Welcome to my journal which will detail my journey toward universally accessible libraries and other environments. Why Universal Access? Not everyone is able to enjoy the benefits of our libraries, museums, archives, and other environments because of disability or aging. Universal access seeks to address and remove those barriers to physical access, information, and services making these services accessible to everyone.
Being mobility challenged, I know, personally, how difficult it can be to access some of our public facilities. So I think the first step in making change is to recognize that changes need to be made. Some observations I’ve made relative to disabilities and aging are:
1) What is considered accessible by an able-bodied person may not actually be accessible for a disabled person. For instance having a handicapped ramp that is cracked and at the wrong angle does not make access any more easy.
2) Able bodied people don’t see stairs. They don’t see curbs, cracks in the sidewalk, pebbles in the road, or inclines – no matter how slight – all of which inhibit a physically disabled persons access.
3) In regards to the aging population, I think younger generations assume that seniors have limited technological ability. Some do. But I’ve also found that some don’t. We can’t make general assumptions.
Let’s try to make it better for all!
My Quest for Universal Access 