Aspects of Accessability

Camilleri, Joseph M. (1997): Unpublished notes prepared for radio.

ACCESSIBILITY means equal opportunities to all facilities for everyone, including persons with disability.

Everyone includes: elderly persons, pregnant women, young children who use pushchairs, persons carrying heavy weights, persons who are temporarily disabled (as a result of accident and/ or illness) and persons with disability including deaf persons, blind persons, persons with an intellectual disability and persons with a mobility impairment (including wheelchair users).

ACCESSIBILITY means basically that all the categories of people mentioned above have free access to the following:

THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT

· external environment:
roads, pavements, gardens, bus stops, zebra and pelican crossings
· public buildings
(government departments, theatres, places of entertainment, banks, churches, etc)
· domestic dwelling
(it makes sense to build with disability in mind, since many people move into a new home when they are young and vigorous and as they age and become less able, the home becomes increasingly hostile. However, we all fear change and many of us would rather stay in the home we are familiar with, rather than to move out of the home and possibly out of the neighbourhood altogether. So it makes sense to build with future needs in mind.)

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

information is essential to us all at all times in our lives, it is therefore essential that information is provided in a variety of alternative modes.

· Deaf persons cannot follow information which is spoken (such as radio braodcasts) it makes sense therefore for them to have access to the printed work.

· Blind persons cannot read the printed word, it makes sense for them to have access to information by audio cassette, radio broadcasts and braille print.

· People with an intellectual disability nee to be given information in a simple straightforward manner which they can easily grasp; the use of pictures is essential in order to help them to understand abstract ideas.

· People with mobility impairments needs to have access to information in modes which are suited to their needs, for example people with manual problems may need to search for information but cannot carry heavy books.

ACCESS TO MEANS OF COMMUNICATION

Alternative means of communication greatly facilitate interaction between different groups.

Thus, deaf persons in particular may need to communicate using sign language; they may also read lips. It is important for hearing persons to understand and appreciate the value of such alternative means of communications and to make an effort to learn the basics of alternative means of communication. Deaf persons would require alternative access to televisual material (eg., captioning and sub-titling).

Blind persons would also require alternative access to televisual material (eg., alternative sound tracks which explain 'silent' portions of films and TV programmes). Alternative access to information technology hardware and software is also essential, since blind persons need to use voice synthesizers instead of visual monitors; they also need to be provided with an alternative means of access to graphical user interfaces such as Windows.

ACCESS TO SERVICES, include

Automated Teller Machines
are not accessible to blind persons because they do not offer an alternative to the visual information on the monitor, the keys have no braille markings. The machines cannot be accessed by persons using wheelchairs, or very short people.

Telephone kiosks
Telephone kiosks are inaccessible to deaf persons, who would need to use text-telephones and a text-telephone relay station.

Self-drive cars
Some self-drive cars with automatic transmission and hand-controls could be provided and would prove to be cost-effective given the increase in tourists who are elderly and others with a disability.