Access

Two female and one male distillery workers listen as someone outside the image frame talks to them. Two of the workers are standing in the background while the third, a wheelchair user, is seated in front of them. All are dressed in brightly colored reflective vests for safety, indicating that they do similar work.

Questions to Ask About Access:

  • Can a person with a wheelchair or other mobility device enter the building without help?
  • Are key areas (like restrooms and parking) accessible?
  • Are accommodations available for people with sensory disabilities (Deaf, hard-of-hearing, low vision, and blindness)?
  • Can recipes be altered or can people with food allergies/feeding differences bring their own food?
  • Are sensory-friendly options available (lower light, less noise, etc.)?
  • Is information given in plain language?
A graphic checklist with questions to consider when planning to include people with disabilities.
Image Description: Text on aqua background with a summary of the questions about access from above.

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Access and Disability

The definition of disability taught us that disability and access are related. An example we used was building ramps. If everyone uses a ramp to enter a building, wheelchair users have the same ability to enter that everyone else has. When a building only has steps, wheelchair users’ access is limited.

Access and Ableism

Why don’t all buildings have access ramps? That’s where ableism comes in. When our core beliefs focus on one type of person (historically, a person who is not disabled), we don’t see the big picture. It’s not that we plan to exclude people with disabilities. We’ve just been living in a society that values non-disabled people for so long that we forget to think about other perspectives.

There are things we can do to increase access for people with disabilities. You can see some specific examples under the AID mnemonic, which stands for autonomy, inclusion, and dignity.

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