The Merriam Webster dictionary defines “access” as the “freedom or ability to enter, approach, obtain, or make use of something.”
Disability rights activist and author Alice Wong has a much better definition: “Access is love.”
However, you don’t have to love (or even like) someone to provide them access.
Access should never be viewed as a luxury, optional, inconvenient, or an afterthought. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States is a floor, not a ceiling. You can always choose to do better than the bare minimum. Show people they are not just tolerated but wanted.
Folks often think access means just ramps and closed captioning. But it is more than that. Access is scent free space. It is plain language. It is seats that are sized so fat people can sit comfortably. It is a quiet space to go when things are too overwhelming. It is people being able to stim freely.
If you don’t know what access might look like for your specific group/location/etc., reach out to a Disabled led disability rights groups- don’t just hope you guessed correctly.
Make access the default
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