Building a Truly Inclusive World

Imagine arriving at a brand-new, gleaming high-rise building, eager to reach your destination. But as you step inside, you realize there are no elevators, no stairs – just a series of thick, dangling "jungle ropes" for you to climb. Or perhaps you've just unboxed a new piece of equipment, only to find its instruction manual is written entirely in a foreign language, one that is now extinct. How would you feel? Frustrated? Excluded? Powerless? This is a glimpse into the daily reality for many people living with disabilities when societies are not designed with them in mind.

Every year on December 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is marked.

This year , under the theme "Fostering disability-inclusive societies for advancing social progress," we are called to reflect on these systemic barriers. Disability is far more expansive than the traditional perceptions of being deaf, blind, mute, or lame. It encompasses a vast spectrum of conditions – visible and invisible – including chronic illnesses, mental health conditions, neurodiversity, learning differences, and mobility impairments, among countless others.

It's about how a person's physical, sensory, cognitive, or mental health condition interacts with an environment that is not built to accommodate them. The "disability" often lies not with the individual, but with the exclusionary design of our societies.

By failing to deliberately include people with disabilities, we have, by default, already excluded them.

Inclusion is never automatic; it is a deliberate, thoughtful act that begins with consideration and proactive planning. It requires us to anticipate diverse needs and integrate accessibility from the very outset – whether designing a public space, developing a digital platform, creating educational curricula, or developing equipment

How Can We Foster True Inclusion?

Achieving genuine inclusion means:

• Universal Design: Creating environments, products, and services that are usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for adaptation or specialized design. Think ramps alongside stairs, clear signage, and accessible digital interfaces.

• Accessible Communication: Providing information in multiple formats, including Braille, sign language, audio descriptions, and plain language summaries.

• Equitable Opportunities: Ensuring equal access to education, employment, and political participation, free from discrimination

• Empowerment: Amplifying the voices of people with disabilities in decision-making processes that affect their lives. Nothing about us, without us.

• Challenging Stigma: Actively working to dismantle stereotypes and prejudices that marginalize individuals based on their abilities.

• Dedicated spaces: public /commercial areas you could also add allotted parking arrears for persons of disabilities

Throughout history, people with disabilities have made immeasurable contributions to science, humanity, and the world at large, demonstrating their vital importance as members of society. Their achievements, often accomplished despite significant societal barriers, underscore the immense potential we risk losing through exclusion:

1. Stephen Hawking: A theoretical physicist and cosmologist, whose groundbreaking work on black holes and relativity transformed our understanding of the universe, despite living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

2. Helen Keller: An author, activist, and lecturer who was deaf and blind, yet graduated from Radcliffe College and became a world-renowned advocate for people with disabilities.

3. Franklin D. Roosevelt: The 32nd U.S. President, who led the country through the Great Depression and World War II, living with paralysis from polio and campaigning from a wheelchair (though this was often hidden).

4. Temple Grandin: A prominent professor of animal science, author, and autism advocate, whose insights have revolutionized livestock handling practices globally, leveraging her unique autistic perspective.

5. Frida Kahlo: A celebrated Mexican painter whose vibrant, poignant self-portraits explored identity, post-colonialism, gender, class, and race, often reflecting her chronic pain and disability from childhood polio and a bus accident.

6. Marlee Matlin: An Academy Award-winning actress who is deaf. She has used her platform to advocate for accessibility, captioning, and the rights of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community in media and beyond.

7. Haben Girma: A Harvard Law School graduate who is deaf-blind. She is a renowned lawyer and accessibility advocate who champions the use of technology to provide equal access to information.

8. Ludwig van Beethoven: One of the most celebrated composers in world history, he continued to create some of his most profound and revolutionary works, including the Ninth Symphony, after becoming profoundly deaf.

9. Malala Yousafzai: A Nobel Peace Prize laureate and advocate for girls' education who sustained a traumatic brain injury and resulting chronic pain/balance issues after being shot by the Taliban.

10. Dr. Scott R. Murray: A NASA astrophysicist who uses a wheelchair due to a motor disability. He has been instrumental in the development and operation of space science missions, demonstrating the critical role of disabled scientists in cutting-edge research.

These individuals are not exceptions; they represent the vast untapped potential within the disability community.

This International Day of Persons with Disabilities, let us move beyond passive awareness. Let us commit to deliberate inclusion in our workplaces, our schools, our communities, and our policies. Let us ensure that no one faces "jungle ropes" or "inaccessible manuals" in their journey through life. What concrete step will you take today to make your corner of the world more accessible and inclusive?

You might be wondering, I'm not a scientist or a policy maker, I can't do much but you can't

Here are examples of simple, everyday actions individuals can take to make homes, schools, places of worship, and commercial areas more accessible:

1. Homes (Private & Shared Spaces)

-Clear Pathways: Keep hallways, stairwells, and doorways clear of clutter, rugs, or obstacles that could trip someone or impede a wheelchair/walker.

-Lighting: Ensure entrances, stairs, and common areas are well-lit. Use contrasting colors (e.g., light switch covers on dark walls) to aid those with low vision.

-Communication: If hosting a guest with a hearing impairment, use a written agenda or ensure conversations occur in a quiet space without competing noise.

-Furniture Arrangement: Arrange furniture to allow wide turning radii (at least 60 inches) for wheelchair users in primary living areas.

2. Schools (Classrooms & Campus)

*Digital Accessibility: Ensure all digital learning materials (presentations, handouts, websites) are compatible with screen readers (e.g., properly tagged PDFs, alt-text for images).

*Sensory Breaks: Advocate for or create designated quiet areas where students with sensory processing sensitivities or neurodiversity can decompress during high-stress periods.

*Clear Announcements: Use clear, loud public address systems, but also provide written or visual copies of important announcements to aid those with hearing difficulties.

*Seating Flexibility: Provide flexible seating options (not just hard desks) and allow students who need to stand or move to do so without penalty.

3. Places of Worship

*Seating Arrangement: Reserve aisle seating or open areas for wheelchair users and those who use mobility aids, ensuring they can sit with their families.

* Sermon/Service Access: Provide large-print materials, hearing loops, or offer transcripts/live captioning for sermons and services.

* Childcare/Youth Programs: Train staff on how to include children with diverse needs (e.g., autism, learning disabilities) in activities rather than segregating them.

* Signage: Use high-contrast, tactile, and easily readable signage for restrooms, exits, and main facilities.

4. Commercial Areas (Shops, Restaurants, Offices)

*Temporary Obstructions: Ensure no promotional signs, display racks, or café seating obstruct sidewalks or ramps.

* Staff Training: Train staff to offer assistance (e.g., reading a menu, reaching an item on a high shelf) without being condescending, and to speak clearly when interacting with customers who are visually or hearing impaired.

* Service Animals: Clearly display policies welcoming service animals and educate all staff on appropriate protocols regarding them.

* Restroom Access: Ensure one restroom stall is always clear and fully accessible, and that mirrors/soap dispensers are mounted at appropriate heights.

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Eustar and Gold remains committed to inclusivity of all people.

We remain your partners inclusive health care

Contact us today for queries, suggestions or comments.