Accessibility in Mind
Accessibility Is Part of Equality and Safer Spaces
The goal of accessibility is to safeguard the basic rights of people with disabilities and make them standard operating procedures for events and event venues. When accessibility has become a permanent and lasting practice, the perception of “everyone” expands when it comes to who are welcome to participate in activities.
Accessibility can be approached from different viewpoints. Accessibility is part of equality but also a tool and a framework for activities. It is important to talk about accessibility as part of equality as one of the factors to be taken into account. Accessible activities and well-planned communication regarding accessibility is part of creation of a safer space. Accessibility aims to create new possibilities and improve the already existing possibilities to participate, understand, communicate, influence, and choose. Accessible event is an event that takes the different backgrounds, abilities and environment affecting one’s possibility to participate into account in planning as well as in communication.
At the start of each section of this chapter, there is a question box which you can use for reflecting the things you already know. There is an information box right after each question box that will give you ways to answer the questions regarding the planning process of your event.
- What do you already know about accessibility?
- When you think of accessibility, who comes to your mind first?
Contents
You can access the different sections of this chapter by clicking their headers.
1. Accessibility
In Finnish, there are two separate terms for accessibility (“saavutettavuus” and “esteettömyys”). In English, however, the term “accessibility” is used when referring to both online environments as well as physical environments as tools and their adjustments. Accessibility is a tool for enhancing equality and it is related to environment one works in.
Accessibility means accessibility of a space or adjustments of these spaces, such as guide signs, ramps, induction loops and descriptions of accessibility, in order to make these spaces accessible.
The goal of accessibility is to safeguard the basic rights of people with disabilities and make them standard operating procedures for events and event venues.
When accessibility has become a permanent and lasting practice, the perception of “everyone” expands when it comes to who are welcome to participate in activities. We will cover this topic in the next section.
As for accessibility of different activities, it needs to be taken into account in planning, communication, participants’ individual needs, feedback, development, and when choosing a venue.
Accessibility is strongly related to safer spaces too. An accessible safer space accepts people’s different needs they have in order to be able to move and communicate in a certain environment. A safer space pays attention to feelings and needs, but accessibility takes them into account from ability’s viewpoint and caters to them with practical solutions and shared agreements. Let’s take an example: A person is feeling like an outsider and thus will not even try to participate in an event. In safer spaces, this issue is solved with either practical solutions or by paying attention to how we talk about others in social settings.
If the aim of an activity is to have a relaxing moment in the nature, we should not assume that everyone can walk there, but we must make sure that the route is suitable for assistive devices too. Linguistically speaking, we should not use diagnoses as adjectives, but replace them with other words.
In the following sections, we will discuss what the aim of accessibility is and what is ableism. This chapter also includes concrete tips on how to include accessibility into the early planning steps and how to update your accessibility-related communication packages and practices once and for all.
We will also cover how to organise a more accessible event with the help of received feedback. The solutions offered here focus on physical accessibility of the environment as well as accessibility of online environments. Together we will broaden the narrow perspectives on accessibility we have learned in this society that is built on specific ability norms.
2. Equality Is All About Extensive, Adjustable Solutions
Accessibility is part of equality and hence should be taken into account as part of planning equal activities. What do you need to know before you can say “Yes, I will come” to an event invitation? What does it actually mean when “everyone” is welcome to join?
Equality as a word well describes its aim: that everyone should be treated equally and this, in turn, requires taking different kinds of backgrounds into account in event planning. Equality does not mean uniformity, but that the execution and adjustments of an event are always relative concepts and that the threshold to participate would be as low as possible. The need for accessibility must be identified already at the early stages of planning an event. Finding out that the venue does not have an accessible toilet or induction loop, for instance, after writing the rental contract makes creating an accessible event much more challenging. As a consequence, the disabled participant may get the impression that they are only taken into account as an “extra” or if asked or if they already are “part of the group”.
What does it actually mean that “everyone” is welcome to join? How does the person who encounters discrimination or constant non-accessibility in their everyday life know that they have been taken into account? In the chapter about safer spaces, we already discussed normativity and how much easier it is for people that fit the norms to participate.
When a person who fits the norms attends a social setting or wants to feel safe and have an impact, they do not have to think about their gender, sexuality, whiteness, being part of the middle class, being average weight, religion, language skills or being nondisabled, for instance. When a person fitting the norms is asked what makes them who they are, they do not necessarily list things like being white or nondisabled as part of their identities, as they are characteristics which society considers to be defaults. These people do not have to think about these features in their everyday lives when they communicate with others or are being served. One knows to conform to norms when assumptions others make do not interfere with your identity or set obstacles on your way.
- What makes you say “Yes, I will come” to an even invitation?
- What can others assume about you based on your looks?
- What can others not assume about you based on your looks?
- How do you feel asking for something when you are not sure if your request can be fulfilled? How do you feel asking for something when you know that your request will be considered?
Explain How You Will Take “Everyone” into Account
Ableism means discrimination of the disabled whereas antiableist practices aim to tackle this discrimination and teach people to leave these assumptions and norms we have grown into behind. Discrimination is based on assumptions and requirements related to functional abilities. Antiableist practices and learning requires being open for feedback and willingness to learn.
When you are planning activities where people who do not fit the norm of being nondisabled, or who do not belong to majorities, or people who are not in the powerful positions of the society, are welcome too, you must explain this overtly by describing the venue or the ways of participating and by deploying the principles for a safer space, for example. A person with functional abilities fitting the norms or with functional abilities that are not constantly underrated based on the assumptions made does not have to ask these questions in their everyday life. Receiving feedback is a chance to learn and promise to improve one’s actions so that the word “everyone” really refers to a larger group of people. Giving out an accessibility information package lets the participant with disabilities know that their needs have been taken into account. Hence, they are considered as part of the group and this way they can more easily give feedback concerning the venue for the purposes of next event or ask further questions, for example.
When accessibility or the practices of safer space have not been further explained, the person requiring accessibility assumes that the activity planned is discriminating against them, as the rest of the world seems to be too. In a situation like this, it is important to know how to explain that the organiser can, in fact, take the person into account as part of the group of “everyone” and not just those who do not have any further requirements. “The space is accessible” is not enough to describe how the space is, in fact, accessible. That is why accessibility should be evaluated and mapped at the early planning stages so that communication is fluent in the later stages too. The next section discusses how we can answer to the question “How is the space accessible?”.
3. How to Plan Communication Regarding Accessibility
What kind of things need to be included concerning the environment and the venue in social media communication, for instance? The world is based on norms and is hence non-accessible. We do not even notice these obstacles if they do not prevent our own participation. We can always try to learn to think about questions those people who we do not see participating might have. Is there a lack of information concerning any issues? What are the things we could fix and tell we are doing differently this time around?
- What does it mean that the “Space is accesible”?
- And what does it mean that the “Space is more accesible”?
- Would you attend an event if you felt like you had a lot of questions on your mind
More Accessible, More Safe
Creation of accessibility, as well as creation of non-accessibility, is related to the environment and the issues there should be fixed. Gravel road may be accessible to a person using an electric wheelchair but not to someone who uses crutches. A fashion store may be more accessible in some ways compared to a supermarket, or vice versa, although they are both designed for shopping. In supermarkets, the products are often placed high. A fashion store, on the other hand, may not have an accessible fitting room with support rails. Although there would be a wheelchair ramp leading to the door, it does not mean that one could turn inside the store with a wider wheelchair. Hence, the needed assistive device does not work in this environment.
Another example is a public swimming pool: For a person wearing glasses, it may be a non-accessible space as one cannot use glasses while swimming and as the surfaces are often low-contrast due to the use of similar coloured tiles and equally bright lighting in different spaces. Swimming pools often use red and green symbols to mark directions, which in turn is challenging for people with deuteranopia.
As said in the previous sections, stating that the “Space is accessible” does not explain in which ways it is accessible. It does not tell a person needing assistive devices or environmental adjustments if they can participate, communicate, or move in an event organised in this space. Stating that the space is accessible is only a qualitative assessment made by the event organiser. That is why we do not use the word “accessible event” in this manual, but instead the term “more accessible event”.
Statements like “The space is accessible” or “The event is accessible” tells about how society perceives accessibility. Accessibility is more than just wheelchair ramps or elevators, although they are important devices too. Hence, it is wiser to describe a space or event as “more accessible” and let the participant decide whether it is accessible enough for them. This way there is also room for feedback when the space or event is not defined as accessible in absolute terms.
We have gathered a list (in Finnish) of different things you should take into account when planning an event and creating accessibility-related information package.
You can access the list here:
Accessibility mapping for events (in Finnish).
Please note that, as mentioned before, there are two different terms for “accessibility” in Finnish language (“saavutettavuus” and “esteettömyys”).
4. Keys to Continuous Learning and Sustained Practices
We discussed giving and receiving feedback especially from the organiser’s point of view in section 4 of the chapter Principles for a Safer Space. That is a helpful section to check out. The same guidelines can also be utilised in improving accessibility and more equal teamwork. In this section, we focus more on the issues that need to be taken into account regarding accessibility and language use.
- How do you react to feedback?
- How can others know how you react to feedback?
- Do you refer to accessibility as “special needs“?
- Do you feel making arrangements is hard? What kind of arrangements are these? How could you prevent this?
Word Choices Create Attitudes
We often use the term “special needs” when we are referring to disabled people and taking their needs into consideration. Often these needs are pure adjustments that ensure the fulfilment of basic needs and achieving the requirements for participation. There is nothing “special” about respecting each other’s boundaries and taking others’ abilities into account; it is an important and necessary step and often required by equality regulations too.
Words do matter too, as they have an impact on how we react to actions caused by them and how we value participation. Talking about someone being special gives those young people and kids needing non-normative adjustments an unequal status as if taking their needs into account would be somehow special or an extra measure. However, we do take norm-fitting needs fluently into account by, for example, making sure that the sound system works in a concert, that there is enough water for everyone, and that people can leave their winter clothes to a cloakroom, or by simply making sure there are toilets people can use to fulfil their need of using one. When we talk about needs instead of special needs, we focus on enabling participation. This way, taking needs into account becomes a basic point of consideration and changes the normative idea of what easy participation means. Talking about adjustments and taking needs into account focuses on the activity itself, not to the valuation of the needs itself.
Other examples of things to consider in the development processes:
- Prefer to use and use language the disabled themselves wish to be used and familiarize yourself with it. If you are not sure, ask how the person wishes to be referred to. They very likely come across this question often, but it is always better to ask than assume and consequently hurt the feelings of this person.
- Get familiar with ableist language and expressions. Depending on your location, many disability organisations may organise training sessions on non-discriminating language use or may have created terminology lists.
Intervene in situations where you notice someone using ableist words in speech or as part of expressions and give them an example of a replacement to use. Nondisabled people can also correct ableist word choices used by other nondisabled people. The word “disabled”, for instance, is not a synonym for a bad, lazy or stupid person, as disability has nothing to do with these characteristics.
Asking for Equality Is Always Reasonable
In addition to word choices and attitudes, we should pay attention to the way we promise others to make necessary adjustments in events and take into account their participation too. When it comes to regulations, we use the expression “reasonable adjustments”, but the word “reasonable” is often used in relation to finances. Reasonability often means that adjustments can be made within the given budget. These adjustments, which often cannot be made, however, affect the person requesting them. That need is not unreasonable nor is the person asking for it.
Schools may have been granted with a certain amount of funding for, for instance, braille books, but for the sake of a visually impaired person’s learning rights, their request for these books is extremely reasonable. However, if students are asked to leave only “reasonable requests” and there is no budget for these books in reality, the unreasonability of the request is not the message we want to convey when organising equal events. When you are organizing an event or an activity, please rather provide “adjustments” and offer to investigate different options. When the asker does not get the impression that they would need to justify the usefulness of their needs or right to participate, the threshold for asking for them is lower. All adjustments that are consequences of individual requests are always organised according to the situation, so they do not need to be valuated as “reasonable”. If organisers realise, after receiving a request, to have chosen a non-accessible venue when it comes to moving with assistive devices and that this issue cannot be fixed with a portable ramp, for instance, the organisers should take responsibility for this mistake overtly and promise to handle similar issues better in the future.
Creating a safer space requires listening and taking needs into account. This applies to accessibility too, in addition to the issues listed in the safer space guidelines. The costs of taking accessibility into account, on the other hand, are related to society’s attitudes towards the recognition of the disabled and how much there are budgeted expenses for accessibility. You can challenge the prevailing attitudes by taking accessibility into account in funding requests or in the event budget. According to the social model of disability, being disabled is a socioeconomic category and identity; it is okay to say that the needs of the disabled and physically challenged people are always strived to be taken into account.
You can use the following questions on your reflection on the things you learned in the previous chapter about safer spaces:
- Does the information and guidance on accessibility lack something so essential that lets the discriminating norms remain as is? How did I explain that we act more inclusively rather than on the basis of the silent, structural norm? That with the word “everyone” we really mean everyone – and how will this be achieved?
- Do I use the most up-to-date vocabulary to describe accessibility needs?
- Do all the forms and platforms I use take gender diversity into account? (Please refer to the example form on how to take gender diversity into account (in Finnish)).
- Do I fix mistakes and shortages when I notice them and do I allocate time for them immediately?
- Does the environment encourage to learn, and does it accept being incomplete?
- Do I need to have previous experience on similar activities?
Do I take the following into account:
- Different types to communicate and to receive information.
- Different ways of structuring the different activity steps and duration.
- The amount of foreknowledge needed for building trust, communication, arrangements, and self-guidance.
- Different needs related to stress management and senses.
- Different needs for rest and breaks.
- Permanent and changing forms of functional abilities.
- Different needs affecting vitality and senses.
Physical health, changing and permanent conditions.
Tackling ableism means that we aim to question the way we act now and how we choose not to act. It is a process of relearning and unlearning that aims to tackle the structural issues causing discrimination, just as the principles for a safer space and equality plans aim to. Like the principles for a safer space are based on the current moment and the given feedback, the building process of more accessible activities is based on the current knowledge level and the willingness to improve one’s behaviour and knowhow. Aiming at accessibility makes the invisible visible and this aim should be a permanent part of equality and safer spaces.
This chapter was written by Aava Ruokolainen.
Huge thank you to all the disabled people doing antiableist work in social media in the form of constant information sharing and training others to be better, new versions of themselves.
