Accessibility is a Necessity, Not a Luxury
In 2024, many people still don’t have the most basic access
A recent news story
This week is National Accessibility Week (May 26 — June 1, 2024), and yet another story has come out about a disabled person being denied the most basic accessibility and inclusion.
A graduate from the law school of the University of New Brunswick named Blair Curtis was unable to fully participate in his own commencement ceremony just last week.
His school had arranged for a ramp to make the stage accessible, but it was too steep for wheelchair users to navigate safely. Curtis told CBC news he had contacted his school five months in advance of the ceremony to ensure appropriate accommodations would be put in place.
He requested an opportunity to trial the ramp in advance of the ceremony to ensure everything was set up properly. The earliest the school would grant him access to do this was only two days before the ceremony, at which time Blair discovered the ramp was much too steep.
Instead of hurrying to make adjustments prior to the ceremony, the school told Blair he should have someone push him up the ramp. A law school graduate, an adult, a person who is entirely capable of pushing his own wheelchair and who…
