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Accessibility Is Freedom

Accessibility Is Freedom

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  • ADA: One Law That Changed Everything

    ADA: One Law That Changed Everything

    Before ADA — no curb cuts, no bus lifts. Wheelchair users crawled into stores. Judy Heumann, polio at 18 months, was denied a teaching license because “a wheelchair is a fire hazard.” She sued and won — becoming the “Mother of the Disability Rights Movement.” March 1990: 60 activists, including an 8-year-old girl, crawled up 83 Capitol steps. ADA wasn’t a gift from politicians — people with disabilities fought for it themselves ✊ April 1977 — 120 activists led by Heumann occupied the San Francisco federal building for 28 days. The Black Panther Party delivered hot meals daily. May 4th,…

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  • Japan’s Government Website Proves Accessibility is Beauty: Lessons from DINF

    Japan’s Government Website Proves Accessibility is Beauty: Lessons from DINF

    I recently discovered the story of DINF — Disability Information Resources of Japan — and I have to say it filled me with so much hope. DINF is Japan’s largest disability knowledge hub, bringing together everything from the EU Accessibility Act 2025, DAISY digital talking book standards, CRPD implementation, to accessible broadcasting and communication data. Imagine having one single website that collects everything about disability rights and accessibility in one place — that’s DINF. But what impressed me isn’t just the content — it’s how they did it. Recently, DINF was redesigned by Senku Inc. with an approach they call…

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  • Universal Design: Design Once, Everyone Can Use

    Universal Design: Design Once, Everyone Can Use

    Friends, have you ever wondered why we have wheelchair ramps, elevator buttons with tactile markings, or captions on videos? That’s Universal Design at work — designing things so everyone can use them from the start, without needing a separate version for anyone. In 1997, a design team led by Ronald Mace at North Carolina State University 🇺🇸 defined the 7 Principles of Universal Design, which remain the standard today: 1. Equitable Use — The design works for people of all backgrounds, equally. 2. Flexibility in Use — It accommodates a wide range of preferences and abilities. 3. Simple and Intuitive…

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  • 55% Is Not a Coincidence – An Article Everyone Should Read

    55% Is Not a Coincidence – An Article Everyone Should Read

    There’s a number I want everyone to read and stop to think about — 55%. Research from the Faculty of Economics, Chulalongkorn University, using data from the Household Socio-Economic Survey 2021 by the National Statistical Office of Thailand, surveyed 46,775 households nationwide. It found that 9.1% — or 4,255 households — have at least one member with a disability. And these households earn less — the wage gap between people with disabilities and those without stands at 22%. But the number I want everyone to remember is 55%. 55% of that 22% gap cannot be explained by education, work experience,…

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