You Have a Career in Accessibility (You Just Don't Know It Yet)

TLDR: If you’ve ever created training material, reorganized a file structure, made the office supply closet more appealing or connected colleagues who now work together, you’ve worked in accessibility. Remember, the root of accessibility is access.

Beyond Ramps

Accessibility is about much more than ramps. While ramps are crucial for providing level access to those navigating with wheels—like wheelchairs, strollers, and trolleys—they represent just one aspect of accessibility. If I had my way, ramps would be central to every building, with stairs as a secondary, hidden means of vertical navigation. But we need to look beyond ramps to create a truly inclusive and equitable world that embraces diversity.

You don’t have to be a building designer to contribute to accessibility. We live in a world full of barriers and gate-keeping, where exclusion is common. These barriers restrict new ways of thinking and limit opportunities for those who don’t fit outdated molds.

Educational Barriers

Access to knowledge is a significant barrier. If life’s responsibilities prevented you from pursuing all the education you desired, you might feel blocked from success and advancement. Making education accessible, like Athabasca University’s open education model, breaks down these barriers by offering online courses. They also provide support for those with disabilities, ensuring everyone can achieve their educational goals.

In my consulting career, I’ve worked in various fields, from information management to architectural design. As a consultant, my job is to provide value and support to companies and make myself obsolete, not to make myself indispensable. Creating training material and sharing knowledge makes the high ground you stand on accessible to others. Training material is a ramp for career advancement and growth.

Information Accessibility

Information management, though not traditionally linked to accessibility, plays a key role. In the roles where my job was to organize data and make it searchable, the result was to that we enabled people to access the information they need in ways that suit their preferences, and to remove the need to ask for help. Similarly, accessible design in the built environment offers multiple ways to navigate a space, ensuring everyone can do so safely and with dignity.

See related post : Making Accessibility Universal: A Career in Inclusive Design

Organizational Accessibility

Maybe you’re an executive admin or office manager. You might have done more for workplace accessibility than you realize. Simple actions like organizing the supply cabinet can empower everyone, especially those with cognitive difficulties like ADHD. Clutter can be overwhelming for some, and an organized space can save time and mental energy. When you make it easier for someone to do their job, you’re contributing to accessibility.

Simple things like disassembling heavy boxes and removing the need for heavy lifting is an act of accessibility. Chronic pain is a disability that many people suffer from.

You Have the Power to be Inclusive

Think about your career in terms of accessibility, and watch it grow. Considering others’ needs and how different approaches can solve challenges and create new avenues for your career and your business. Not everyone with a disability wants to share, and not everyone is aware they too might have a disability. There are studies that show that up to 5% of adults have ADHD, many of whom are undiagnosed. Creating an environment compassionate toward those with ADHD or other conditions helps everyone operate at their best.

Accessibility is Connection

Maybe organization isn’t your strength, and leading architectural standards isn’t your thing either. But connecting people is another form of accessibility. When I was growing Micaura Consulting Cooperative, our mission was to connect freelance consultants with small businesses. This created accessibility on both sides: businesses gained access to top-level experts, and consultants found work that suited their needs. Many skilled individuals, whose disabilities had kept them from traditional jobs, found opportunities through these connections.

Your Career in Accessibility

Imagine what your resume would look like if you made changes in your organization that empowered everyone to work more efficiently and with less friction. It’s an innovative way of thinking that can set both you and your organization apart and distinguish you as forward thinking and inclusive. It’s a need that is growing, and in need of people like yourself.