What is Accessibility?

I have been trying to figure out this so called ‘accessibility’.  I can not claim on what accessibility looks like in your country but I can question accessibility in the places I have been and the laws within the United States.

I try to put myself in other’s shoes as much as I can and ask a lot of questions.  I want to know what is difficult for people of all abilities.  I am learning about accessibility awareness more and more which makes me believe this is an important topic that needs to be addressed in a global sense.  We are not cookie cutouts so the environment should not be that way.  The environment around us needs to be flexible and change because each and every one of us is unique.

What is ‘Accessibility’ to me?

Accessibility is creating an environment where everyone no matter their abilities can access all things as independent as possible.

Below are a few types of accessibilities I believe we need to be aware of.  With a short comment of how I think of these accessibilities.  (There are many more than what is on this list that I am figuring out as I become more aware)

Physical Accessibility:  The ability to move within a given environment freely.

Communication Accessibility: The ability to communicate in the environment with any form of communication.

Visual/Hearing Accessibility: The ability to freely discover an environment as independent as possible.

Mental/Emotional Accessibility: The acknowledgement that everyone processes differently and that the environment respects the time, process and opinion or way of doing things of the individual.

Financial Accessibility: To have a quality environment for people of all income levels.

I have started questioning places who claim to be accessible which will also be covered in this blog.

Please feel free to comment and share your stories of accessibility.

Thanks!