The View from Where I Sit

Tag: accessibility

  • Rosa May Billinghurst

    More than 100 years ago, Rosa showed that disability and power can exist in the same story.

    A wheelchair did not limit her voice. It amplified it.

    From 31 May 1875 – 29 July 1953, Rosa Billinghurst was a British suffragette and women’s rights activist. She was known popularly as the “cripple suffragette” as she campaigned in a tricycle.

    Early life
    She was born in 1875 in Lewisham, London, the second of nine children of Rosa Ann (Brinsmead) Billinghurst and Henry Farncombe Billinghurst. Her mother came from a family who manufactured pianos and her father was a banker.

    As a child she survived polio, which left her unable to walk. She wore leg-irons and used either crutches or a modified tricycle. She became active in social work in a Greenwich workhouse, taught in a Sunday School, and joined the temperance Band of Hope.

    Politics
    She was an active member of a Women’s Liberal Association (fifteen of which joined in 1887 to become the Women’s Liberal Federation that ultimately grew to 942 affiliated associations) and later, in 1907, a member of the Women’s Social and Political Union (WSPU). She took part in the WSPU march to the Royal Albert Hall in South Kensington, London, in June 1908. Billinghurst helped organise the WSPU response in the July 1908 Haggerston by-election; polling was on the day that twenty-four suffragettes were released from Holloway prison and came around the area canvassing to ‘keep the Liberal out.’

    In 1909, she was presumed by Annie Barnes to be the wheelchair user seen distracting a police horse, who laughed as another woman seemed to tip the rider off to fall in a horse trough. The occupant of the wheelchair was the one arrested and rough-handled into a waiting police van.

    Two years later, she founded the Greenwich branch of the WSPU. As its first secretary she took part in the ‘1910 Black Friday’ demonstrations, using an adapted tricycle for mobility. She was arrested after the police capsized her from the trike. Billinghurst knew that she was helpless when this happened, but she was quite prepared to take the added publicity to benefit the cause of suffrage. The police once exploited her disability leaving her in a side street after letting her tyres down and pocketing the valves.


    Billinghurst was able to get closer to the House of Commons on another occasion in 1911, when police thought the better of attacking her trike with ‘Votes for Women’ banner during the rush. She is thought to have been one of the suffragettes to avoid the 1911 census on the night of Sunday 2 April 1911, in response to the calls from suffragette organisations for a boycott.

    She would place her crutches on both sides of her tricycle and would charge any opposition. She was arrested several more times in the next few years.

    The Glaswegian suffragette Janie Allan apparently worked in partnership with Billinghurst during the window-smashing campaign of March 1912, with Billinghurst apparently hiding a supply of stones under the rug that covered her knees. Billinghurst’s first stint in Holloway Prison was for smashing a window on Henrietta Street during this campaign, for which she was sentenced to one month’s hard labour. The prison authorities were confused regarding her sentence to hard labour, and gave her no extra work. She was befriended by many other prisoners, including Dr. Alice Stewart Ker, who had Billinghurst smuggle a letter out to Ker’s daughter on her release.


    On 8 January 1913, she was tried at the Old Bailey and sentenced to eight months in Holloway Prison for damaging letters in a mailbox. Billinghurst represented herself in court to plead the case for women’s suffrage. Her defence titled “The Guilt Lies on the Shoulders of the Government” was published in The Suffragette. She subsequently went on a hunger strike, and was force-fed along with the other imprisoned suffragettes participating in the strike. She became so ill that she was released two weeks after her force-feeding began.

    She spoke at a public meeting in West Hampstead in March 1913. On the 24th of May, she chained herself to the gates of Buckingham Palace and on 14 June she was dressed in white on her trike in the funeral procession for suffragette Emily Wilding Davison, who was killed while reaching for the reins of the King’s horse at the Epsom Derby.

    Billinghurst also took part in the mass deputation of suffragettes to petition King George V on 21 May 1914. Although she was not arrested, two policemen deliberately tipped her out of her tricycle.

    Billinghurst supported the Pankhursts’ lead when they decided to prioritise the war over the campaign for women’s rights. She helped in Christabel Pankhurst’s campaign to be elected in Smethwick in 1918.

    However, she had joined the Women’s Freedom League (WFL) and became part of the Suffragette Fellowship. She supported Jill Craigie’s Equal Pay Film Fund.

    Billinghurst stopped her activity for women’s suffrage after the Parliament (Qualification of Women) Act 1918 gave some women the vote. She later attended the funeral of Emmeline Pankhurst and the unveiling of Emmeline’s statue in 1930.

    Family
    In 1911, she was residing with her parents at 7 Oakhurst Road, Lewisham, London.

    Billinghurst lived in the garden house of her property “Minikoi”, Sunbury, Surrey (then in Middlesex), with her adopted daughter, “Beth”. Beth has since written a book describing her relationship with her adopted mother. Her brother was Alfred John Billinghurst, an artist, with whom she lived after 1914.

    Death
    She died on 29 July 1953 at a hospital in Twickenham, leaving her body to science.

    Memorial recognition
    Her name and picture (and 58 other women’s suffrage supporters) are on the plinth of the statue of Millicent Fawcett in Parliament Square, London, unveiled in 2018.

  • When Advocacy Becomes a Risk—And Systems Stay Silent

    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.

  • Access Granted or Access Denied?

    Access Granted or Access Denied?

    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.

    This is the View from Where I Sit!

  • The Equality Act 2010 in Customer Service

    Under the Equality Act 2010, customer service providers must treat all individuals equally and fairly, avoiding discrimination, harassment, and victimisation based on protected characteristics.


    Protected Characteristics
    The Equality Act identifies nine protected characteristics that cannot be used as a basis for unfair treatment in services:

    • Age
    • Disability
    • Gender reassignment
    • Marriage and civil partnership
    • Pregnancy and maternity
    • Race
    • Religion or belief
    • Sex, and sexual orientation

    Service providers must ensure that customers are not discriminated against due to these characteristics, either directly or indirectly.


    Types of Discrimination in Customer Service
    Direct discrimination: Treating someone less favourably specifically because of a protected characteristic. Examples include refusing to serve a person due to their ethnicity or sexual orientation.
    Indirect discrimination: Applying a neutral rule or policy that disproportionately disadvantages people with a protected characteristic, unless the rule can be objectively justified. For example, a “no head coverings” policy may indirectly discriminate against customers who wear religious attire.
    Harassment: Any unwanted conduct related to a protected characteristic that violates dignity or creates a hostile, degrading, or offensive environment.

    Victimisation: Unfair treatment of someone because they made a complaint about discrimination or supported another person’s complaint.

    Reasonable Adjustments for Accessibility
    Service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled customers to ensure they can access services equally. This includes measures such as ramps, alternative formats for written information (Braille or large font), assistive technology, and staff training to accommodate different needs.
    The duty is proactive; providers must anticipate barriers and not wait for requests to be made.


    Practical Implementation in Customer Service
    Inclusive culture: Train staff to respect diversity, listen actively, and respond sensitively to customer needs.
    Policy development: Implement equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) policies that guide recruitment, service delivery, and day-to-day operations.
    Communication: Use inclusive language, provide alternative communication methods for customers with language barriers, and accommodate cultural or religious practices.
    Positive engagement: Regularly review services to identify potential barriers and improve inclusiveness, potentially conducting Equality Impact Assessments for public or large-scale service projects.


    Legal Scope and Exceptions
    While the Act prohibits unjust discrimination, some exceptions exist, including age-based concessions, health and safety requirements, financial services risk assessments, and single-sex or regulated services where necessary. Any differential treatment must be objectively justified or in line with permitted exceptions.


    Benefits of Compliance
    Complying with the Equality Act enhances the organisation’s reputation, fosters customer loyalty, and demonstrates respect for diverse customer needs. Inclusive practices also attract top talent and ensure fair, equitable service delivery.
    In summary, customer service under the Equality Act 2010 requires fairness, respect, and proactive accommodation of diversity, encompassing all nine protected characteristics, preventing discrimination, harassment, or victimisation, and ensuring accessibility for disabled individuals.


    Legislation.gov.uk

  • Swimming for People with Special Needs

    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.

  • ACCESSIBILITY VS DISABILITY INCLUSION

    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.

  • Legislation surrounding Access Consultancy

    Access consultancy is a service that provides advice on how to make buildings and environments more accessible and inclusive for people with disabilities and other protected characteristics. Access Consultancy covers a wide range of areas like:

    • Wheelchair Accessibility
    • Digital Accessibility
    • Web Accessibility

    Welcome to The view from where I sit versus The view from where you sit!

    DISABILITY RIGHTS:

    There are different pieces of legislation that relate to access consultancy, such as: The Equality Act 2010, which requires service providers, employers, education providers and others to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people and to avoid discrimination based on protected characteristics.

    Article 54 of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010 requires that a person with a disability to have: access and facilitation in educational institutions, reasonable access to all places, and access to device material. Additionally, at least 5% of elective and appointive positions are to be for PWDs.

    I just recently found out that March 1st is International Wheelchair Day! International Wheelchair Day, is a global celebration of the profound impact wheelchairs have on the lives of millions around the world.

    International Wheelchair Day 2024 promotes mobility, access, and inclusion. This is very important for access consultancy.

    Key takeaways

    • International Wheelchair Day was celebrated on March 1, 2024, to raise awareness of the challenges faced by wheelchair users and promote inclusion.
    • The theme for this year’s celebration was ‘Mobility, access and inclusion: Empowering independence’.
    • United Spinal Association urged people to recognize the day and support disability inclusion.

    The National Register of Access Consultants (NRAC), which is an independent accreditation service for individuals who provide access consultancy and access auditor services in the UK. The Information and Consultation Regulations, which require employers to establish arrangements for informing and consulting their employees on certain matters.

    Kenya has not been able to meet the standards of this article due lack of political goodwill, ignorance of the law, and general and intentional overlook of the plight of PWD. Persons with Disabilities are still considered as people who should sit somewhere and wait for help and care.

    In the few employment opportunities, is the work environment disability friendly to enable PWD thrive? The answer is NO!

    1. What is the level of representation for PWD?
    2. What is the level of accessibility?
    3. What is the level of access to development and personal growth,
    4. Are PWD considered for promotional opportunities?
    5. What is the level of inclusivity in the organization or integration is the order of the day?

    We must seek to answer these insightful questions to help us in identifying the gaps.

    The Constitution under the Bill of Rights recognizes in Article 54 that persons with disabilities are entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and not to be referred to in a manner that is demeaning, to access educational institutions and facilities, to reasonable access to all places, public transport and information, to use sign language, Braille or other appropriate means of communication and to access materials and devices.

    You can find more information about these and other relevant legislation on the websites of the sources I have referenced.
    https://globaldisability.org/2016/04/01/review-kenya-persons-disabilities-act-2003-overdue#:~:text=The%20Constitution%20under%20the%20Bill%20of%20Rights%20recognizes,of%20communication%20and%20to%20access%20materials%20and%20devices.

    https://www.assurityconsulting.co.uk/assets/Guide-PDFs-2023/Equality-Act-and-Access-Audits-Guide-23.pdf

    https://www.evansjones.co.uk/services/access/access-audits.php

    https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2010362#:~:text=Posted%20On%3A%2029%20FEB%202024%207%3A46PM%20by%20PIB,on%20the%20lives%20of%20millions%20around%20the%20world.https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2010362

  • Mobility Aids

    Prescription glasses are just as much of a mobility aid as a wheelchair is.

    Why is one so stigmatized and the other isn’t?

    In my opinion, both prescription glasses and wheelchairs are mobility aids that help people with different types of disabilities.

    However, the stigma attached to wheelchairs is more than that of glasses. According to an article on Nautilus, the stigma attached to wheelchairs is due to the cultural understanding of disability and the way it is portrayed in the media. Disability can be deemed as a cultural construct not a social construct.

    It all started with a street art campaign by Sara Hendren and Brian Glenney, who redesigned the commonly accepted symbol for disability, called the International Symbol of Access, to change the way people perceive wheelchairs.

    On the other hand, there is no stigma attached to wearing glasses, and people who wear eyeglasses do not feel any shame in walking out of the door. 

    However, studies show that there is plenty of stigma attached to hearing aids. It is important to note that the stigma attached to mobility aids is not only a result of cultural understanding but also a result of the lack of accessibility and inclusivity in our society. We need to work towards creating a more inclusive and accessible environment for people with disabilities.

    https://nautil.us/why-are-wheelchairs-more-stigmatized-than-glasses-235841/

    The Accessible Icon Project

  • What is Accessibility?

    The International Symbol of Accessibility, that white stick figure in a wheel chair on a blue background, was developed in 1969. It was borne of a contest held by the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility, which was won by Susanne Kofoed of Copenhagen, Denmark. Kofoed’s original design didn’t include a head (probably because she was trying to keep the figure unisex) so it wasn’t used right away; but once the head was added, it became quite popular.

    The Commission chose the blue background simply because it provided a nice contrast with the white stick figure, making the symbol easily visible on all kinds of surfaces. That said, the little stick figure might change some time in the future, as some parties are arguing that not all disabled people use a wheel chair and the figure needs to be more representative of other disabilities.

    This is a good start for disability representation and wheelchair accessibility. I hope the little stick figure changes in the near future so that it can change our worldview on medical conditions and the general outlook on life for people with different exceptionalities.

    https://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2013/12/origin-word-handicap/

  • The Purple Pound

    The Purple Pound

    By: Daniella Jade Lowe

    Disabled shoppers now have equality in business called the ‘Purple Pound’. The Purple Pound represents the spending power of the disabled household. A disabled household is a household in which at least one of the members has a disability.

    The Purple Pound here in England is equivalent to the Black Dollar in America. This is England’s way of ensuring Inclusive Marketing for the disabled population.

    Organisations are missing out on the business of disabled consumers due to poor accessibility (both physical and digital) and not being disability confident in their customer services approach. Out of this came ‘The Purple Shopper’.

    The Purple shopper was created to make the disabled person’s shopping experience a personal one, where stores are accessible at their convenience. No more queuing at checkouts, no over bright and loud environments.

    Businesses can join this initiative and become a Purple Shopper by signing up on their website at http://www.purpleshopper.co.uk.

    The Power of the Purple Pound

    In the UK, it is thought that some seven million people of working age have a disability, which all adds up to an awful lot of spending power.

    It is reckoned to be worth around £249 billion to the economy.

    According to statistics, 75% of disabled people have left a store or website due to inaccessibility. To combat this, ‘Purple Tuesday’ came into effect.

    Purple Tuesday 2020 is a change programme for organisations of all sizes from all sectors to get involved in, with the common goal of improving the customer experience for disabled people 365 days a year.

    Purple Tuesday is about creating a step change improvement in the awareness of the value and needs of disabled customers. It is about making the customer experience accessible.

    Participating organisations will make public commitments (a minimum of one new activity or initiative) to ensure sustainable changes are made. For organisations, this will result in the opening up of products and services to the disability market.

    I like these initiatives because they tackle isolation while promoting independence. Bermuda is a Purple Tuesday campaigner which makes me happy: https://bernews.com/2019/11/bermuda-joins-global-purple-tuesday-campaign/. For more information about this go to http://www.purpletuesday.org.uk.