In many parts of the world, disability advocacy is celebrated as participation, empowerment, and progress. But in others, it carries a heavy price. Speaking up about inaccessibility. Challenging powerful institutions. Demanding real enforcement of rights. These are not neutral acts everywhere.
In some contexts, they trigger professional backlash, social exclusion, loss of opportunities, and at times, genuine personal risk. The global conversation often fails to acknowledge this reality. We champion the slogan “Nothing About Us Without Us.” We urge disabled people to raise their voices and lead the change.
Yet we rarely ask the harder questions: At what cost? And who is protected when they speak? Advocacy without protection is not empowerment; it is exposure. Systems that depend on individuals to carry personal risk, while offering no structural safeguards, are not inclusive. They are fragile, and they are unjust.
If we are serious about global disability inclusion, protection must be built into systems, not left to individuals:
Secure and anonymous reporting mechanisms
Enforceable legal protections for advocates and whistleblowers
Enforced institutional accountability when retaliation occurs
Sustained international solidarity that does not abandon local advocates
The burden of change cannot continue to fall on those already most at risk.
“Nothing About Us Without Us” must also mean: Nothing at the expense of our safety. Inclusion is not only about access.
It is about protection, dignity, and the freedom to speak without fear.
There is a very big difference wheelchair accessible and wheelchair welcome. People with disabilities are often more disabled by societal aspects like inaccessibility and ableism than we are by our own conditions.
In 2026, navigating the world as a wheelchair user continues to feel like a constant struggle, despite the fact that there are approximately 80 million of us globally. And what’s even more frustrating is that all of the barriers we face are entirely avoidable/preventable.
People may not want to hear it, but inaccessibility is just another form of segregation, and we cannot continue to sit and watch idly as 80 million people (approximately 1% of the global population) are still completely unable to access so many things. From shops, to medical facilities, to restaurants, holidays and leisure activities, wheelchair users are continuing to face unnecessary barriers everywhere. It needs to stop.
Are there any other access barriers you can think of that we may not have included here?
Web Accessibility When websites aren’t designed with screen readers, color contrast, keyboard navigation or font size & style in mind, millions for users, including those of us who are blind, we are excluded from accessing vital information. • Resource: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) • Learn More: Accessibility features such as alt text for images, proper heading structures, and accessible forms can make all the difference. Capitalizing the first letter of every word after a # allows our screen readers the ability to read the hashtag #MakingADifference instead of #makingadifference.
Physical Accessibility
When we can’t access your building, you create a barrier for us. Buildings without ramps, automatic doors, tactile paving, or proper signage prevent people with disabilities from accessing public spaces. Physical barriers can prevent participation in social, professional, or personal activities. • Resource: Rick Hansen Foundation. Standards for Accessible Design • Learn More: Simple design changes like adding ramps, elevators, or accessible restrooms can foster inclusion.
Accessible Recruitment Processes
When your recruitment process isn’t accessible, you create a barrier for us. When job applications and interviews aren’t accessible, companies lose out on valuable talent. Recruitment should accommodate everyone, including candidates living with disabilities, by offering alternatives like online interviews, accessible application forms, and inclusive onboarding processes. One way does not work for everyone, being welcoming and open to working with individuals to find solutions leads to productivity. • Resource: Job Accommodation Network (JAN) – Recruitment and Hiring
Inclusive Company Culture
When your company culture isn’t accessible, you create a barrier for us. It’s not just about getting people through the door; it’s about creating a work environment where everyone can succeed. This includes providing assistive technologies, offering flexible work hours, and fostering a culture of inclusivity. This is not an expensive process. In fact there are Grants available to make spaces more inclusive and accessible. • Resource: Disability:IN – Inclusive Culture Guide
Accessible Content Content, whether it’s a video, a document, or social media, needs to be accessible to everyone. Captioned videos, transcriptions for audio content, and using accessible fonts and color contrasts are key to reaching a broader audience. • Resource: W3C Accessibility Resources
Together, we can break through barriers. Accessibility is about equity and inclusion. By making conscious efforts to improve accessibility in all areas, we create barrier free spaces.
Let’s challenge the status quo and make a commitment to creating a world where everyone can fully participate. Being mindful we will all be 80 years old one day and everyone of us will need some accommodation or assistance. Lets all age knowing life will be easier for us when we need the accessibility for ourself or loved ones.
International Wheelchair Day reminds us that mobility isn’t one-size-fits-all — and that wheels deserve far more appreciation than they get. For many people, a wheelchair isn’t a symbol of limitation but freedom, independence, and the ability to move through the world on their own terms (and occasionally overtake slow walkers without meaning to).
The day celebrates wheelchair users worldwide while recognising the innovation and advocacy that continue to improve accessibility. It’s about real visibility — everyday disabled lives, not inspirational clichés.
Wheelchairs also have a fascinating history. Here are ten facts you might not know:
The first recorded wheelchair dates to the 1500s and was built for a Spanish king — accessibility started when royalty demanded convenience.
Many modern chairs use aerospace-grade metals like aluminium or titanium. Yes, some wheelchairs are basically engineering show-offs.
Wheelchair sports helped drive better everyday chair design through demands for performance and durability.
Chairs are customised down to millimetres because fit directly affects health and comfort.
Manual wheelchair use can burn energy similar to light cycling — wheeling absolutely counts as cardio.
Power chairs can cost as much as a small car yet rarely include cup holders, which feels like a missed opportunity.
Many users personalise their chairs with colours and accessories, turning mobility aids into self-expression.
Front wheels, called casters, mysteriously detect every bump in existence.
Ramps and curb cuts benefit everyone, from parents with prams to travellers with luggage.
Mobility isn’t fixed — many users switch aids depending on fatigue, pain, or environment.
International Wheelchair Day ultimately celebrates autonomy and the reality that mobility looks different for everyone. A wheelchair doesn’t restrict life; it helps people live it fully — ideally on smoother pavements everywhere.
For access consultancy proposals, you can explore the following resources:
Real Proposals: Download real consulting proposals from firms like McKinsey, BCG, and Bain to get inspiration and structure ideas for your own proposals.
Government Requests for Proposals (RFPs): Check for RFPs related to access consultancy, such as the one for a UK City of Culture, which invites proposals for capital and building projects.
Access Consultant Services: Look for services that provide access consultancy, including design reviews and access audits, to ensure compliance with accessibility standards.
These resources can help you understand the requirements and structure for consultancy proposals in the access consultancy field.
Walking onto the beach, feeling the sand between your toes and as you step into the ocean you can see your feet through the clear blue water. What a wonderful experience for many, but for some of us who can’t walk, going to the beach may not be such a joyous occasion.
First of all when it comes to accessibility, there are the barriers to get into the beach and in order for a wheelchair to get through it takes two or three people to lift it over.
Also, sometimes because of various disabilities, some of us have no sensation in our feet, the waist down or even the neck down. So consequently, we don’t have the luxury of feeling the sand between our toes or the ocean on our feet, which makes it even harder to enjoy.
But aside from that, there are many swimming tools that we can use to enhance our swimming experience like rubber rings, life jackets, and other devices. There are also beach chairs available for wheelchair users to sit in while in the water.
One summer I worked as a junior counselor at an inclusive camp at Wind Reach Recreational Village. While working there, there was one little boy named Dylan who needed to use a trachea and I remember when the camp had Water Day every Friday he was not able to participate with everyone else because if he got his trachea wet it would be harmful to him.
There was also a girl there who had a problem where she had to be constantly monitored in the water and all counselors had to make sure that she didn’t fall asleep because if she did she could end up having a seizure in her sleep which is life threatening for her. Working at the camp was such an eye opener to the vast range of disabilities that are in Bermuda.
The CDC defines Disability Inclusion as “understanding the relationship between the way people function and how they participate in society, and making sure everybody has the same opportunities to participate in every aspect of life to the best of their abilities and desires.”
Accessibility is most commonly defined as the practice of making information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful, and usable for as many people as possible.
The difference between these two is subtle, but important. Disability inclusion is about normalizing the experiences of people with disabilities and working to ensure they are afforded equitable opportunities to do anything that any other member of our society is able to do.
Accessibility is the practical application of removing barriers that exist specifically in physical and digital environments. Both have a goal to ensure people with disabilities are able to participate as efficiently and effectively as everyone else. Both are extremely important to the changes we want to see in the world around us. And both come with considerable complexity.
I see so many people trying to be an expert in both of them. Doing that will burn you out. We still have too much to do to fully realize the potential and impact of both of these things to let each other burn out. So here is my advice: choose one, become an expert in that, and surround yourself with others whose expertise offsets your own so that you can collectively make progress.
No matter which you choose to focus on, invest in gaining a deep understanding of people with disabilities and the various barriers they face. Think about the types of barriers you’re going to focus on removing. If you lean more towards wanting to address topics like representation, equal education and employment opportunities, or societal biases related to disability, a focus on broader disability inclusion topics will likely resonate with you more. If you want to dive deeper into specific functional or technical barriers people face within their environments, the technologies they use, and how to better enable them, I suspect accessibility will be more of what you’re looking for.
Ever since I’ve embarked on my journey to marketing myself as an Access Consultant, I’ve had an increasing interest in legislation surrounding Access Consultancy. I believe my BA Degree in History and Politics has sparked this interest.
Before then, I had never heard of Access Consultancy.
Are WCAG guidelines law? Whilst the WCAG standards themselves do not function as law, they represent the internationally recognised standard for web content accessibility, and you will meet the legal requirements for accessibility by meeting the WCAG standard.
Who is required to comply with WCAG? Ensuring your website is accessible is covered by the Equality Act 2010 in the UK, which protects all individuals from unfair treatment and promotes a fair and more equal society.
There are equivalent laws in other countries, which encompass web accessibility law and legislation, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The European Accessibility Act (EAA) seeks to ensure equal access to digital products and services throughout Europe and becomes law in all EU member states in June 2025.
The Public Sector Bodies (Website and Mobile Applications) Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR 2018) apply to the UK public sector specifically and require public sector organisations to meet WCAG 2.2 guidelines at AA level of conformance, which from October 2024 will be monitored by the Government Digital Service (GDS).
What happens if your website is not accessible? Not ignoring the threat of legal action, it’s very important to consider the barriers you might be creating for people if you are not ensuring your web content is accessible.
There are an estimated 16 million disabled people in the UK, and in 2019 the ‘Click-Away Pound’, which measures the volume of people who abandon a retail website because of the barriers they found, grew to £17.1 billion.
Good accessibility practices benefit everyone, not just disabled people. Consider a person using captions when watching a video on a noisy train, or a worker with a sprained wrist using speech-to-text to write an email. Many of us use accessibility features every day.
The free guide to the Business Case for Accessibility will help you win hearts and minds inside and outside your organisation.
To find out more about WCAG and digital accessibility join their mailing list or take a look at their free digital accessibility resources. If you’re ready to create meaningful change and achieve significant results, speak to their experts to learn how they can help you to achieve your accessibility goals.
We have ALL heard the quote “the only disability in life is a bad attitude”.
This quote is profoundly stupid, misleading, and harmful because it oversimplifies the complex nature of disabilities and dismisses the real challenges faced by disabled individuals.
What we need is a change in societal attitudes, not a dismissal of the lived experiences of those with disabilities.
People with disabilities deal with pain, fatigue, accessibility issues, medical costs, and social discrimination.
Does having a bad attitude often hinder your life and personal growth?
In my opinion absolutely.
But suggesting that a bad attitude is the only real disability is nonsense.
Why are people still using this quote?
My name is Daniella Jade Lowe and this is The View from Where I Sit!!!
Did you know that braille can be used as an accessibility tool? I used to think that braille was only used to help the visually impaired.
World Braille Day: Raising Awareness for an Important Communication Tool
Since 2019, World Braille Day has been celebrated to create awareness of the importance of Braille; an access and communication tool that has played a key role in the realization of human rights for blind and partially sighted people.
Its roots trace back to the 19th century, when in 1829, its blind inventor; Louis Braille created a tactile alphabet in order to be able to read and write, and eventually gain access to education, the news of this increasingly important tool receiving its own international day of recognition could not have arrived at a more relevant moment, as in its third year of celebration (2021). World Braille Day was reinvented by the ongoing COVID-19 Pandemic.
Braille is the system of raised dots used for reading and writing by people who are blind or severely visually impaired. It is read with the fingertips, although with practice, people with sight can read it with their eyes. Letters, numbers, punctuation marks, and numerous other symbols can be written with Braille. Although not technically its own language, Braille is a form of code and can be learned by just about anyone.
On World Braille Day 2022, Direct Access encouraged businesses to facilitate accessible formats as a means of communication as it is the right thing to do for customers and potentially valuable employees who might also be disabled people. Since our post-COVID world has forced much of society to utilise digital media and formats to facilitate communication, shopping, entertainment, and business; digital accessibility is now necessary to ensure the digital inclusion of all people. Braille is essential in the context of education, freedom of expression and opinion, as well as social inclusion, as reflected in article 2 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Using the latest Index Embossers, Direct Access can produce Braille in A4 and A3 formats ranging from healthcare or financial letters to legal documents and company brochures. We also provide state-of-the-art tactile map boards that incorporate a multitude of formats including braille, BSL sign language video, and audio descriptions. They are bound according to preference and checked by our proof-readers. This is usually helpful for tactile learners.
For more information regarding their access and communication services feel free to contact them.
Manningham House has introduced powerful Accessibility Tools to ensure an inclusive experience for everyone!
Colour Modes
Grayscale for calm viewing.
High Contrast to make things pop.
Negative Contrast for cool clarity.
Enhanced Readability
Light Background for ease on the eyes.
Links Underline for clear navigation.
Readable Font for smooth reading.
And the best part?
If you ever need to go back to default, just hit Reset!
Celebrate our launch with us and explore a website that adapts to YOUR needs. Let’s create a more accessible web together! Navigate and send us feedback!
I am impressed with Manningham House. Accessibility Tools help to enhance Access Consultancy!
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