#accessibilityfail

[anumberofhobbies]

“You’d think I’d be ecstatic. You’d think I’d be over-the-moon with happiness… you know, just like R. Kelly is in a room of underage girls.

But, I decidedly was not. For I knew that my current wheelchair had to survive until the new chair arrived— which could still take months. And that was the biggest gamble of all.

Because, you see, Medicare would not authorize repairs to an existing wheelchair while a new wheelchair is being ordered. So, I would be majorly SOL if my current wheelchair took a crap in the meantime. Therefore, each bureaucratic delay— each kink that I had experienced in the process— increased the probability of this happening.

And, yesterday, the laws of probability— the laws of mathematics— finally caught up with me. A “RIGHT MOTOR FAULT” error message brought my wheelchair to a halt.

This isn’t the first time this has happened during my wheelchair-using life. In fact, with this wheelchair, alone, I have had to have the motors changed FOUR TIMES. Yes, that’s right. So, when I saw this “RIGHT MOTOR FAULT” error message, I instantly knew that in about a week, my life was seriously going to go down the toilet until I could get new motors installed.

With the arrival of my new wheelchair nowhere in sight, and the necessity of having a functioning wheelchair, I had to do a painful thing. I asked the DME company to order me a new set of motors. I agreed to pay the hefty price. Because, this wheelchair is my basic tool of life, and without it, I can’t function. The DME company understands my pain and kindly agreed to give me a cut rate, but it’s still more money than most people pay for their first shitty car.

To be honest, I actually cried. I sat and cried because I was going to have to find a thousand dollars to fix a device that allows me to live.

It’s demoralizing. And it makes me feel very, very small. In an inaccessible world that’s already stacked against me— a world where I have to be smarter, wittier, and more prepared than everyone else— I still have to scramble for this most basic thing.

But, I don’t have a choice. So, I applied, and received, a disability grant from NMD United to help me pay for some of my replacement motors— and I set up a GoFundMe to cover the remainder of the cost.”

[rae0fsunsh1ne]

Japanese dollar store Oomomo in Lougheed Mall is selling a fake accessibility pass. There’s so many many things wrong with this. . My mum spoke with the manager who just floundered and spewed out some excuses, but there’s not really anything that can be said to make this okay. I’m appalled and saddened and disgusted. . Feel free to share, report, or contact the store manager. • #personwithdisabilities #pwd #accessibility #disabilityawareness #disabilityrights #disabledpeople #personwithdisability #peoplewithdisabilities #accessibilityfail #accessibilityawareness #sparcbc #disabilitybc #disabilityvancouver #accessiblevabcouver #accessibilityvancouver #accessibilitybc # https://www.instagram.com/p/BvQKFTQB6AZ/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1q2528tg4qx1a

[designtank]

Medium.com’s accessibility fails

It’s bad enough that Medium’s “See responses” UI component totally fails WCAG’s contrast ratio—text so light that I thought the site had eliminated comments.

Even worse: totally unsemantic html. Div classes that are letters of the alphabet. Not a heading element in sight. A span nested in a div inside a span inside a div for essentially, a button!

Apparently, people with poor vision or those using screen readers aren’t part of their audience.

[free-speech-network]

Business owners who discriminate against people with disabilities must be held accountable. Inclusivity means accessibility. People with disabilities and their supporters need to speak up. Post it on yelp. Take pictures and post them on the businesses’ social media. Use peer pressure. Shame them. @inthenow #accessibility #wheelchair #wheelchairs #disabledbutnotreally #disabled #peoplewithdisabilities #accessibilitymatters #accessibilityfail https://www.instagram.com/p/B1YqT9HHCFq/?igshid=s5gn7z3ktzqt

[findinglifessilversun]

The benches that were here two weeks ago have been replaced by trees... There is now only one sofa anywhere near these offices (by the entrance to the building) and it's almost always taken. Accessibility fail! . I'm now sitting on the floor, waiting for the hand therapy office to open after lunch. Ugh. ... ... #AccessibilityFail #WhereAreTheBenches #WaitingOnTheFloor #AccessibilityMatters #SocializedAbelism #ChronicIllness #ChronicConditions #InvisibleIllness #HandTherapy #ICantStandFor15Minutes #BenchesAreImportant #AlwaysSittingOnTheFloor

[briarpatch-kids]

Please note the NON DISABLED, ANYONE CAN USE PARKING SPACE NEXT TO THIS VAN. there are no placards or anything to show that they were able to park there so I sent an email to the company itself requesting that they either display the legally required placard if they have it or to stop parking there if they don't.

[ananiujitha]

“Should other disability advocacy issues arise in the future... Please call...”

Of course, phones are not accessible, and relay services require registration, which isn’t accessible, so relay services are not a generally-accessible alternative for people who can’t use phones.

I expect this sort of inaccessibility from the government, of, by, and for abled rich white cis-het people, but not from a disability organization.

“Thank you for contacting the disAbility Law Center of Virginia. Should other disability advocacy issues arise in the future, our Advocate on-duty hours are on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 8:30am and 4:00pm. Please call 800-552-3962 and ask to speak with the Advocate on-duty.“

[anumberofhobbies]

Went looking in Google and found several interesting things about this.

“ Rowley is the first ever dual purpose assistance dog trained by Guide Dogs in partnership with Dog A.I.D. (Assistance In Disability) to assist someone with multiple disabilities. “ https://inews.co.uk/news/real-life/woman-with-guide-dog-told-to-get-her-dog-off-bus-because-it-black/

And sadly,

“Rowley, who is Megan’s second assistance dog -- after her first dog Ruby was forced in to retirement after being attacked -- helps her with many daily tasks.” https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/blind-woman-told-get-f-15653499

Look how sad he is

[shadyquotesforhealthfitness]

This is a form that can be filled out in order to both evaluate businesses and provide necessary information to anyone who is concerned about accommodations. I created this form for the purpose of creating an accessibility review blog for my local area, but I would love if other people were able to use it.

Feel free to use and spread.

@accessibilityfails This blog was largely responsible for my coming up with the idea

[Image Description: Two photos showing two laminated pages with the following text... "Accessibility Review

Location: (blank space)

Address: (blank space)

Parking Access

Parking? Yes or No. Location type: Lot / Street / Other (blank space)

Accessible Parking? Yes or No. Distance from Entrance: (blank space)

Any Barriers or Obstacles from Parking to Entrance: (blank space)

Public Access

Sidewalk to entrance? Yes or No. Condition: (blank space)

Bike stands? Yes or No

Nearest Bus Stop: (blank space) Distance from entrance: (blank space)

Business name/logo/address clearly visible? Yes or No

Entrance/Exit Access

Most accessible entry point: (blank space)

Accessible doors? Yes or No. Type of accessible door: Auto / Small Button / Large Vertical Button

Curb or step? Yes or No (number of) Inches. Stairs? Yes or No (number of) Steps

Ramp? Yes or No. Incline? Good / Okay / Steep

Any other usable entrance/exit points: (blank space)

Indoor Access

Enough Space to Maneuver Mobility Aids? Yes or No

If not, state reasons or obstacles: (blank space)

Floor Texture: Rough, Matte (safer for cane users) / Smooth, Shiny (more hazardous for cane users)

Uneven Flooring? Yes or No. If so, how severe: Slight Sloping / Noticeable Sloping

Seating Available? Yes or No. Type of Seating: (blank space)

Additional Floors? Yes or No. Elevator Access? Yes or No

Bathroom Access

Bathroom? Yes or No. Customer Only? Yes or No. Accessible Stall? Yes or No

Accessible Bathroom? Yes or No. Accessible Door? Yes or No

Accessible Amount of Space? Yes or No

Grab Bar? Yes or No. Placement: (blank space)

Change Table/Area? Yes or No. Supports: Children Only / Children or Adults

Sink/Soap/Towels Reachable by Wheelchair? Yes or No

Any Additional Features or Issues: (space for writing)

Available Accommodations

Disability Services? Yes or No. Contact for Accommodations: (blank space)

Sign Language Interpreting (specify): (blank space)

Spoken Language Interpreting (specify): (blank space)

Subtitles: In Spoken Language / Other: (blank space)

Mobility Aids: Borrow / Rent ($_____). Electric Cart / Electric Chair / Manual Chair / Walker

Sensory Information

Lighting: Bright / Well Lit / Dim Direct / Indirect. Florescent / Incandescent / Other

Loud Sounds? Yes or No Continuous? Yes or No. Description: (blank space)

Background Sounds: (space for writing)

Scents: (space for writing)

Temperature: Above 24C / 24C – 21C / Below 21C

Air Quality: Clear / Dusty / Smoky / Other: (blank space). Well Ventilated / Adequate / Stuffy

Praise, or pleasant surprises: (space for writing)

Criticisms, or negative experiences: (space for writing)

End Image Description]

[the-exercist]

hey do you have any suggestions for other fitness, food, or health blogs that are like yours? you're like the most positive force in that genre i've found but i want more lol

Thank you so much!

A lot of the positive fitness blogs that I used to follow have since become inactive, unfortunately. I feel like there used to be so many of us just a few years ago. But life gets busy, people move on, and I don’t know of too many other active blogs that support the same focus of content that I do right now.

A few of the wonderful folks that I can recommend are:

@putthatazztowork

@fatbodypolitics

@iliftheavyidoyoga

@bigfatscience

@accessibilityfails

@fitnessversusfibro

These are blogs that I actually follow and have followed for a while now, so I trust the content that they put out. While they’re not all straight-up fitness blogs, they all share information and experiences that I think are incredibly important. 

If anyone else would like to recommend more, please add to the list! I think that we could all use some help getting away from weightloss-centered, harmful fitness advice.

[anumberofhobbies]

Walmart is Not the smart place to shop when you are looking for gluten free breads to try after you get a diagnosis which literally says “severe diverticuli disease”: 1 package had a “Best By” date in mid-June and was moldy; 2 packages had “Best By” date of middle of last month; 2 packages had “Best By” date of middle of last week. There were 2 packages left at this point but I did not look at them.

But, my mobility is limited and in our little farm burg the super Walmart is what there is because the residents stopped shopping at the other older local stores after it came in.

[trash-slvt]

So my council put these up for international day of people with disability. i have big issues with this but im too tired to put them into words. might come back and do a thing on it later. if anyone else wants to write about this, go ahead.

 @accessibilityfails​ 

@cripple-punk-presents

[wetwareproblem]

@accessibilityfails I just saw you talking about the ADA standards for service animals as applying to "Canada and the US" (using a different basis, but the same standards).

I'm not sure if others have been saying the same thing or not, but this is... Not accurate. One of the places the US is ahead of Canada is disability rights - in Canada they vary by jurisdiction, and sometimes there is in fact a certification and ID program you need to comply with.

I wish what you were saying were true in Canada, but it isn't, and following that advice will lead to an ugly altercation with cops at some point.

[skittermouse]

@lilrabbitssong @accessibilityfails

[briarpatch-kids]

[youngchronicpain]

okay I just wanted to tell you guys something I found really, really cool. My dad works for the VA, right? (Veterans Affairs for anyone outside of the US. They have hospitals all across the US that take care of the veterans of our military.) He works as an overseer/liason between the VA and contractors that they hire to build new clinics/buildings for the hospitals. So he ends up having a say in the final building plans (like if he's doing the last walkthrough and sees drains on the floor that are at the highest part of a bathroom floor he can point it out and be like "that won't work, do blah blah blah instead." and then that gets put into motion.)

The thing is, a large portion of veterans are disabled, especially ones that frequently visit the VA. So their standards for accessibility are generally higher than ADA standards.  As usual though there's a lot of shit that gets done that just clearly wasn't planned with disability in mind thought through. But my dad has a disabled daughter he now sees navigate the world in a wheelchair, so when he sees that shit, guess what? He says something. He makes sure it is changed. He says he catches more accessibility nightmares than he ever has before, because he actually has to see me deal with those things. 

So when I'm reading a post out loud from @accessibilityfails, @phoenixonwheels etc or dealing with/ranting about some inaccessible bullshit, I know it is at least making some small positive change in the world.