Is it Possible to be Fully Accessible?
“Is it Possible to be Fully Accessible?” surrounded by an blue outline of a wheel rims.
As someone who has disabilities and works to improve the lives of persons with disabilities, the question of what is fully accessible always comes up from people who don’t usually do this work. Typically, this comes from a place of viewing the information and being overwhelmed. Other times, it is realizing the complexity of accessibility when considering the different needs.
So what does it mean to be fully accessible?
In simple terms, it is removing barriers that people experienced by interacting with environments, products, and people. It sounds great and feasible to do. Well, until you use a solution that reduces a barrier for one group but creates barriers for others. This is when people freak out and start thinking that accessibility is too much work or that it cannot happen.
Accessibility in many legislations and policies focused on physical disabilities for the longest time. Just because these policies exist does not mean that one, it is working well for the intended group, and two, that it truly captures the accessibility needed to fit the needs of everyone.
One of the biggest issues with the way accessibility is being discussed is that it only affects a limited number of people. However, disability can happen to anyone at any time. You are likely going to be disabled at some point in time whether you were born with the disability, acquire a disability later in life, and more often the case, the body naturally will decline as you age needing these tools and services. Until we agree that accessibility is for everyone, the shift to be fully accessible will never happen.
To be fully accessible, two things need to happen.
1. Have many options available to suit different needs and abilities
2. Be readily available and part of living life
These two things need all of us to make it happen. Let’s take housing for example. If housing was designed from the start to be adaptable and accessible (as well as affordable), then the need to find housing wouldn’t be high as more people can stay in the housing they live in. Currently, many people with disabilities cannot find housing that is accessible to them due to limited stock and are currently living in places that are not accessible as there is no choice. Or, they are living in more unsafe conditions because that is all that is available that they can access. We need to move away from just ticking boxes to having options that allow people to live with dignity and choice that improve their quality of life.
It is going to take a significant amount of work to get there with collaboration, understanding, and momentum. It is going to take all of us to make it happen. This is a systemic change that is not going to happen overnight but there are ways to move in the direction of a society that is accessible to encourage the mindset that accessibility is important. Below are simple, general steps that can be applies to many sectors and interactions to be more inclusive to persons with disabilities.
Understand and use the general basis of accessibility: There are so many resources of the general key actions to look for and do without much effort upfront.
When providing an experience, note down what can be done without expressing the needs and what needs to be requested due to limited resources.
Be transparent about the potential barriers and accommodations: Awareness and information is what persons with disabilities need in an inaccessible society. Anything to help make decisions and not waste time.
Have a contact person who has the knowledge and can find the expertise to streamline communications: While it is important for everyone to be aware of what is accessibility and how to make an experience better, if doing an activity, event, product, and experience, have a contact person can streamline the process for both the organizers and persons with disabilities.
Always not the needs, things to look out for, and challenges for people to reference: Feedback and learning is critical to not making the same mistakes. Nobody expects perfection but there is an exception of learning and improving to continue the experience.
While it would be great if being fully accessible was easy and close to being reality, it takes every sector, organization, and person to create the experience of being fully accessible. Keeping an open mind and taking action where you can is always appreciated and can help encourage others to help make that shift.
Amanda