It’s a lot easier to remove physical or digital barriers than mental ones. When I encounter a planter blocking my wheelchair path, I can ask someone to move it. It’s a straightforward request where both the barrier and the solution…
My disability is NOT a superpower. My superpower is my ability to solve problems when others create barriers by not including my disability
Disability is not a magical gift that grants the recipient extraordinary abilities. It is a condition that frequently creates barriers in a world not designed with us in mind. The true superpower lies in the ingenuity, perseverance, and resourcefulness that…
Accessibility is Never Accidental
Accessibility is always intentional. It does not happen by accident. Here is a non-exhaustive list of some very intentional steps any organization can take to improve its accessibility. Plan from the beginning: Accessibility needs to be part of the initial…
Compliance is a checkbox. Inclusion is a mindset. if your goal is meeting the standards, you are not truly accessible or inclusive
Compliance is a Checkbox, Inclusion is a Mindset. Compliance means following the law. True inclusion is about creating a space where everyone feels valued and included. If your goal stops at “meeting the standards” you’re not truly accessible or inclusive.…
Never give up on disability advocacy. Doing so allows ableist voices to win and perpetuate an inequal society
On any given day, I have to choose which disability injustice I want to write about: Is it the blind person forced to allow someone else to vote for them? Is it the airline that broke or lost yet another…
The More we Focus on What Makes People ‘Different’ The More We Feed The Cycle of Bias and Exclusion
This seems like an appropriate topic of conversation after the recent election in the US. As we reflect on the outcomes and their very real impact, it’s a timely reminder that focusing solely on differences can widen the gaps between…
The ADA focuses on the needs of people with disabilities, not their medical diagnosis
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) embodies the social model of disability by shifting the focus from a person’s medical condition to barriers erected by society that those people experience. The ADA does not list specific disabilities but instead uses…
If you need an accommodation, it means the process or item is not accessible. Getting the accommodation doesn’t fix the inaccessible process or item. It just gives you a temporary solution and doesn’t solve the problem for others
Disability truth time If you need to ask for an accommodation, it means the process or item you are being asked to use BY DEFINITION is inaccessible. Getting the accommodation doesn’t fix the inaccessible process or item. It merely provides…
Success is not always hitting the bullseye. success is hitting what you are aiming for
Ever think business is a lot like sports? Let me tell you a story from my archery coaching days in California that might just hit the mark for you. I was coaching a group of kids aged 8-16. After one…
The Only Person Who Can Legitimately Decide Whether You’re Disabled is You
For far too long, society has imposed definitions and judgments on what it means to be disabled. But here’s the truth: disability is a deeply personal experience, unique to every individual. Our essence of self-determination is diminished when others impose…