When you are disabled, accessibility is important to you because you can’t navigate the world when there are too many barriers. Non-disabled people sometimes think that accessibility only benefits disabled people and that they don’t have to care about it because they aren’t disabled. Everyone should care about accessibility because the disability community is the only minority community anyone can join at any time. Most disabilities are not birth defects and were acquired through accident, age, or illness. Accessibility isn’t just for disabled people and benefits everyone because you don’t need to have a disability to benefit from a more accessible world. You are probably benefiting from accessibility more than you think because accessibility does not end at ramps. There are a lot of things that you use every single day that you didn’t realize are accessibility and were created for disabled people. In this post, I am sharing a few things that you probably have used that you didn’t realize were accessibility.
Subtitles on videos– People who are deaf or hard of hearing often have a harder time watching video because they can’t hear what people are saying and cannot enjoy movies without subtitles. Most people who use subtitles are not deaf because nowadays everyone uses them, and you don’t have to be disabled. Subtitles can be helpful if you are in a louder environment or the people on screen are not easily understandable, so you don’t miss anything important. If you enjoy watching movies with subtitles, you can thank the deaf and hard of hearing for that because they were originated for disabled people. Subtitles are convenient for most people, and if you have ever used them, you are benefiting from accessibility. The next time you think about saying accessibility is only for disabled people, I want you to remember all the movies you have watched with subtitles.
Elevators- Disabled people with physical disabilities often need to use the elevator because not all disabled people are able to climb a flight of stairs. Elevators are not just for disabled people, and most people who use elevators have no medical need and use them because it’s easier than climbing five flights of stairs. If a non-disabled person has a car full of groceries that requires multiple trips and their apartment is on the tenth floor, it is likely they aren’t going to take the stairs because that would take forever. Elevators are necessary for wheelchair users but benefit everyone because there are so many reasons why someone who isn’t disabled may choose to take the elevator. It is a more accessible option for parents with young kids or anyone that moving furniture to an upper floor. Stairs are a great option if you want to get some exercise, but sometimes the elevator makes more sense. If you think that elevators are only for disabled people, I want you to remember all the times you took the elevator because you didn’t want to take the stairs.
Larger doorways- People with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs need larger doorways to be able to navigate, but non-disabled people can also benefit from them. If you’re trying to move furniture out of your house or into another room, you may want a larger doorway because moving is a whole lot harder when you don’t have accommodating doorways. Disabled people with physical disabilities need larger doorways to be able to navigate, but everyone benefits from them because life is easier when you have more space. Larger doorways are accessibility and if you think larger doorways are convenient, you are benefiting from accessibility.
Automatic doors- Many people with physical disabilities struggle to open doors by themselves and often need automatic doors to be able to access a building without needing help. Automatic doors are necessary for disabled people, but a vast majority of people who use them are not disabled because they are convenient for everyone. If you are a parent with a child on your hip or on the phone, automatic doors can help you get inside a building without needing to put anything down. Doors can be difficult for people with physical disabilities because sometimes they are too heavy, and you need automatic doors to have independence. Automatic doors are an important part of accessibility and are not just for wheelchair users because it makes everyone’s life easier.
Alexa– When you are physically disabled and walk with crutches it can be very difficult walk and send a text at the same time. Alexa is convenient for most people but when you are physically disabled or blind you may rely on it to help you do things. If you have ever used Alexa, you can thank the disabled community for that because it was originally created for disabled people.
Podcasts: When you are blind or have any significant vision loss, it can be difficult to read books and some people may need to listen to books rather than read them. Podcasts are accessibility and if you have a favorite podcast you listen to, you can thank the blind community because it was originally created for people who can’t read like the rest of us can.
Non-disabled people sometimes think that they don’t have to care about accessibility until they become disabled, but you don’t have to be disabled to benefit from accessibility. A more accessible world benefits everyone, and it is not just for disabled people, because you are probably benefiting from more accessibility than you think. Accessibility doesn’t end at ramps, and there are a lot of accessibility features that you likely use often that were originally created for disabled people. Some accessibility features are going to be specifically for disabled people, but even though you don’t benefit from something, that doesn’t mean it’s not important. We need to prioritize accessibility even if it doesn’t always benefit you because there are people with disabilities who may need it to function. Please stop saying that accessibility is only for disabled people and that it is not important because it’s hurting the disabled community. Accessibility benefits everyone and not caring about a more accessible world makes everyone’s life harder. What accessibility features have you used that you didn’t realize were accessibility? If you liked this post, please leave a comment below and share it with your friends
New posts are shared most Tuesdays and Thursdays. Subscribe to my blog’s email list to be notified when a new post is published. Emails are always kept confidential and never shared with anyone but most importantly I will never spam you!
My Rockin Disabled Life 