org for a city view.
  • When in doubt, call ahead — "fully accessible" per OSM isn't a guarantee. A ramp might be broken or an elevator out of service.
  • For public transport: use the operator's app (e.g. DB Navigator → elevator status, TfL Step-Free Tube Guide) for live availability of lifts and escalators.
  • You can map yourself: open the Wheelmap app, pick the place, tap green/yellow/red — done. A 30-second contribution makes the city more usable for thousands of people.

Frequently asked questions

How reliable is the data?

Each entry has been verified by a volunteer OSM or Wheelmap mapper, usually on-site. Data is better than most individual restaurant websites — but not perfect: a lift can break, a portable ramp can go missing. When in doubt, call, especially for important appointments or seldom-visited places. In popular areas (Berlin Mitte, central London) OSM is usually very up to date.

Are public transport stops shown too?

Train stations and major transit stations with the tag public_transport=station and a wheelchair status are shown. Individual bus stops or platforms are not included — operator apps are better for that (DB Navigator for German rail elevators, TfL Step-Free Tube, MTA Accessible Stations).

What is Wheelmap and how does it help?

Wheelmap.org is a project by Sozialhelden (Berlin), launched in 2010, collecting OSM tags for wheelchair accessibility. The app is intentionally simple: search for the place, tap the green/yellow/red traffic-light — done. Over 2 million places have been rated so far. The data goes straight into OSM, and from there here.

What if an entry is wrong?

Fix it yourself! On Wheelmap.org you can change the status with one click — the correction goes straight into OSM. Alternatively, edit the wheelchair tag directly in the OSM editor ("iD"). The map updates within minutes.

Related maps

  • Lifesaver Map — Lifesaver map with AED defibrillators — important for medical emergencies on the go.
  • Drinking Water Map — Drinking water map for free water sources on the go.
  • Post Map — Post map with branches and parcel lockers — accessibility is tagged here too.

Privacy

This map runs entirely in your browser. Your location is never sent to our servers — it's only used to center the map. Map data comes from OpenStreetMap.

Data source

All points come from OpenStreetMap and are fetched live via the Overpass API. Something missing or wrong? Anyone can fix it directly on OpenStreetMap — the map will reflect the change shortly after.

Why an Accessibility Map Matters

For wheelchair users, people with rollators, parents with strollers, or travellers with heavy luggage, a single step at the entrance can decide whether a venue is usable at all. Mainstream search engines and routing apps usually hide this information or bury it deep inside review text. Our map promotes the OpenStreetMap wheelchair tag to first-class status and turns it into something you can see in one glance: fully accessible (green), limited (yellow) or not accessible (red).

The markers are powered by the open OpenStreetMap database, maintained by hundreds of thousands of volunteers worldwide. Many local initiatives like Wheelmap.org, the Sozialhelden e.V. nonprofit, and municipal inclusion projects feed their surveys directly into OSM. By using this map you indirectly benefit from a huge, community-curated dataset. Unlike commercial POI databases you can trace, correct and extend every single record without signing up for a tech-giant account and without being tracked.

The map does not replace an in-person check — an entrance marked accessible may still have a narrow door, the toilet may be one floor up, or the ramp may be steeper than ISO 21542 recommends. But it dramatically reduces the chance of a wasted trip. Combined with OSM public-transport data and tools like the Lifesaver Map (defibrillators) it becomes a practical kit for relaxed everyday mobility.

OpenStreetMap Tags Around Accessibility

We read the following tags from the OSM database. A complete list lives in the OSM Wiki under Key:wheelchair.

  • wheelchair=yes — Fully usable in a wheelchair — no steps, sufficient door width.
  • wheelchair=limited — Partially usable — e.g. a low threshold, narrow door, may need assistance.
  • wheelchair=no — Not usable in a wheelchair — steps, narrow entrances.
  • wheelchair=designated — Specifically designed for wheelchair users — e.g. an accessible toilet.
  • toilets:wheelchair=yes — An accessible toilet is available inside.
  • tactile_paving=yes — Tactile paving — important for blind users.
  • wheelchair:description=* — Free-text details: ramp, elevator, number of steps, assistance bell.

Typical Use Cases

These scenarios show how the map helps in everyday life:

  • A wheelchair user plans a stroll through Berlin Mitte and filters for fully accessible only to find cafes without entrance steps.
  • Parents with a stroller on a weekend trip look for pharmacies and toilets with changing facilities and step-free access.
  • Care professionals build a short list of wheelchair-friendly restaurants in the neighbourhood before a patient outing.
  • A conference organiser checks whether hotels, banks and train stations around the venue are barrier-free.
  • Travellers with a large suitcase look for a station toilet with a wide door and no threshold.

Data Source, Licence and Updates

All markers come from OpenStreetMap and are published under the Open Database License (ODbL). We query the Overpass API live every time you move the map, so you always see the latest state. Changes on OSM usually become visible in Overpass within minutes. Spotted wrong information — e.g. a cafe marked wheelchair=yes that actually has a step? Open the entry on openstreetmap.org, fix the tag and everyone benefits. Handy mobile apps for editing are StreetComplete, Every Door, and Wheelmap.

Limitations of This Map

The map only shows places where someone has already set the wheelchair tag. Coverage is uneven, especially in rural areas and small towns. Quality also varies: wheelchair=yes from an engaged local mapping group can mean something more rigorous than a first-time edit. Toilets without a tag, untagged shops, or freshly opened restaurants will only show up once someone maps them. This is not a weakness of the tool but a direct consequence of volunteer maintenance — and you can actively fix it by contributing yourself.

More Frequent Questions

What does the yellow ("limited") colour mean exactly?
wheelchair=limited means the place is generally reachable but has restrictions — e.g. a small threshold, a narrow door, a staff-only elevator, or an inaccessible toilet. If a wheelchair:description field exists our popup shows that explanation.
Which standards underpin accessibility?
In Germany DIN 18040 defines accessibility for buildings and public spaces; the international counterpart is ISO 21542. OSM data is not strictly tied to one norm but to practical wheelchair usability, which is often more precise than a generic "disabled-accessible" sign.
Can I use the map offline while travelling?
The map itself loads live from the Overpass API, so it needs internet. For offline use we recommend OsmAnd or Organic Maps — both apps use the same OSM dataset and can display accessibility POIs after you have downloaded a region.