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Laken Williams

Professor Vyvial

English 1302

April 16, 2019

Build an Accessible America

We live in a society that is generally unfriendly to people with a disability, and it is no

coincidence that even though demographics say that there are 57 million people living with a

disability in America today that we see so few of them in our daily lives. This is because the

places we live, work, eat, learn, and receive entertainment are typically inaccessible to those with

a disability or cognitive difficulty. The American Dream is defined clearly as follows: “the ideal

by which equality of opportunity is available to any American, allowing the highest aspirations

and goals to be achieved.” It is written to every American that this is the goal of our nation, to

give equal opportunity. To every white, black, northern, southern, male, female, and yes, abled

and disabled American. The same tangible opportunity is presented equally among all Americans

and is up for grabs. However, disabled people are prevented in some cases from even leaving

their home to receive this opportunity, although typically they are competent enough to succeed.

The purpose in bringing awareness to the challenges that disabled people face is to extend the

standard level of accessibility throughout all buildings in America in a way that includes the

broadest spectrum of people. With a few simple universal building designs, many of the

challenges those with some type of disability face can vanish. Accessibility is a common

convenience.

Wake up to the sound of your alarm, it’s time to get ready to go to work. You push back

the covers and stumble out of bed. Getting ready for the day, you turn on the radio to hear the
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traffic report so you can plan your commute to work. Grab your keys, get in your car, and drive

yourself to the office, and walk up the steps to the third floor, where your cubicle is waiting for

you. Now, its 12:30 p.m. and you’re getting hungry, so you walk out to grab a bite to eat at the

small coffee shop right next to work. Its small so the dining area fills up quickly, you decide to

sit at the bar. You have finished eating and you cross the street to get back to work, where you

finish up the day, and drive yourself back home. The day I have explained probably sounds

pretty typical and somewhat similar to how most working age people live their life, and not

overly strenuous. Now, imagine the entirety of the day without the use of your legs. Driving

yourself to work, getting up and down the stairs, the small crowded coffee shop, the corners are

too tight to drive your wheel chair through, the only available spot being the bar where you

cannot reach. This is a life that approximately 20% of America’s population are either forced to

face daily, or are forced to stay at home where everything is either done for them or not at all.

This is a daunting number of people that cannot get from point A to point B or go out and be a

productive member of society as they desire and should be. With such easy fixes, we can make

our community accessible, and easier to use for not only disabled users, but everyone!

This is already being done in places such as Canada, Wales, and Australia. Although

America has handicapped parking lots and 1 slightly larger restroom stall in some bathrooms,

there is still a long way to go before we can go to sleep at night knowing that those with a

disability went through their day with ease, comfort, and without any awkward stares. By

preparing for this essay, I decided for a whole day wherever I went I would pretend I was in a

wheelchair. Because I am not actually in a wheelchair, I had never really thought about how one

who is disabled would have such a hard time getting around. Out of sight, out of mind I

suppose… However, I found I would need a larger driveway, ramps, automatic sliding doors
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larger restroom, lower counters, larger space to wheel through the tight aisles in the grocery

store, the list goes on and on. People with disabilities are limited to a certain number of stores

they can shop at, places to work at, and places to live and eat in, and it just is not right. The term

out of sight, out of mind is not a good enough excuse to grant them house arrest for their whole

life. I remember listening to a podcast where the speaker said something that struck me, and

eventually lead to me writing this essay, and that was that “those with a disability are the most

unreached people group not only in America, but in the world.” How disgusting that this is the

case. Just recently, I saw a video of a man names Frank Stephens who has Down Syndrome

giving a speech to the House of Representatives. He explains how scientist and medical

practitioners use people with Down Syndrome to run tests on Alzheimer’s and immune system

disorders research. He also said Harvard ran a study on people with Down Syndrome, and results

come back saying that they are unusually happy, and that they work hard at their jobs. He says

“Is there really no place for us in this society?” Although this is an issue that he has brought up

because of Iceland and Denmark’s “final solution” to end Down Syndrome, he makes a good

point for those with other disabilities. Is there really no way we can lighten their already heavy

load by intertwining convenience and accessibility into our daily life?

Given the numerous kinds of disabilities or cognitive difficulties, a universal design

approach, which caters to the broadest varieties of people could include a level entry, larger

restroom stalls, accessible parking, clear and well placed signage, lifts, wide and well-lit

pathways and so on. However, you cannot just bust out your toolkit and start building ramps.

There are ways you can help make it a building requirement that some of your favorite

boutiques, bookstores, malls, and restaurants have a standard level of accessibility. However,

making places physically easy to access isn’t any good if you don’t have a clear understanding of
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where they are and how to use them. This would include making technology available to people

such as websites where disabled users can become employed, and developing maps with

accessible routes for pedestrians. According to the ADA, it is illegal to discriminate against

people with disabilities, which means they are just as deserving to take part in the mainstream

life that their peers are a part of. The FHA also helps protect people with disabilities by

providing accessible housing regardless of their medical status. Again, unless you actively

working in either of these organizations, it can seem impossible to actually make the changes

needed to benefit disabled users, however there are some things anyone, including disabled

people can do to enact change! The first step is to raise awareness about it, tell your friends,

coworkers, and family. It is a common misconception that the ADA automatically covers all

disabled people’s needs. This is NOT true! If you encounter a problem with accessibility in a

public place such as a bus route or government building it is up to you to let the ADA know, they

are not perfect. Another step is advocacy. Although this does seem like a steep step, it is a

necessary step to your city becoming more accessible. If someone reports a complaint for an

inaccessible company, the ADA will audit the company in question to check that it is up and

running as it should. The ADA works to see that the charges made against the company are

completed correctly. You can always learn and meet more people at public events such as expos

and conventions, where you can engage with people who are fighting for the same cause as you.

If you have more of a creative mindset and want to help change your city for the better, you can

always join a group in your city for accessibility where you come up with solutions to give

accessibility to the city. There are always you can improve the world you live in.

It is an inexcusable tragedy that it is 2019 and America is still facing the issue of

inaccessibility in the basic day-to-day activities every American goes through. With such
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simplistic and cost-efficient solutions, this should be a problem of the past, however it is not.

Disabled Americans are desperate for a place to belong, to work, and to live and love life as

abled Americans do. Accessibility is NOT a luxury item, and should not be treated as an eye sore

to those with no physical hardships, especially when it benefits everyone. Allow disabled people

to integrate themselves into our hardworking society, that we may benefit from their grit and

they might lead a productive life as well.

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Works Cited

Oud, Joanne. “Accessibility of Vendor-Created Database Tutorials for People with

Disabilities.” EBSCOHost, Dec. 2016,

web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail/detail?vid=3&sid=f2e2bbbb-d91e-4202-8029-

6c46b7c486c8%40sessionmgr4010&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#AN=1

20615158&db=a9h

Stephens, Frank. “I Am a Man With Down Syndrome and My Life Is Worth Living.” House of

Representatives, 25 Oct. 2017,

docs.house.gov/meetings/AP/AP07/20171025/106526/HHRG-115-AP07-Wstate-

StephensF-20171025.pdf.

Salman, Saba. “What Would a Truly Disabled-Accessible City Look like?” The Guardian,

Guardian News and Media, 14 Feb. 2018, www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/14/what-

disability-accessible-city-look-like.

“Creating A Mobility Friendly City, Your Guide to Access and Advocacy in

2018.” Movement Advisor, 1 Mar. 2018, www.movementadvisor.com/creating-a-mobility-

friendly-city/.