Universal Design: Simplified | Chapter 1
Consider the invention of the automobile. It radically transformed the way we live, and subsequently the world evolved because of it. To this day, roads are continually built and improved to provide access just about anywhere. Maybe construction or an accident happens to occur on the routes we take. Even then, those obstacles are temporary, and detours often accompany them. Sometimes we have to accept a slower pace, and that’s okay. We can still get where we want to go.
Imagine driving in your car one day and on the way to your destination, you had no other choice but to come to a screeching stop because you came upon a set of stairs in the middle of the road. Your car obviously wasn’t designed to climb stairs. Imagine the feelings and emotions you might have. What are the chances that you’d consider driving your car down “Stairway Drive” ever again? I’m guessing a big fat zero.
Barriers that exist for some people may be completely invisible, unless you know what to look for.Yes, this is a fictional scenario that would never happen, but it is a valid analogy that may help give you an idea of what people with less-than-perfect levels of ability encounter on a regular basis. There are barriers in our society that can force someone to come to a screeching halt because of a disability. The effects of enough encounters with barriers are detrimental to one’s ability to feel safe, comfortable, and successful in life. Thing is, barriers that exist for some people may be completely invisible, unless you know what to look for…
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