## 1 Introduction
Nevertheless, emerging strategies take accessibility into account as a crucial component of a sustainable planning strategy [20; 21]. The emphasis has shifted from increasing traffic flow efficiency to improving people's access to diverse locations and services through various means of transportation. Most people with mobility impairment complete their journeys by walking or wheeling, and almost all journeys start and end with these activities [22]. Many nations have implemented accessibility and antidiscrimination laws to aid in the removal of barriers. As an illustration, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), enacted in 1990, mandated the accessibility of public infrastructure such as street crossings and sidewalks [23]. However, even after more than three decades, many municipalities in the world have had difficulties in fulfilling accessibility standards, resulting in several streets, sidewalks, and businesses that are still inaccessible, and an approach to removing obstacles in pedestrian infrastructure is typically absent in the majority of communities [24]. Communities face problems of inadequate infrastructure and a lack of information regarding the specific impediments that need to be rationally eliminated at their respective locations [25]. Communities frequently encounter a shortage of dependable data regarding the presence and accessibility of sidewalks and the accessibility level of sidewalks [26; 27]. The term \"accessibility\" is commonly employed by geographers, economists, and planners. The ease of reaching a destination, based on multi-criteria, is frequently utilized to define accessibility in mobility [28]. This definition is the foundation for several statistical methods used to evaluate accessibility for pedestrian networks. Past studies have evaluated accessibility by quantifying the cost value associated with footpaths. Accessibility analysis involves the process of defining and computing accessibility measurements, as well as presenting and analyzing outcomes by considering the target group, the destinations to be reached, and the means of travel. Typically quantified in terms of cost, time, or distance, these factors can help establish an accessibility index [29]. The various factors influencing accessibility make it related to multi-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) [30]. Determining the relative weights of criteria and evaluating their significance are critical challenges in applying multi-criteria decision analysis. Given that human judgments, including preferences, are frequently imprecise and cannot be precisely quantified, using fuzzy principles in determining weights is considered significant. Without a user perception-based route selection methodology for PWD, there is an urgent and significant need to consider the preferences and requirements of people with disabilities and evaluate the existing footpaths in urban areas in the KSA. To create a truly inclusive and accessible urban environment, it is crucial to integrate the efforts of road infrastructure designers with representatives of people with disabilities. This collaboration ensures that the design process considers the actual needs and preferences of wheelchair users, leading to spaces that are not only compliant with regulations but also practical and user-friendly for disabled individuals. The primary objectives of this study are to (i) define multi-criteria that can evaluate the preferences of PWD in selecting optimal routes, (ii) establish the relative importance of the criteria using fuzzy rank ordering, (iii) determine criteria scores using GIS and expert knowledge base, and (iv) apply MCDA to aggregate the scores for optimal route selection. The primary contributions of this research can be summarized as follows. First, the research integrates Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with expert knowledge to assess the suitability of existing sidewalks and infrastructure [31]. This integration provides accurate and comprehensive data about areas that need improvements to facilitate mobility.