Accessibility in Life

As a visually impaired person, if I had to go out in the world without any aids, it is rather difficult to survive very comfortably. Our ability to adapt relies on a keen sense of memorization to details about our surroundings. Now imagine if we were put in a completely new situation/place, our ability to survive comfortably is very limited since the world around us is not very acessible.

Whether its road signs, building numbers, restaurant menus, grocery store labels, or even a simple price tag in any store, we are unable to see. All of which has one commonality and its the fact that I cannot see without outside aid. Sure thereis nothing wrong with asking for directions or help, but if it came down to how accessible these thigns are to a person with visual impairment, bottom line would be its inaccessible.

I would have to say the two worst things are menus in a restaurant, price tag in any stores. I mena really, do price tag need to be that small, wha'ts the harm in just up-ing the size of the font by one or two pouints, it would make everyone's life so much easier (even senior citizens) You have no idea how much I struggle with looking at the price of a piece of clothing or a product.

The world of the sighted can be a difficult place to live in. It is only recently that Toronto has began taking notice about the inaccessibility of our city. Like I mentioned, the transit system finally decided to implement a system wide upgrade in its stop annoucement program. We put the beeping sounds into the pedestrian crossing trafic signs.

Unfortunately, we still have a long way to go in order to make life more accessible. Whether its online or offline, I look forward to a more accessible environment in the near future.