Accessibility

 The elevator in my building has been broken for four weeks. 

I have been told: 

They can't get the parts quickly to fix it

They will let me out of my lease with no fees

They will put me in a [sketchy] motel until it is fixed

They can't install a chair lift after only consulting with one company

I should be grateful they offered accommodations.

I should take the accommodations they have offered even though they would cause an increased burden.

I should stop pushing this issue because it will ruin my reputation

I should just be patient and wait. 

Can I ask you something? 

If something happened to the stairs and there were no elevator, would able-bodied people be stuck in their apartments for four weeks and told to: 

Be grateful? 

Take offers that burden them?

Not to push the issue so they don't ruin their reputation?

To just be patient and wait?

We have laws in this country like the FHA and ADA that were put in place to try to make society a little more accessible to everyone.  Yes, there are flaws.  Yes, sometimes things go wrong.  But we should be doing better not worse.  We should demand more, not accept less.  

Disabled people are not the issue in this country.  Lack of accessibility is.  Do you have any idea how much we are ALL capable of when you just give us what we need to survive and accommodate us when we need it? 

I know people writing life-changing books who cannot even move their arms. 

I know people with NO energy who never say no to making sure their neighbors and friends are helped.

I know people who use their mobility aids to participate in fundraisers for amazing organizations.

I know people in unbearable chronic pain who make the most beautiful art to give to people freely. 

I know people who are the greatest parents even though they suffer from demons you could never understand. 

I know people who deliver food to people who are homebound every single month even though they have their own mobility issues.  

I know people who make the most amazing music but think differently than neurotypical people. 

I know groups of people with challenges who run entire boards for international organizations. 

I know people who cannot stand who make the most amazing meals for people in need. 

I know people who put everything they have into caring for their loved ones despite their own health issues. 

I know people with deformed spines who continue to work to make sure their families can eat. 

Beethoven composed the famous Ninth Symphony with severe hearing impairment in 1824. 

Louis Braille was blind but invented the braille writing system in 1829.  

Harriet Tubman suffered from epilepsy and chronic pain as she assisted over 70 people to freedom through the underground railroad and worked as a spy for the union during the civil war from 1850-1860's.

Franklin D. Roosevelt was paralyzed from polio but still served four terms as president, starting in 1932. 

John Nash battled Schizophrenia while being awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994.

Stephen Hawking had ALS, could not walk or talk or move, and was still an amazing leader in physics until his death in 2018.

 

Judith Heumann is a polio survivor and wheelchair user who was an important part of getting the ADA established in 1990 and continues to fight for accommodations for disabled people today. 

RJ Mitte, best known for acting on Breaking Bad, lives with Cerebral Palsy. 

Bethany Hamilton is a pro surfer who lost her arm in a shark attack but continues her career in surfing. 

Aaron Philip does modeling with major agencies with Cerebral Palsy 

Millie Bobby Brown has partial hearing loss but is the star of one of the most famous shows today. 

Selena Gomez is a famous singer who battles lupus and even had to have a kidney transplant. 

Gigi Hadid is a famous model who suffers from Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. 

Sarah Hyland, best known for acting on Modern Family, has had several kidney transplants due to kidney dysplasia. 

Halsey is an amazing musical artist who suffers with various autoimmune and chronic conditions. 

Venus Williams, one of the most famous tennis pros in the world, suffers from Sjögren’s Syndrome. 

Simone Biles, arguably the most famous Olympic gymnast in the world had an amazing comeback after dropping out of the 2020 Summer Olympics due to a dangerous psychological phenomenon only to come back strong by winning three gold medals in the 2024 Paris Olympics. 

There are so many disabled - differently abled - people changing the world with the crappy accessibility available now and they continue to fight for the accommodations to make them as successful as possible.  

Imagine what they could accomplish in a society that makes room for them instead of telling them to be "grateful" for things that do nothing for them.  Imagine how successful they would be if they didn't have to fight for equity and inclusion and it was just given freely. Imagine how much could these people actually achieve with the right amount of support?  Imagine where our society would be today.  Imagine the difference in the world.  Imagine!