Why isn't our world more accessible?

Next time you walk around some city streets, take a look around.

What’s the sidewalk like? If it’s made out of bricks, does it look very smooth or are probably half of them loose and uneven? When you come to an intersection, does the ramp to the crosswalk smoothly meet the street? And how about the street between sidewalks? Are there potholes or is the road nicely paved?

If there are stores and restaurants, are they at the ground level or is there a step or two or more to get inside? Are there buttons to activate the doors? When you’re in the seating area, are there any booths or extra sets of tables that have steps to get to? If the restaurant has a patio, how much space is there outside of the railings surrounding that area? Is it large enough for a wheelchair going in one direction and a person walking in the other?

These are some of the thoughts that have gone through my head over the past few days. It’s actually pretty appalling, the quality of some of our sidewalks and crosswalks. These are just the visible issues most people could see if they’d just stop and look.

Can you imagine what accessibility issues exist that aren’t as visible?