What Is Accessibility?

July is disability pride month. According to the WHO organisation, 15% of the world population has some type of disability, making it the most significant minority in the world. A comment that I have heard before from business owners is that not enough people with disabilities visit my business to make it accessible, which is similar to many countries in Malta; it’s against the law. When people hear the word’ accessibility,’ the mind often goes to physical aspects, but sometimes it’s simpler than that.

Say you’re talking to someone, and they aren’t understanding what you are saying; therefore, they don’t have access to the conversation. What can be done? Using different wording or language. Knowing how to achieve the same result through alternative methods can be a valuable tool overall. If lockdown has taught us anything, it is that we don’t need to be in the room for things to get done. What I’m trying to say is that if there’s no way to make your place of business accessible, remember that video calls or choosing an alternative location for the meeting/event are options.

The key is to plan ahead so that attendees can join in. Asking the person what they are their access needs are, especially if it’s a long-term thing like a place of work or a place of living. It’s time-consuming that you have to call beforehand to check if you can access a courtroom or a government department to see if you can enter. They advise you to use the online service, but the issue with that is not everyone has the necessary know-how, and systems don’t always work.