Tag: Accessibility

Open housing

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, Writing PromptsLeave a comment

How would you design the city of the future?

Obviously, if I were to design a city of the future I would design an accessible city, as accessibility benefits everyone not just disabled people. 

The best way to design accessible housing I believe would be to design open housing, then give those living in them an allowance to design things which can easily be changed in the person’s home.

Completely accessible public transport systems would also be a must. And all businesses must be accessible as well. I am also a big fan of 15 minute cities, so would design something like that.

People who misunderstand 15-minute cities think that they would be trapped in them, but in reality, it would just mean that the necessities are close enough for people to easily travel on foot (or by wheels) or via public transport. You can still travel to other areas if you wish.

Accessibility for all would be my biggest priority in the future if that wasn’t very clear. But I would also focus on building a tech-focused city, as this is the way society seems to be going anyway. As well as this technology can also help to make a city more accessible. Think of lights at the crossing as a good example, and how much easier and safer this makes things. 

I could go into a lot more detail about the way I would design an open city, and I may do at some point in the future. But right now I’m really struggling to write more than this, due to energy and everything else going on right now.

I haven’t worn shoes in 10 years, but that changes tomorrow.

On By Katy DalyIn My Disability TruthLeave a comment

Okay so there were a few times I’ve worn shoes over the last 10 years. But I did stop wearing shoes with any kind of regularity after an operation I had after high school, so that was 11 years ago. There was the odd occasion where I was made to wear shoes in order to appear “professional”.

But I haven’t willingly or consistently worn shoes, for longer than I’ve had Bella, who is 11 thus years. And that’s all about to change if these shoes are able to keep my feet on my footplates tomorrow.

My footplates were recently quite dramatically highered, becauae apparently they were in a very wrong position for me for a few years. However no one decided to tell me or my body that. To avoid going straight to straps I’m starting with just adding some grip in the form of shoes, or shoe like slippers, and seeing if that solves the problem.

Technically I’m starting with slippers because you’ve got to start somewhere, right? And they won’t change the position of my feet, this is particularly scary for me on my right foot an ankle which was wrongly placed in the cast after that surgery and so is now no longer straight.

This feels like a dramatic change to my life, and the way I relate to my disability. But hopefully it works and ends up being good. And at least I won’t go through shoes, or slippers, that quickly, as they won’t touch the floor.

Wish me luck.

Sometimes you’ve got to try different, right?

Check out my brief Tiktok about it here – if you like.

The Social Model of Disability.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment
All credit to the original creator. You can also find the video here. 

Now I was using this as a point in a tiktok video. And though I decided not to use it I did share the video after.

It got me thinking about how much easier the world would be for me, for a lot of people, if they were just thought about when things were created. How much easier we could make the world now if we thought about people and what they need when things were upgraded.

People don’t want to do that though, and many have convinced themselves it’s impossible to even try. We still have a long way to go to have a truly accessible world, and that’s a little sad sometimes.

The little things matter.

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

Tonight I went to go see Noah Kahan and it was at a venue that was so much more accessible than last time I went to see him, and that made all the difference.

Of course if I’m honest I still wanted to be in the crowd. But at least this way I could see and I could still feel part of it all.

Disabled people deserve to have fun in environments where there disability doesn’t have a negative impact.

I have included a video below which shows the difference between the two views I had, so you can see what the difference is.

Please please please design and choose your venues with disabled people in mind. We like to have fun too!

My phone

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability Truth, Writing Prompts2 Comments

What is the most important thing to carry with you all the time?

I know how that sounds but bare with me.

My phone, the internet, and social media, it is how I access the world. There’s no other way I can do so without help, there’s no other place I can be me the way I want to.

My phone also gets me help when I need it.

It’s not unfair to say that it’s my lifeline.

So don’t judge people who live through the Internet, judge the rest of the world for making it there only option.

Oh that’s a question

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, Writing PromptsLeave a comment

If you won two free plane tickets, where would you go?

I’ve always wondered if I were to ever win a competition where something like this is offered what would practically happen? Just because I won a trip like this doesn’t mean it would be accessible to me.

Are used to think about answering those competitions where you could win a car. I always wondered if I’d be able to sell the car if I want it because I knew it wouldn’t be a prize that would have any value to me.

But let’s just assume this holiday would be completely accessible, like it would be for any non-disabled person that won it.

Vegas probably.

Or somewhere warm at least.

Where would you go?

I can’t really travel.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog, My Disability Truth6 Comments

What are your future travel plans?

Yes for the reasons you’re thinking of, but also not really for those reasons.

Let’s just say that money can solve most problems and if you really don’t believe that then you’re not paying attention to how privileged financially you are. Money could definitely solve the problem with travel for me. While much of the world is inaccessible, many of those inaccessibilities can be overcome with money.

Money the world does not want me to have because it does not want me to make a living for myself and have to see people like me in the real world. Money the world does not want me to have because I would not confirm to the useless disabled person they believe I should be. Money they’re able to keep from me.

Society wants me to be poor, and so I cannot travel. It is that simple.

That said, I would love to go to Vegas.

I know I said I was going to write much and I think I’m still going to keep this short and sweet but this one was to good not to answer

If you say it, you should mean it.

On By Katy DalyIn Blog6 Comments

So floating around on the disability areas of social media today has been a question to the effect of “What is your worst experience of exclusion?”, so I figured for todays post I will answer that again here.

For me my worst experiences of exclusion are failed promises of inclusion. Now I know sometimes this can be more difficult to accomplish, but more than once it’s been easier and they’ve still failed. The part you have to really understand is whether I should or not, I don’t expect to be included in things. The truth is, exclusion is and probably always will be, my norm. I don’t expect an invite to the party. So why dangle the invite in front of me, if you have no intention of putting the work in?

Seriously, why are you doing that to me? To anyone?

If you genionely want to put in the work to include someone with a disability in something, then put in the work. I really don’t think this is to much to ask. And if it genuinely falls through, after you tried, then tell us. Don’t just ignore us, and think we forgot.

From experience, when you’re not used to the invite and you finally get it, it’s not something you’re going to forget. In fact you are probably going to hold on to it more than others, you will not forget. I certainly did not. I really looked forward to going to this party, and they said they’d find a way for me to be included, and then they just didn’t. I don’t even know if the party happened, I presuming that it did, because why wouldn’t it? But the basically just cut me off and stopped mentioning it. I honestly don’t know why.

Just tell disabled people the truth. We deserve that at least.

So go on then, if you find yourself reading this and you feel like answering – What is your worst experience of exclusion?”

Going out

On By Katy DalyIn BlogLeave a comment

So I’ve been invited to a family event and thankfully the place is fairly accessible. I’m quite happy with the gap in the bench at the table, and the ramps, but to be honest that’s about it. I can’t get myself a drink though, which is probably both equally a blessing and a curse.

Its still odd for me to be invited to things, I’m honestly not sure I’ll get used to it. Before coming here I contemplated not coming multiple times, I figured it would just be easier for everyone else and for me. But I’m glad I came, I think.

One day maybe I can go somewhere with people and not feel anxious that I’ll get in the way. Living in an inaccessible society, causes lasting emotional damage. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to being invited anywhere, to being wanted.

Even the friends I see regularly, I’m still surprised they want me around, but somehow they do. That the problems I cause are worth it for them.

Logically I know it’s not my fault that society is so inaccessible, but emotionally? It’s a struggle to remember that I am not the issue. That I deserve to be involved in things even if it’s difficult.

It’s okay to not feel like you belong, it’s not your fault. Just try not to let that stop you from doing something you want to. You deserve to have fun.

Oh the weather outside is… Sunny?

On By Katy DalyIn Blog2 Comments

Okay, so I know it’s not Christmas, but I couldn’t resist titling this post that way. It’s not actually a very positive post, well it sort of is, but this makes me feel even better about it.

So today I went to see some family, and I had to stay in the garden. Surprisingly, for where I live the weather was okay, but that doesn’t mean I was very happy about the whole experience. Obviously would’ve been worse. Had the weather been bad, but either way it’s uncomfortable for me to go to places where all I can do is wait outside.

The reality of most housing not being accessible to you, is more than the fact that you are often limited in the housing you can live in. For me I will likely never leave my current home, it was very difficult for me to find somewhere that’s even partially accessible. But also that you often cannot visit anyone in there, homes because you cannot get into them.

There is almost no one out of all my friends and family that I am able to go and see due to the accessibility of the house that they live in. And if I’m being honest with myself, this is something that I find really upsetting.

Logically I know it’s too much to say that I wish they would only live in accessible housing, but also, I wish they would live in accessible housing. I wish that it wasn’t too much to ask to want to be part of my family.

It gets really frustrating when you are the one that has to make the compromises in order to spend time with family, and I am yet to find a way round it. Having them come to my home is also difficult because it means I have to get my home ready for visitors. This is something that I’m not able to do, and don’t worry about the way that anyone visited my home judge me for that. For this reason, I don’t have a lot of people visiting my home and that is honestly the way I like it.

Another part of the reason that I don’t like having people over in my home is because I have a lot of strangers in my home regularly, in the form of carers. It makes me not like the experience of having other people in my home if I’m honest, whether I know them or not.

For this reason, it was strongly suggested that we meet somewhere else in order to spend time together. Mainly because given where I live there is every chance that it might rain, and I didn’t want to have to get wet, as I can’t easily change. Though in this instance that didn’t happen thankfully, it was still a risk, and not one I was very comfortable in taking but needs must.

From experience if I don’t take risks such as going to people’s inaccessible homes in order to spend time with them. Or going to events at just about accessible venues, which are still inaccessible as far as I’m concerned, then I’m often blamed. In the past it feels as if others believe I have chosen not to participate in the get together. Rather than it being the venue and the lack of planning on the organises part, that are the reason I’m unable to attend.

As a result of this happening repeatedly, I haven’t internalised this as being something wrong with me. As if it is my fault, I am not able to spend time with friends and family and therefore I must compromise when I can in order to do so.

Today, as I have said, it went well but it doesn’t always. And I have to admit I’m left wondering when others will compromise to spend time with me? Honestly I know the answer is never, as non-disabled don’t find themselves in a position where there need to compromise in the way that disabled people do.

But it would be even better if more homes could be accessible and I would I simply be able to go and see those that I care about in their homes.

More homes need to be accessible to disable people. So that we get to be part of society and our families properly.

Please forgive me if this one doesn’t make a lot of sense I can’t really figure out why but I don’t feel like it does. I hope you get the gist of it anyway.