Stellar discussion today. Keep it going with "Why Design Should Include Everyone" (2017). TedTalks by day and Vogue by night--Sinéad is indeed a force for change.
Thank you for sharing this video! I am always so grateful for the opportunity to learn about how other people experience the world and hear ways I can be more inclusive. There are so many aspects to place and the physical environment that I have never thought of.
I wanted to add on to this conversation by talking about the ways in which Ohio University’s campus impacts how people can experience and interact with the world. I love Athens, Ohio and our campus but I think it is important to look at our surroundings and understand how place might be a barrier so that we can begin to improve upon it. As a member of the Accessibility Liaisons group on campus, I have had the opportunity to hear voices of those on campus and better recognize opportunities that we have to create a more accessible environment. I’ve learned about how the bricks, many hills, and older buildings are barriers to the mobility and basic access of some individuals. Prior to joining the group, I never thought about what would happen if the elevator to the parking garage unexpectedly went out of service and an individual could no longer get to their car independently. I rarely thought about how wheelchair or accessible seating in theaters is often pushed to the back or corner of the audience. In some theaters, wheelchair seating is in the backrow, practically hidden. While I believe we as a society and a University have greatly progressed in accommodating people of all abilities, there are still a lot of ways in which place impacts one’s lived experience. Many dorms have no elevators, keeping some individuals from visiting friends in those buildings. How do the bricks impact a person with a disability and how can we improve that experience? As I continue my time at Ohio University and later go into my career, I hope to remember how place and disability connect so that I can be more respectful and inclusive of others.
Thank you for sharing this video! I am always so grateful for the opportunity to learn about how other people experience the world and hear ways I can be more inclusive. There are so many aspects to place and the physical environment that I have never thought of.
ReplyDeleteI wanted to add on to this conversation by talking about the ways in which Ohio University’s campus impacts how people can experience and interact with the world. I love Athens, Ohio and our campus but I think it is important to look at our surroundings and understand how place might be a barrier so that we can begin to improve upon it. As a member of the Accessibility Liaisons group on campus, I have had the opportunity to hear voices of those on campus and better recognize opportunities that we have to create a more accessible environment. I’ve learned about how the bricks, many hills, and older buildings are barriers to the mobility and basic access of some individuals. Prior to joining the group, I never thought about what would happen if the elevator to the parking garage unexpectedly went out of service and an individual could no longer get to their car independently. I rarely thought about how wheelchair or accessible seating in theaters is often pushed to the back or corner of the audience. In some theaters, wheelchair seating is in the backrow, practically hidden. While I believe we as a society and a University have greatly progressed in accommodating people of all abilities, there are still a lot of ways in which place impacts one’s lived experience. Many dorms have no elevators, keeping some individuals from visiting friends in those buildings. How do the bricks impact a person with a disability and how can we improve that experience? As I continue my time at Ohio University and later go into my career, I hope to remember how place and disability connect so that I can be more respectful and inclusive of others.