able bodied people’s idea of wheelchair accessibility is laughable at best. listen.
if a wheelchair user has to go around to a back alley to get into your venue–it should not be called accessible
if your venue doesn’t have automatic doors–it should not be called accessible
if your venue’s washrooms are down a narrow hall that is difficult to navigate–it should not be called accessible
if your venue’s floorplan doesn’t factor in space for wheelchairs–it should not be called accessible
if your venue has steps leading in, or at any point inside, and no ramp is readily available–it should not be called accessible
and that’s just 5 points from my foggy brain on wheelchair accessibility. they miss so many things and lose more potential customers than they realize and it’s ridiculous bc it would take 10 seconds of thought, but they can’t even give that.
•If you have several ramps that have steps at the bottom or top of them and none of the wheelchair accessible ramps are marked, don’t you dare call it accessible even if there are other wheelchair ramps (there’s a certain university campus wth several ramps with 2 big steps at the bottom of them that you can’t see from the top) •if the whole ground is designed to discourage skateboarders, it’s gonna be hell for a wheelchair user’s butt. cobbles are bad enough but skateboard deterring bricks are hell. (same university had this everywhere outside) •if you use your wheelchair ramps, elevators, and other accessible areas to put large decorations and in turn they’re blocked off: there’s NO WAY they’re accessible! or if they’re employee only! •if you’re a restaurant and you only have one tiny corner in the back that’s dark and smells and is far from the other tables that’s accessible, you aren’t an accessible restaurant •sidewalks that are not maintained and have 3 inch drops into the road at the bottom of the ramp into the crosswalk. why?
Here’s a few more I’ve dealt with in personal experience.
Lego are asking people to propose new set ideas for production.
“My inspiration for this design came from when my best friend and inspiration for this project who has muscular dystrophy. Both of us were making some minifigures of ourselves and we realized that there was not a wheelchair accessory for his minifigure. I decided to make a wheelchair out of the pieces I have and this is the result. The pack would include a minifigure in a wheelchair, a ramp, and a set of double doors that opened wide enough for the chair to pass through. If this were to become a set, I would donate all the proceeds to Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy.”
This guy is proposing that lego create an accessibility pack for mini figures. If enough people vote Lego will create this pack:
For the month of October, PACLA will be sharing information to help make Halloween safe & accessible for everyone! Autistic children deserve a #posAutive experience in an often overwhelming time of year. We ALL do. Look for the hashtag #AccessibleHalloween, contribute your own ideas and accommodations, and share widely! The more people we reach, the more inclusive we can make this holiday. Thanks and may we all have a HAPPY and #AccessibleHalloween!
Image Description: Orange textured background, with a large hashtag at the top, #accessiblehalloween, and a large number 1. A black banner stretches across the meme, with white text reading:
Strobe light might seem fun to create a “scary” atmosphere, but they are not safe for those with epilepsy or sensory sensitivities to lights. Strobe lights can trigger seizures and migraines. Lanterns and soft, glowing lights are a safe alternative that will let ALL know they are welcome.
Fashion and technology converge for all the right reasons.
Clothing that can be worn backwards, frontwards, inside out… It is an alternative for Autistic youths – it has no tags or seams and won’t cause issues because it will be on correctly, no matter how they are put on. Spread the word! http://www.independencedayclothing.com/#!shop/c1ylq
yh but if you look outside your own personal reasons for using this, laziness, it actually looks a really great and practical way to put on your socks if you have a disability that hinders you from otherwise being able so without someone there to help you
you do realise that there are people out there who literally have to travel door to door helping elderly people, disabled people and people with chronic illnesses to put on their socks? people are paid to help put on pressure socks to help with oedema? don’t you realise that if these people could have one of these tools, these caregivers could be doing something else and that this therefore is an incredible tool designed to cater for some of the most healthcare dependent people in our society? do you guys even realise there are other people living other lives?
i really wish i had this when my spine was broken and i had to wear a medical metal corset which made bending down impossible. i had to ask my mom to help me with socks and it was kinda humiliating.
My dad spends an hour in the morning getting dressed because he has no one to help him to get his socks on because his ankle is fused. If he had this it would literally save him an hour.
“Oh but people are so lazy!”
fuck off you ableist pieces of shit
Honestly I don’t even get how you could look at this and think “lazy”. This looks like more work for an otherwise able-bodied person than just putting their sock on the regular way. It’s pretty obvious this is meant for people who have trouble bending over, like come on.
You know how people go straight to “lazy” on this? Because we’re trained to think of most accessibility modifications as lazy. The disabled = lazy message is deeply embedded in our culture.
ok no but does anyone know where to get this? my best friend and housemate is unable to put on socks due to her illnesses and this would just make her so happy being the independent laydee that she is
My grandpa would have been so happy to have this. It would have made his last years so much easier.
This would have been amazing when I was pregnant. I got so big and was in so much pain I could no longer bend down or even pull a leg into my lap (because I didn’t have one anymore) to put my shoes and socks on.
Not all disabilities are visible. That’s why it’s important to keep priority seating clear at all times. For more information on accessibility throughout the Metro system, visit www.wmata.com/accessibility
This is SO GOOD. This is a HUGE reason I don’t feel comfortable on transit.
Independence is important for everyone. Unfortunately, for a person with such insignificant disability as the lack of thumb seams to be, life is not easy at all. We learn how to write in the earliest years of our life and it becomes an inherent element of our everyday life. When somebody is suddenly deprived of the opportunity to ordinarily use a writing tool, the disability starts to be inconvenient, it deprives of the independence.
Holding the Bowl 