We have a group of friends we like to go out to eat with on a regular basis. The group consists of five or so couples and one person in each couple uses a wheelchair. We struggle to find a…
Welcome to Accessible Community’s Blog
In in the United States, there are more than 4 million small businesses and 1.5 million nonprofit organizations, including 350 thousand religious congregations. These organizations have a profound impact on our lives, but most do not have the money or…
Challenge: Notice Accessibility Successes in Your Community
One of the biggest challenges to creating more accessible communities is that the amount of change needed can feel daunting, but small steps can lead to a big difference as long as we keep moving forward. At Accessible Community we focus on the positive – the successful steps forward. I challenge you to pay attention as you go about your daily life. Notice accessibility successes. If you can, compliment the people responsible. If you run an organization, volunteer, or create content for the web – think about what steps you can take to better support individuals with disabilities.
Take a photo. Post it on social media #accessiblecommunity
What do you encounter?
Below is a list of successes I’ve noticed recently.
Make-A-Thon in Reston, VA
Do you live in the Washington, DC area, live with a disability, and have a challenge that you would like assistance in overcoming? Do you know someone who fits this description? Nova Labs in Reston, Virginia is gearing up to…
Beyond Standards: Taking a Holistic Approach to Accessibility Evaluation
I am presenting today at CSUN on a path to creating a more holistic approach to accessibility evaluation that: Covers all aspects of accessibility Is designed for novices Presents alternative solutions to accessibility issues based on lessons learned Slides are…
Discussing Disability: Justifying the Cost of Accessibility and Accommodation
Select definitions from Merriam-Webster
disability noun : a condition that damages or limits a person’s physical or mental abilities.
disable verb: to cause (something) to be unable to work in the normal way
enable verb : to make (someone or something) able to do or to be something
: to make (something) possible, practical, or easy
So you want your organization to be accessible. Maybe you are a small business owner who wants to expand your customer-base. Maybe you’ve decided to advocate for better accommodations and accessibility at work for yourself or someone you know. Maybe you are an executive at a large company motivated to create a better workplace for your employees. Regardless of the reason you’ve decided to improve accessibility, step one is articulating why accessibility is important to your organization. When you have to justify accessibility to others, you need information to backup your assertions. Below are links and resources to help.