Saturday, August 4, 2012
Did you notice?
We talk a lot about making things accessible. The Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act has helped with this tremendously in the United States. So what's to notice? Unless disability directly impacts us or someone we know, how many times do you go about your business each day never really noticing if someone with a disability might have trouble accessing with ease and efficiency the same things you do? How long do you have to wait for an elevator....how are rooms set-up? Do you have to move furniture around when you know someone who uses a wheelchair is coming? Is the waiting or reception area accessible...that is, can you sit in a variety of places and access the same information? Is the small coffee shop(s) in your building easily accessible? What do you really notice when you walk around each day? What is access? Next time you are out and about, really look. What would the difference be if you could not see, hear, walk etc.? What little things can we do better regardless of being told we have to?
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I was thinking about accessibility when I was at the airport two days ago. I was trying to make it to a connecting flight on time and was rushing through the airport. I used the moving side walks to get to my terminal swiftly. I noticed a sign stating that these moving side walks prohibited wheel chairs. I also noticed the golf carts designed to bring people who had trouble walking to their next location were also not wheelchair accessible. Without these resources, I don't understand how someone could make a connecting flight in time. I also wondered how accessible the airport was for someone who was deaf, as some of the signs stating where the flight was going/what time were incorrect - the airport personnel corrected this sign verbally on an intercom. I believe making airports more accessible is a necessity.
ReplyDeleteBrittany,
DeleteYou made some great points. These are the things that often go unnoticed. The airport most likely meets all of the legal accessibility requirements (for the United States as each Country has different rules). The point about making your connecting fight is well taken. How would someone in a wheelchair do this? What if they were using their power chair or self-propelling at a higher rate of speed? Would someone complain about that as a safety issue? You are absolutely right about the signage. If the visible announcements are wrong and they are only corrected through a verbal announcement, how would someone who is deaf or hard of hearing know? Would you want to relay on having an automatic text sent to your phone to tell you? I am not sure. With the technology we have today, there has to be a way to correct a lot of this.
We have so much technology available, but do not take advantage of so much of it. There are so many things we can be, and should be doing, for those with disabilities. Places that are open to the public should be accessible to every piece of the public. This includes those with physical disabilities, cognitive/intellectual disabilities, those who do not speak English as a primary language, visually impaired, hard of hearing, and AAC users. We have the technology and capabilities to make all public places enjoyable and accessible to all. I think, and hope, as time passes and society becomes more aware of how limiting we are to those who access things differently, there will be more modifications, adaptations and accommodations made to suit all people regardless of disability.
DeleteKerin McGue
Kerin,
DeleteWe do have a lot of technology available both low and high tech that we can be using wiser. Just adding thoughtfully placed symbols in our public places is a way to start. This is very low cost and easily updated. I am wondering if there is training given to employees in public buildings or places like airports in areas such as AAC? I know first responders do receive some of this training which is great. I am thinking back to Brittany's comment about time. It takes people much longer to communicate through AAC language systems. Time in an airport is not always a luxury you have.
I remember life before the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. My mother was diagnosed with MS before I was born and most of my childhood and early adulthood was spent assisting her with everyday activities.Bathroom facilities were a nightmare, small stalls couldn't accomodate her walker or later on, her wheelchair.Retail stores, resturants, hair salons were not set up for disabled patrons and many times we were looked at with disdain. I remember all too well the frustration she felt when her wheelchair couldn't fit down the aisle of our church on my wedding day. As her disability progressed, she wasn't able to read books and her communication weakened; there were no AAC devices to assist her. Our house was not handicap accessable and she was unable to climb the stairs as stairs lifts were not commonplace at the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks to the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act we have come so far with accessability and yet still have further to go.I know it's not perfect for people with disabilities but we are on the right track. Fewer people show disdain when a woman in a wheelchair goes into a hair salon. I believe it is important to be aware of the challanges they face and try to understand how it feels from another's perspective. We ALL deserve easy access to public places, we all have the right to express our needs, feelings and desires and we must protect those who can't do it for themselves.
Phyllis,
DeleteThank-you for sharing your story about your mother. The lack of just very simple accommodations made things so much more difficult for your mother and your family. You are right that we have come a long ways. Most people are much more accepting. It has to be difficult wondering when you go out if there will be unanticipated barriers both physical and attitudinal. Even with the better access, the amount of time, energy and planning it takes to just go to school or work each day far surpasses what we do with routines so embedded that we may not even remember our drive to work.
In 1955 at the age of 28 my father was stricken with polio. He was left a paraplegic. It was not easy during that era. There were no laws to protect the handicapped. Growing up I remember always having to watch for places my dad could get into. So many times people would say "there is only one step to get in" not realizing that it may as well have been a flight of stairs. The lack of accommodations was very frustrating. What bothered me more than anything was when he was just ignored. We would go in to a store to purchase something and the salesperson would talk to me like my dad was unable to communicate. Then I would say excuse me but he is the person buying the item. This happened as recently as 2005. If they only knew that this man worked for 35 years as a senior procurement specialist at Raytheon. He drove with hand controls and did not miss a day of work. I have to say that we have come a long way but there is still more that needs to be done. Janet D.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure why people assume less competence as a person because of a disability. Franklin Roosevelt led our country while seated in a wheelchair. This is where public awareness still needs improvement to shift our embedded views many people are not even aware of. I wonder if the person talking to you instead of your father was fully conscious of what they were doing and why. Having a wheelchair is about mobility and independence which is why accessibility becomes an issue. However, attitudinal barriers can be just as powerful as you point out. You confronted them head on which is what we all must do. It goes back to not tolerating complacency. Sometimes people may say they are uncomfortable confronting someone even just as simply as you did. We just have to remember the discomfort, anger and frustration the person who uses the wheelchair must feel all the time. I think we can all take your lead and push a little harder and make sure people see the person first not the disability.
DeleteAs a teacher of students with multiple disabilities, I constantly am noticing ways in which areas of the community are not accessible to my students. I have found that even their own school is sometimes not made accessible! What a disservice! I can't ever go into a public bathroom without noticing that the "handicap accessible" stall is always at the back of the room, which often requires someone to pass through a very narrow area by the sinks! It is often a frustrating situation for me, as a fully-functioning adult who is simply assisting my students in these situations, I cannot imagine the frustration of a person with disabilities possibly trying to access these things on their own. We still have such a very long way to go.
ReplyDeleteGreat observation about the public restrooms. You are right, they are always at the back. I think one time I saw a bathroom with one at the front and one at the back. I also wonder if there are people standing in line or in front if they always know enough to move completely out of the way or just stand against the wall which may not leave enough room to get by. Going in a public restroom is never the most comfortable thing. What if the accessible stall is dirty to the point it really cannot be used. What do you do then?
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