I am a wheelchair-user in perpetual pursuit of a barrier-free life. I have been advocating for accessibility on a global scale for over three decades now. And what has become apparent to me over the years is that when advocates like me talk about accessibility, we are actually talking about something far more profound than what the word itself suggests and something far more transformative than how the word is used.
Accessibility
should be a catalytic force for something more. What make a space accessible are
the empathy, connection, freedom and possibility it engenders for people of all
abilities and identities to come together.
Accessibility is a
slippery, deceptive word that belies its own emancipatory meaning.
To move beyond the ramp, the sign-language
interpreter, the Braille pad, and reclaim accessibility to mean more than the
bureaucratic administration of disabled bodies, we must move beyond the logic
of compliance. Audio
and video support, Textbooks That
Talk, Apps and website with accessibility features including
alternate text for images and accessible pdfs are some of the examples.
While we all align to
find the new normal amidst COVID 19 pandemic, today on #GAAD, we are all
impacted – especially from a digital consumption angle. It’s very challenging
as digital world is not accessible to cross disability people. The digital
divide has led to discrimination and made us feel ‘dependent’, while it should be
the other way round. In the Coivid-19 lockdown, people with disabilities (PwDs)
are more dependent upon smart phones and laptops. A great example is
what’s app, which has connected PwDs with essential services. My another
favorite example is devise like Alexa Echo, which has helped me to undertake
small but independent steps like operating the light switches, AC, TV, living a
digitally relaxed life....
For those who fear that
implementing digital accessibility is a daunting effort, here are some tips or experiences
that may be helpful. Will especially direct this to the product practitioners
to touch on both document and web accessibility including mobile to start with.
I strongly feel that we should work towards larger goal of building an
accessible eco-system. The outreach should be extended beyond the software
programmers, also to cover the ecosystems such as policy, research and allied
fields. Now in India, accessibility is legal and the deadline also is set, the
need for us to talk and walk digital accessibility is the only best thing for
businesses and society.
There has always been a fear that incorporating for accessibility may impact other elements of a web application, such as the look and feel, the overall performance etc. COVID has shown us that there is room for a lot of innovation for and by the PwDs that benefit non disabled users too. Similarly, there is also a lot of innovation and new technology that needs to embrace accessibility – for example, Apple and Google have partnered to work on contract tracing technology.
Looking ahead, it is
evident that the need for accessibility is real – both physical and digital. In
the digital world, it is imperative for websites and mobile apps to be
accessible both for carrying on our regular work from home as well as
operational services including telemedicine, banking, shopping and such
essentials. This is important not just for PwDs but also for other users.
With the world turning to accessible modes of
staying connected in the age of social distancing, modes such as video conferencing,
which disabled people were previously shamed for wanting in the workplace,
society is now presented with an opportunity to unleash the transformative
potential of accessibility in how we build back better from the rubble of the
pandemic.
People with disabilities have always known
that one can work from home and still be productive. Taking cue from this
resourceful and tenacious segment of society, there is no reason why we all
can’t embrace more flexible arrangements and fluid working conditions. Perhaps
it’s time to accord employees the freedom to determine their own working hours,
while maintaining a commitment to results. Perhaps it’s time to match our
appreciation for essential workers with better pay. The economic fallout of
lockdown has revealed not just the stark reality of financial precariousness
but also the extent of financial exclusion.
Beyond Zero, a term I coined to describe a
new way of thinking about accessibility, means going beyond the notion that
inclusion can somehow be drip fed to people who need it, one tick-box exercise
at a time. If we are committed to leaving no one behind then we must stop
thinking that ticking boxes leads to accessibility and inclusion.
Human resources and human beings in general, need to get
over the idea that equality means sameness. It doesn’t! Equality means our
individual and collective differences are not deal-breakers, at work, at the
grocery store, and when we seek medical care. Perhaps a renewed commitment to
accessibility – that confusing, strange and vital word – may help us see this
more clearly.
Author:
Dr. Anjlee Agarwal (Ph.D.) (She/Her)
Bureau of Indian Standards, Government of India
Indian Roads Congress, Government of India
Transport Research Board, USA
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