Accessibility For The Disabled
On Friday's episode of Unfiltered, I talked a little about systemic discrimination.
I discussed how erasure, disregard, and the lack of disabled voices in the conversation can be massive detriments to policy formation. I also included some personal stories from my town, people I know, and my own experiences.
One of the things I touched on was the problem of accessibility in public spaces.
Most people take accessibility for granted. Able-bodied people don't need to worry about walking up a set of stairs to enter a building, and you probably don't even think twice about revolving doors or how wide an entranceway is.
For some disabled people, this lack of consideration gets in the way of their ability to function in society.
Accessibility goes beyond the simple act of entering and leaving a space. Some disabilities don't cause issues with mobility but impact people's ability to function in other ways.
As an autistic woman with sensory issues, some public spaces are so loud, busy, and chaotic that my brain shuts down and puts me into a daze. Places with dim lighting and a requirement to whisper and give people a wide berth are much more accessible to me than, say, a busy mall.
I feel more physically comfortable and alert in a quiet library than in a grocery store, which can be an issue when you need food to survive. We haven't figured out how to get around that yet.
How tall are your kitchen counters at home? What about your furniture? How is your bathtub constructed? Do you even have one, or is it just a narrow standing shower?
How far up on the wall are your light switches? The thermostat? Can you turn on a ceiling fan from the height of a wheelchair? What about if you were only a few feet tall due to a genetic condition that prevented your growth?
Where is your laundry machine located? If you're in an apartment, is it on the ground floor? How do you transport your full laundry basket to its location? Is it a front-loading or top-loading machine? Can you even reach the buttons to turn it on?
Think about your workplace. Can a disabled person get around and complete basic tasks without needing the assistance of a coworker?
The abled population doesn't have to think about basic daily chores and activities like this, and that can leave disabled people struggling to make do. It makes life ten times harder.
Two main barriers tend to block accessibility measures: a lack of funds and a lack of awareness.
Government subsidies can remedy a lack of funds, and frankly, they should. It's the government's job to ensure the safety and security of its citizenry, so ensuring the disabled population has accomodations should be part of its duties.
The real problem is a lack of awareness. Fortunately, there are organizations working to improve general knowledge on these issues.
Here in Canada, the Rich Hansen Foundation is a great example. They work specifically to teach businesses about workplace accessibility for people in wheelchairs and certify them when they put proper measures in place.
This is a great help for their workers, ensuring that their employees can do their work successfully and also helping to cut down on in-house discrimination on the personal level.
For the home, it can be a little trickier. Of course you can hire a contractor to come in and change things if you own the building, but what if you don't have the money?
Take a look at this detailed breakdown of what one Canadian wheelchair user had to go through to find a place to live. Take note of the things she had to worry about, including the floor plan and the width of the doors and hallways.
It's hard to find a home when you're able-bodied and have the disposable income to make it happen. Imagine having your field of potential homes narrowed even further by a lack of forethought during construction.
Disabled people are equally as valuable as everyone else. All human beings deserve to live free, open lives without being encumbered by a lack of compassion.
To be constrained by barriers that specifically bar you access is frustrating and cruel, and as a society we have a duty to do better.
Improving accessibility is a cause we should all be ready to fight for. This just so happens to be an election season in some countries around the world. I wonder if any politicians are talking about this issue, or could be pressured to make it a part of their campaign platform?
Hint hint, nudge nudge. Contact your representatives. Or talk to your boss at work, or to the owners of your local shops, or whomever you can think of. Ask what they're doing to ensure accessibility, or if they might consider doing something in the future.
A little community pressure can go a surprisingly long way.
Solidarity wins.
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