For a long time, the issue of accessibility remained unaddressed. Those living with a disability would not be considered, often staying home and out of sight being their only option. But in recent times, things have vastly improved. I am sure we can all agree that this great news and that everyone, whether living with a disability or not, deserves the same level of access to things. It has taken a long time and a number of battles to get the level of accessibility we see today. So, does this mean that the fight has now been won? Unfortunately, no, it does not. While the progress made is commendable, there is still much to be done. But I am very happy to say, there are companies out there, like accessiBe, who are continuing to fight for change.
What has been done so far?
The world so far seems to have been focused on those living with mobility issues. Why can we say this? You only have to go for a stroll around the block and you will likely see slopes leading off sidewalks, ramps into buildings, wider doors to public building to aid access for those in wheelchairs. If you go into a public building, you will see elevators to each floor, you will see wider aisles and disabled toilets. This has all become what we expect, and it is all to help those with limited mobility. This has meant that so many people living with a disability have been able to enjoy many of the things that the rest of us may take for granted. But mobility issues are not the only types of disabilities. There are many people living with a disability that need no aids and adaptations to enter or get through a building but may need help in other ways. And there are those who may need both.
Where is progress still to be made?
The truth is there is room for improvement in all areas. But an area that has grown astronomically in recent times is the internet. Especially since the start of the pandemic, more and more websites have been popping up and a lot of them are not accessible for many people living with disabilities. But there is an easy solution to this and so this problem should not exist. There is software available that can make your whole website accessible, doing all the work for you and in a very short period of time. As more accessibility issues arise, we need to keep on top of them and do all we can to give those living with disabilities the same rights and access as everyone else.