04/08/2025
Why It Matters Monday: Accessibility isn't extra
Accessibility often gets treated like a nice gesture, something to add if there’s leftover time or money. But for disabled people, accessibility isn’t a want. It’s a need. It’s what makes participation possible. It’s what allows us to live, move, speak, work, rest, and belong.
Without access, people get left behind. We miss job interviews because the building has stairs. We can’t go to class because the captions are missing. We avoid events because there’s no bathroom we can use. We skip medical care because the table isn’t accessible.
Accessibility gives people the chance to show up. To speak for ourselves. To be safe. To connect. To lead. It’s not about special treatment. It’s about basic equity.
Access can look like a ramp, an elevator that works, or doors that open automatically. It’s alt text on images, captions on videos, and interpreters in meetings. It’s websites that work with screen readers, bathrooms with grab bars, and the option to submit work online. It’s having a wheelchair fixed quickly. It’s being able to ask for what we need and have it taken seriously.
When accessibility is treated like an afterthought, the message is clear: some people matter more than others. It tells disabled people our needs are inconvenient. That our inclusion is optional. That we should wait while the world moves on without us. And when access is delayed, denied, or ignored, it isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a barrier to health. To safety. To community. To independence.
Real inclusion means thinking about access from the beginning. Not adding it in later — not only when someone asks or when someone complains.
So today we’re asking: What does accessibility make possible in your life? What’s one access need you refuse to apologize for? Because accessibility isn’t extra. It’s essential.
