Accessibility

I hate the word accessibility. It is so ambiguous, it doesn't actually mean anything. Around 90% of the time the term accessible, or accessibility is referring to wheelchair access. So why not just say, wheelchair accessible? 

Its all a round about way of saying that disability equals wheelchair. I find it refreshing when I click on a venues information about "accessibility" and it mentions more than where the ramps or the disabled loo's are.

I have a mental health disability. I still have "access needs". There are still barriers that I face that can be removed in much the same way as ramps can be put up for wheelchairs. However, the main barriers I face are peoples attitudes, and no amount of legislation can account for that.

Let me give an example. The main way I hate the word accessible being used is with buses. An accessible bus in the bus companies eyes is one that has a ramp. It doesn't even make it accessible for wheelchair users on their own, let alone other disabled people. Although they have the disabled seats at the front of the bus, very often they are misused or their intention misunderstood, which results in a lot of hurt for people like me. However, going back to the word accessible, I always joke that my definition of an accessible bus is one without people on it.

However, societies misuse of the word accessible does have some hilarity to it. I always find it amusing to see peoples reactions when I head for the "accessible entrance" or the "accessible queue". If they question I will say I am disabled and watch their puzzled expressions with glee.

If the word accessible was expanded to actually mean considering all disabled people then the world would be like a different place. People would respect a persons need for a seat on a bus, or a door thats not to heavy to open. They would accept it when I say I need a carer, or even when I don't, but still present myself as disabled.

Everyone has access needs, its just the majority of the population have similar needs so its not overtly implied. Considering that the opposite of accessible is inaccessible,  surely it would make logic sense for all things to be accessible to all people?