Unpacking Universal Accessibility

Universal Accessibility is a concept that is widely discussed though at the same time remains widely misunderstood. A simple definition of the concept which I personally ascribe to is the following;

“Accessibility to everywhere, accessibility for everyone and accessibility to everything at every time”.

From reading the above statement one can clearly see that accessibility goes far beyond Physical Accessibility. One may then begin to wonder what constitutes Universal Accessibility. This article will attempt to describe the various elements that collectively create Universal Accessibility.

Physical Accessibility:

This is access to the physical environment. Usually, people with physical disabilities need this type of accessibility to enable them to participate effectively in society. Examples for physical accessibility are the following:

• Access ramps and elevators in built infrastructure such as schools, houses, shops, universities, public and privately owned buildings. In general access to any and all built infrastructure.
• Accessible transportation; for example; cars, buses, ships, planes and trains that are modified to accommodate people with various disabilities.

Access to Information and Communication

Accessible Information is information that is available for people with impairments that inhibit them from obtaining information in a conventional method. For instance, people who have varying levels of visual impairment and people with cognitive impairments (learning challenges) may need accommodations to allow them to obtain information on an equal basis with others. Examples of accessible information include:

• Braille literature.
• Raised print.
• Large print literature.
• Easy read literature.
• Screen readers (talkback).

Accessible communication is closely related to accessible information. Accessible communication is usually consumed by people with hearing impairments, some of whom prefer to be known as “deaf”. Examples of accessible communication include:

• Sign language.
• Closed captions.

Attitudinal Accessibility:

The last and however the most important category of accessibility. Nevertheless, this is the most ignored form of accessibility. Attitudinal accessibility is about respecting people with disabilities and recognizing their inherent dignity as part of the human race. Examples of attitudinal accessibility:

• Asking permission to help a person with disabilities before helping him rather than assuming that he needs your help and helping him without his consent.
• Not labeling people with disabilities as an “inspiration” for achieving or doing what many able people can ordinarily do.
• Speaking directly to a person with a disability rather than speaking to her through her helper or companion.
• Referring to a person with a disability by their name rather than their disability or assistive device.

Reasonable Accommodation:

It’s very important for us to note that there is no-one-size-fits-all solution to accessibility given the fact that people with disabilities are not a homogenous group. Due to the diversity of needs of persons with disabilities the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (U.N.C.R.P.D) dwells on the importance of the concept of Reasonable Accommodation.

According to Wikipedia;

“A reasonable accommodation is an adjustment made in a system to accommodate or make fair the same system for an individual based on a proven need. Accommodations can be religious, academic, or employment related and are often mandated by law. Each country has its own system of reasonable accommodations. The United Nations use this term in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, saying refusal to make accommodation results in discrimination.”

In layman’s terms reasonable accommodation is about making the environment suitable for my disability thereby increasing its accessibility to me.

In conclusion universal accessibility is a diverse concept that is poorly understood by many. This article describes the various elements that when combined will constitute Universal Accessibility. When considering improving accessibility of a product and or service it’s important to look at it from a wholistic point of view rather than focusing on one dimension of the concept.

Mr Tapiwa K. Tsikai is a Disability and Inclusion Expert. He has over a decade experience in working on issues of accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities. He is the current Technical Director and Co-Founder of Thisability Hub. He may be reached on the following email address; tapiwa@thisabilityhub.org.zw.

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