Ability Forum

[GRaheja]

Do You Consider Yourself Disabled ? *    Yes / No

A question that most of us must have encountered while joining the Access Ability Forum/ profile....and it is the same question, that allows me to pick a thread to ponder upon.

All discussions that generate to bring ACCESS into our living environments, have an underlying assumption that Some of us are disabled or All of us can be disabled at one time or the other

While I was filling the profile, I realised the difference between theory and practice at this very question. Theoretically, I am not disabled but practically, I am unsure of the next moment too. And I find myself as vulnerable to disability as anyone else. And yet another fact one may discover is that “ No one is disabled by choice .“…….Though, I am confident, that giving ACCESS is a matter of choice.

The World is slowly realizing and choosing to provide access and this slow speed is itself a disabling fact of our society/ mindset. So far with my interactions and experience with people around in the field of access/design, it makes me sure that there’s neither a lack of design capabilities nor a monetary shortfall ( esp. in urban setups) that makes our spaces inaccessible. It’s the WILL to do, which has been the greatest barrier so far. And Awareness is the only torchlight hope to remove that barrier.

Diverse actions spread in different parts can still be connected, and that connection is the very thought itself. I believe, a forum like this can help us UNITE ( thru’ thoughts) , CONNECT ( thru’ discussions ) and DISTRIBUTE (thru’ actions)……….

Can Universal Design also be a Universally Connected Design
[ UCD ] ?

Happy Thinking !!

Best wishes

Gaurav.

Do You Consider Yourself Disabled ? *    Yes / No

A question that most of us must have encountered while joining the Access Ability Forum/ profile....and it is the same question, that allows me to pick a thread to ponder upon.

All discussions that generate to bring ACCESS into our living environments, have an underlying assumption that Some of us are disabled or All of us can be disabled at one time or the other

While I was filling the profile, I realised the difference between theory and practice at this very question. Theoretically, I am not disabled but practically, I am unsure of the next moment too. And I find myself as vulnerable to disability as anyone else. And yet another fact one may discover is that “ No one is disabled by choice .“…….Though, I am confident, that giving ACCESS is a matter of choice.

The World is slowly realizing and choosing to provide access and this slow speed is itself a disabling fact of our society/ mindset. So far with my interactions and experience with people around in the field of access/design, it makes me sure that there’s neither a lack of design capabilities nor a monetary shortfall ( esp. in urban setups) that makes our spaces inaccessible. It’s the WILL to do, which has been the greatest barrier so far. And Awareness is the only torchlight hope to remove that barrier.

Diverse actions spread in different parts can still be connected, and that connection is the very thought itself. I believe, a forum like this can help us UNITE ( thru’ thoughts) , CONNECT ( thru’ discussions ) and DISTRIBUTE (thru’ actions)……….

Can Universal Design also be a Universally Connected Design
[ UCD ] ?

Happy Thinking !!

Best wishes

Gaurav.

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[Maulik]

well Gaurav that surely is a very thought provoking post. I do believe that UCD can be created through this forum

I also agree with you when you say

well Gaurav that surely is a very thought provoking post. I do believe that UCD can be created through this forum

I also agree with you when you say

[GRaheja]

thanks Maulik for ur constructive queries. Your getting skeptical is genuine, b'cos the magnitude of problem is too large and our efforts seem too small in comparison to that.

But, now look at it this way......It has taken almost 40 years of work, experience and research to reach this stage, that today we are able to talk about access and inclusion even in India.... atleast thinking about access is happening. and all efforts in tht direction are worth it even if they are slow.

Thats where I wish to propose that lets do small works in small areas and while we connect, together ( from UD to UCD) it will
hopefully make a larger impact.

All this will take time, yet we must walk in tht direction atleast. Isn't it true, that " All of Us are better than One of Us ."

thanks Maulik for ur constructive queries. Your getting skeptical is genuine, b'cos the magnitude of problem is too large and our efforts seem too small in comparison to that.

But, now look at it this way......It has taken almost 40 years of work, experience and research to reach this stage, that today we are able to talk about access and inclusion even in India.... atleast thinking about access is happening. and all efforts in tht direction are worth it even if they are slow.

Thats where I wish to propose that lets do small works in small areas and while we connect, together ( from UD to UCD) it will
hopefully make a larger impact.

All this will take time, yet we must walk in tht direction atleast. Isn't it true, that " All of Us are better than One of Us ."

[Sachin]

Hi All,

Gaurav, I have to agree with you here.. Disability is really a matter of perception and I remember having encountered situations (like the registration form of this forum), where when asked if I am disabled or not, I havent though twice before saying I am not. This usually happens when we look at disability only as a limitation of one's own physical condition. However we may have subconsciously known, that the subject has greater dimensions.

I think slowly with a shift in perceptions and raised awareness, these views will certainly change. We now need to emphasise on and expedite this shift, as Gaurav has rightly said "awareness is only the torchlight hope to remove the barrier of unwillingness".

Also the concept of UDC as Unite, Connect and Distribute has already started taking shape and technology is the greatest tool our generation and the generations to come will have at their disposal. We need to explore, innovate, create and expand on the technological resources to increase the momentum on raising awareness. This forum, is only one such tool that technology today has granted us, but its only a humble beginning. The next step is to see how this forum, translates the thoughts and ideas into positive actions.

My only hope is to see a much larger participation, from across the spectrum to explore the possibilities this forum has to offer.



_________________
Cheers !

Sachin

Hi All,

Gaurav, I have to agree with you here.. Disability is really a matter of perception and I remember having encountered situations (like the registration form of this forum), where when asked if I am disabled or not, I havent though twice before saying I am not. This usually happens when we look at disability only as a limitation of one's own physical condition. However we may have subconsciously known, that the subject has greater dimensions.

I think slowly with a shift in perceptions and raised awareness, these views will certainly change. We now need to emphasise on and expedite this shift, as Gaurav has rightly said "awareness is only the torchlight hope to remove the barrier of unwillingness".

Also the concept of UDC as Unite, Connect and Distribute has already started taking shape and technology is the greatest tool our generation and the generations to come will have at their disposal. We need to explore, innovate, create and expand on the technological resources to increase the momentum on raising awareness. This forum, is only one such tool that technology today has granted us, but its only a humble beginning. The next step is to see how this forum, translates the thoughts and ideas into positive actions.

My only hope is to see a much larger participation, from across the spectrum to explore the possibilities this forum has to offer.



_________________
Cheers !

Sachin

[GRaheja]

good sachin. i'm really glad to see the enthusiasm and zeal prevailing in the access ability team......it helps propelling other valuable team members also into a meaningful discussion. Physical changes in the environment to bring in access shall happen only when the minds are convinced about whys and how does it better the lives by granting a status of equality.

And  am sure if people's hearts become accessible to all, physical access wouldn't be that difficult to create. I know, what i am talking is quite Utopian too.

And one of the ways I personally feel is to not  just create  awareness but impact through our training programmes for society/designers/professionals. We must make them sooooo enriching , so powerful that the impact gets into atleast the group with whom we interact. The perception of disability can be better understood by an example like this ......

Do you think Disabled Gaurav is synonymous to Gaurav with disability ?

Well, I think its not. The former makes disability as my identity, while the latter one adds disability to my natural identity. We are first humans and probably then imperfect [ Humans with imperfections ], and not Imperfect Humans.
Though, all these might appear as mere words, but words are all that represent thoughts. And thts wht should our target be.......To Transform the Thoughts.

and i can see we are in that direction.

best wishes

gaurav

good sachin. i'm really glad to see the enthusiasm and zeal prevailing in the access ability team......it helps propelling other valuable team members also into a meaningful discussion. Physical changes in the environment to bring in access shall happen only when the minds are convinced about whys and how does it better the lives by granting a status of equality.

And  am sure if people's hearts become accessible to all, physical access wouldn't be that difficult to create. I know, what i am talking is quite Utopian too.

And one of the ways I personally feel is to not  just create  awareness but impact through our training programmes for society/designers/professionals. We must make them sooooo enriching , so powerful that the impact gets into atleast the group with whom we interact. The perception of disability can be better understood by an example like this ......

Do you think Disabled Gaurav is synonymous to Gaurav with disability ?

Well, I think its not. The former makes disability as my identity, while the latter one adds disability to my natural identity. We are first humans and probably then imperfect [ Humans with imperfections ], and not Imperfect Humans.
Though, all these might appear as mere words, but words are all that represent thoughts. And thts wht should our target be.......To Transform the Thoughts.

and i can see we are in that direction.

best wishes

gaurav

[Vic]

Well said Gaurav - I fully agree with everything you have said.  

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility

Well said Gaurav - I fully agree with everything you have said.  

_________________
Vikas

AccessAbility