Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

In the Accessibility 100 series, I have been sharing practical tips for increasing accessibility for people with disabilities. But, what is accessibility, really?

To me, accessibility is much more than building codes and checklists. It is also very much about the human factor and the intangible. I’ve developed an acrostic (still pretty much a draft) for ACCESSIBILITY:

A – Accepting attitudes: Without acceptance of people with disabilities, accessibility is pointless.

C – Creativity: Finding an accessible solution oftentimes requires thinking outside of the box.

C – Citizenship: Accessibility enables an individual to be a participating member of a community.

E – Encompassing: Accessibility encompasses all facets of life.

S – Society’s values:The level of accessibility, in terms of physical access and acceptance, reflects how a society values its citizens with disabilities.

S – Success: When I can get where I need to go and do what I need to do, that is definitely a success!

I – Increases independence: There is so much I can do myself because of accessibility.

B – Belonging: When I can physically get somewhere, I have a sense I belong there.

I – Initiative: Accessibility doesn’t merely happen. It takes effort and commitment. It requires initiative.

L – Living life: The higher the degree of accessibility, the more able I am to live my life as fully as possible.

I – Interaction: Accessible buildings, accessible services and accepting attitudes enable greater interaction among people, all people.

T – Teamwork: For a place of business or an organization to be accessible, it requires a commitment from every level. Accessibility entails communication and teamwork.

Y – You: Accessibility actually begins with you: you welcoming me, you keeping aisles clear, you installing a grab bar or automatic door opener, you approving the budget, you launching an accessibility improvement project, you holding the door open. You make accessibility possible. Thank you.

What does accessibility mean to you?

Accessibility 100 is a series of 100 easy-to-implement, free and inexpensive tips for improving accessibility for people with disabilities. This is a community project. Feel free to leave your comments, questions and ideas for future Accessibility 100 posts.

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