When Your World Becomes Limited: A Lesson in Why Accessibility Matters
One of my favorite aspects of being a freelance writer is that you become exposed to many different things. Every client is different. Every assignment is different!
Sometimes it will offer challenges that force you to stretch your writing muscles.
Other times, you find yourself exploring a topic that piques your interest and teaches you something new.
Yet if you’re lucky, you may get another surprise. While it’s rare, every once and awhile a client or a project may slide across your desk that changes the way you see the world.
Enter my latest client: a nonprofit who tackles an ever-prevalent issue we see every day, yet often miss. That issue is accessibility, and the gap is astonishingly wide.
What is Accessibility, Exactly?
Accessibility is a broad term, but, simply put, it refers to the level of access someone with disabilities has to a product, service, or even an environment.
We’ve all seen examples of how our society tries to adapt to the challenges of our disabled community, from automatic doors and concrete ramps to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and assistive technology on our cell phones or other devices.
But is it enough?
It’s a question most of us never think to ask, but after meeting Dreamscape Foundation Founder Joe Sehwani, I realized we need to.
The Alarming Gap in Today’s Digital World
Joe is energetic guy that will inspire you in a single encounter. When a rare hereditary disease called Leber’s Hereditary Ocular Neuropathy (LHON) robbed him of his vision at the young age of 16, his life changed.
But instead of letting his disability hold him back, he fought for possibilities. When Joe came to terms with his situation, he became tenacious in his pursuit for accessibility — both for himself and for others.
In his testimony on the Dreamscape Foundation website, Joe states: “While nothing in life could have ever prepared me for this moment, I had a pivotal realization: I had only lost my sight — not my vision. In fact, LHON gave me a clarity I didn’t have before. It gave my life purpose as a created Dreamscape Foundation to help others suffering from disabilities.”
But help them how?
When I started blogging for the organization, I began to understand that today’s rapidly-growing digital world there was a large gap in accessibility.
A Life Disconnected from Everyday Tech
Imagine not being able to use the web or your cell phone. No, I mean really think about it. Picture your day-to-day life, from your job to your personal activities. We have become so attached to our tech that without it we would have a hard time doing our jobs, paying our bills, and even getting from place-to-place.
One of the ways Dreamscape Foundation and other businesses and organizations are tackling this challenge is through web accessibility software.
But this is only half the battle.
To bring a little perspective to the picture, I’d like to introduce you to the Jongsma twins.
Two Brothers, One Startling Dose of Perspective
Justin and Kenny Jongsma are 28-year-old twin brothers in New Jersey. I recently interviewed them for a blog where they openly shared their story and struggle living with LHON.
The sudden and rapid onset of this disease that made them blind forced them to go from normal, everyday lives to trying to find ways to accomplish what used to be simple, everyday tasks.
Things we take for granted, like driving to the store, watching TV, reading books, and even just walking from room-to-room, became a challenge. Indeed, if it wasn’t for the accessibility features of their iPhones and iPads, they wouldn’t be able to read at all.
The brothers struggled with their sudden dependence upon family and friends. Career options became limited, as did the activities they could participate in.
Their entire lives changed with a single diagnosis, preventing them from being able to enjoy their old hobbies or the independence we value as adults.
A Glimpse of Hope
Justin and Kenny’s story is a sobering one, but there is a silver lining. One so remarkable that I can’t not mention it in this article.
There’s a remarkable piece of technology called eSight Eyewear that’s on the market today. It seems like something straight out of a sci-fi novel or television show and yet it is real and life-changing.
Using advanced technology eSight enables certain individuals with low vision or blindness to see again. The twins were able to try them out, and the results were remarkable.
With them, they can see well enough to walk down the street and even read signs in the distance. In fact, this special eyewear is so powerful, it enables some to see better than 20/20.
Unfortunately, though, the tech isn’t cheap. Currently, the Jongsma twins are trying to raise the remaining funds in order to afford them.
If you want to help, you can find their online campaign here.
So What Can We Do?
Hearing stories like Joe’s and Kenny’s and Justin’s forces us to see the world from someone else’s perspective. For me, it brings awareness but also a desire to help.
Which begs us to ask, “What can we do?”
Like any cause, it starts with awareness. The more people who are conscious of these everyday issues, the more helping hands the disabled community acquires.
We can also get involved. Whether it’s donating to campaigns like Justin’s and Kenny’s or volunteering for organizations like Dreamscape Foundation, you can offer your time and your resources to help others acquire the tools they need to live life to the fullest.
Have you encountered examples of today’s accessibility gap?
What do you think we can do to help close this gap?
