What is the first image that comes to mind when you think of a person with a disability? Is a wheelchair involved? That would not be surprising due to the visible element and how the logo used to describe accessibility is associated with a wheelchair icon. But persons with disabilities are not just wheelchair users. There are so many disabilities and many are not visible. This is the disconnect that I commonly see when evaluating accessibility practices.
Only considering people with disabilities that you can visibly see the challenge with the barriers that exist is the issue. For example, the designated parking spots for persons with disabilities are not just for those with mobility aids. Not being able to “see the disability” should not be the consideration that the person should not park in the spot. The policing of those who seem disabled enough to have access to designated accommodations pushes people with disabilities away from services, supports, and activities in the community.
We need to consider the whole spectrum of disability. The different types of disabilities, the level of access needs, the consideration that it is possible to have multiple disabilities, different ages, ethnicities, genders, sexualities, and so much more. Some people always had their disability, some obtain them later in life. There are many considerations to accessibility such as mobility, visual, audio, cognitive, and language that all require consideration and understanding.
I know people want a simple perception and understanding of disability. It seems simple to view disability as the wheelchair icon but it will actually create more barriers by avoiding everyone else who has access needs. We are all valuable and deserve an equitable access to community such as services and activities that improve our quality of life. Changing our perception from only viewing accessibility as mobility access to an understanding that there are many details people can learn that are taken for granted but barriers for people with disabilities. Accessibility cannot be done with a blanket solution but with multiple creative solutions that exist to build into our systems and processes to remove barriers for everyone.