Many people’s first thought when they hear the word ‘accessibility’ is a ramp or a larger bathroom stall. However, these are only small parts of a much larger environment that should be made inclusive and welcoming to the diverse disability community.
Programmatic accessibility is the way in which we create program experiences that include people of all abilities. It can be as simple as dimming or brightening the lighting of a classroom, creating large-print documents, or providing details on sounds and lighting before a performance. They don’t have to be huge and expensive to be helpful.
Physical accessibility is the way our physical space meets the needs of everyone in our community. This could include ramps and bathroom stalls, but it can also include rearranging tables and chairs, lowering labels and signs, and making sure the front desk is at a comfortable height for wheelchair users to approach.
Both of these types of accessibility are important to being inclusive of the disability community.
