Let the Tulips Bloom: Cultivating Agency for Afghan Refugee Women and Children in Charlottesville by Removing Barriers in Healthcare and Mobility

In this report, qualitative and quantitative methods are used to understand barriers to healthcare and transportation access faced by Afghan refugee women and children in Charlottesville, Virginia and the impact of these barriers on their agency at both an individual and structural level. Qualitative methods were used to understand healthcare accessibility. The methods used include conducting a focus group with local healthcare and education workers who work closely with Afghan refugee populations; and performing a coding analysis of main themes on the focus group transcript. Quantitative methods were used to understand transportation accessibility. The methods used include spatial analysis (amenities proximity analysis and walkability comparisons) and network analysis (transit accessibility analysis). Walkability comparisons use data from the United States Environmental Protection Agency Smart Location Database (US EPA SLD). Following the analyses, recommendations are offered to improve the sense of agency for Afghan refugee women and children.

This work was completed as part of the MUEP Spring 2024 courses PLAN 6020 Methods of Community Research and PLAN 6040 Quantitative Methods for Planning. Work was directed by Professor Barbara Brown Wilson and Professor Andrew Mondschein. All work was completed in partnership with Professor Bonnie Gordon, co-director of the Cville Tulips, an organization that is part of the UVA Sound Justice Lab. Special thanks to focus group attendees and interviewees from Albemarle County Public Schools and UVA International Family Medicine Clinic.