Why you should care about accessibility even if you're not disabled

When I had two fully functioning legs, I went to plenty of places that could only be reached by climbing, stepping up, down, or even jumping. A few times, I wondered why elevators, ramps, and other accessible means weren't available at these locations, but I didn't let it anger me the way I do now. I didn't voice my concerns for those unable to climb, step, or jump, and I didn't post about it online or send an email.

Even now, when I visit an accessible place, I find myself pleasantly surprised that someone in a wheelchair can enter ( the bare minimum). Think about that for a moment. Imagine being excited that you can actually enter a building and don't have to wait outside along a row of parked bicycles and strollers, like a dog tied to a bike rack while its jerk of an owner grabs a coffee.

Maybe you are able-bodied, and this isn't a concern for you. You don't mind climbing stairs, and you respect the desire to maintain a historical structure intact because making it accessible could compromise the original design. Now imagine that you want to take your elderly grandmother or child with a physical disability to an attraction or a museum, and you arrive to find that the building isn't accessible. How is it fair that they don't have access? Aren't they just as deserving as anyone else? This building is OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, after all.

Sadly, we don't often think of injustices until they affect us directly. But at some point or another, as we all age or life hits us with a twisted turn of events, we or someone we care about will end up using some sort of assistive device that may prevent them from entering a place that is not accessible. Please don't wait for that time to come to notice and say something. When you leave a review, mention accessibility. When you're asked to come back soon on your way out the door, why not take the opportunity to suggest a ramp be installed so that everyone can visit and "come back soon"? If you pride yourself in speaking up for equality, don't forget that access is equality.

Have you ever seen the joy on someone's face when they are able to go to the beach for the first time in their lives and even get in the ocean because Santa Monica Beach offers ramps and all-terrain wheelchairs, something not offered by most US beaches? A beautiful moment, but one that shouldn't be this hard to come by.

If we all consider each other a bit more, we all get to see the same beautiful sites and experience the same beautiful places, what a concept.

Caring about people who need representation and taking action when the opportunity presents itself is a great way to exercise compassion and light the kind of spark humanity needs right now.