Building an inclusive society
The fact that accessibility issues are being addressed by some is heartwarming, however, it is despicable that it has taken this long.
Newfound Cabs, Metrobus and others working toward inclusion deserve applause as they continue to offer more accessible transportation services. However, considering the technological age we live in, it takes relatively little effort to make the world more accessible for all, and while we have made progress in a number of areas, we should be ashamed at how long it has taken to get to this point and how much further we have yet to go.
The bottom line is that we are generally more concerned with monetary wealth than we are with inclusive practices. Making changes towards better accessibility is often neglected solely based on the impact on our wallets.
Individuals who fall outside of societal norms are often disempowered — those who struggle with accessibility know this first hand. It is important to remember that individuals with disabilities are not so much disabled by their bodies, but rather, disabled by society. For example, an individual who uses a cane is quite capable of moving around but may experience difficulty with stairs. Whereas if those stairs were replaced by an elevator, everyone enjoys the freedom it offers.
For the most part, St John’s and other communities in Newfoundland and Labrador are structured to enable those who are able-bodied to move about with ease but do not offer the same freedoms to everyone. We ought to be ashamed because accessibility would be less of an issue if we all experienced problems with access first hand. If it were so, we would work diligently and with haste to build the necessary structures and systems to make the world accessible.
We are all human and deserve to enjoy the same freedoms. Therefore, we should support Newfound Cabs and others who are working towards inclusion. As we have seen, those like Newfound Cabs benefit greatly from offering services that are accessible to all. There is no shame in that; in fact, they ought to be proud because others are likely to follow suit, which ultimately benefits those living with disabilities the most. If you are asking yourself how you can help, there is good news — there are a lot of ways to work toward a society that is inclusive.
You do not need a big bank account to support people with disabilities. There are much easier ways to be supportive: listen to those with disabilities, educate yourself, be an advocate, an ally, and be aware of the language you use; offensive words can easily be replaced with kinder ones.
C.T. Rowe St. John’s