Barriers to Accessibility

The following are examples of BARRIERS that affect persons with disabilities...

Physical Barriers may exist in structures or designs that will interfere or impede a person with a physical disability from accessing the particular location or service

Physical Barriers include things like:open door graphic

Doorways not wide enough

Poor lighting

Inaccessible bathrooms

Parking in a spot designated for persons with disabilities

Lack of audible light signals

Communication Barriers exist when an individual is unable to access information in a format they can use. Alternate forms of communication include such things as audio cassette, Braille, large print, closed captioned video and computer diskette.

Communication Barriers include things like:

graphic of a girl reading a book that is brailleSmall print

Lack of sensitivity to people who communicate in ways other than speech

Signs without universal symbols

Attitudinal Barriers are inaccurate beliefs or perceptions about a person’s ability such as: “thinking that all persons 

 regardless of their are perhaps the most significant of barriers faced by a person with a disability, since most of the other barriers are caused by attitudes.

Attitudinal Barriers include things like:

Believing that persons withgraphic of graduating student who uses a wheelchair disabilities are helpless

Believing that a person cannot understand you simply because they cannot express or communicate their understanding

Not understanding that persons with disabilities have the same interests and desires as people without disabilities

Assuming that just because a person has a disability they would not want to or could not participate in an activity or event

Systemic Barriers occur when practices or policies put in place by an organizations discriminate individuals by screening them out from participation.

Systemic Barriers include things like:

Needing to fill out a complex form to get a service and not being able to because of a disability

Not being able to participate in a community recreation program because there is no support from program staff

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