The Kanchi Blog

Posted on

17th February 2012

in

Business,Disability,Education

See the following for some ideas. It really hits close to the truth.

What I found about this video is that it demonstrates the perception that a person with a disability is either a hero because they move outside the door or they are an object of pity. The other major dynamic is whether a person with a disability should sit tight till a cure is found or whether society should learn to develop environments that accomodate those who live in it.

At the last Kanchi Sounding Board meeting I gave a very quick overview of the development of UN policy from 1948 to date. This showed that the perception of disability has changed and continues to change in the intervening decades. We need to demonstrate the fact that including our needs in all aspects of society is good for all of society. Universal Design transforms our aspirations to a value proposition that can be measured, and thus managed, by the key stakeholders with whom we must liaise.

Here are two scenarios that demonstrate some of what I mean. Both are actual events.

A blind man stands at a set of pedestrian lights. An elederly lady stands on the other side of his guide dog. The lights change for him to go. The lady leans down, lifts the guide dog’s ear and says “It’s OK now, dear, it’s safe to cross”.

A woman with her 10-year-old son, who is a wheelchair user, needs to go into a small shop for a moment to purchase something. She leaves the boy outside with a can of coke while she goes inside. She hears her son crying and rushes outside. He is crying because someone has put a Euro coin into his can assuming he is begging.

Research undertaken by Forrester on behalf of Microsoft showed that up to 60% of computer users could benefit from facilities that would normally be considered as accessibility features.

In short, it is as normal for society to include people with disabilities as those without disabilities. Environments disable almost as much as personal impairments. Include our needs and all of society gains.