The Constants
Accessibility is not a charity. It is a constant we can lower.
Every single day we face obstacles. Every journey is different. I truly get it. On the other hand, we have constants. Some people meet those constants every day and are still able to move around them. By “constants,” I mean accessibility problems. I call them constants because these problems are similar to each other and overcoming them requires the same approaches in their own categories. Others notice them and eventually decide to fix them and push through.
Terry Fox was one of them. He is one of Canada’s national heroes. He was a cancer research activist and ran across Canada for his cause to raise awareness and money. A noble act: breaking the limits and fixing the constants. The point is changing the conversation, and that is what Terry Fox established.
Another person I would like to mention is Zion Clark. He wrestles, races, and competes in spaces that were not designed for him, and it isn’t about the “hero overcomes all the obstacles” thing, but he is one of the most adaptable human beings to environments that are rarely ready for him. In spite of all these obstacles, he is always ready.
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These practical gaps are real. These people get their voices heard no matter what life brings them. The condition of one of my family members just made me aware that accessibility is not a charity. It came to me late, but I am glad that I understood it completely. The approach is simple. Most of the time, we see incomplete information when we book a hotel or a flight: listings say one thing but reality shows you another. The gap between the real world regarding accessibility and the data is still noticeably inaccurate. I would like to say it is normal, but 16% of the world’s population requires assistance, so it is not too normal and I don’t complain about it; instead, I should work on this issue to make it better.
I started to collect details about hotels to help those around me who need it, and I started preparing a website called Accessiwo (short for Accessible World) to provide that contribution to others. It feels good to selectively collect information about vacation places and publish it. It is getting there step by step. To be honest, going on a vacation without knowing these details could cost someone time and a lot of frustration. We had that bad experience last summer and I would not want another person to experience it the same way. By the way, there is no big promise behind this, and it’s not that every place will suddenly become perfectly accessible, but I believe that getting the word out more widely would make the awareness more visible.
All of us cross real thresholds every single day and every person has their own specific problem, but I believe that we can lower that threshold for each other by collaborating and seeing the unseen. I will update you more on my progress next week.
Let me know if you would like to contribute to
Accessiwo:
aaccessiwo@gmail.com
