How can youth improve accessibility in their schools, workplaces, and communities?

If you move through life with ease, rarely encountering physical or structural barriers, accessibility might be an afterthought. But accessibility doesn’t just impact people with disabilities, it impacts everyone. 

When we build ramps for people in wheelchairs, we also make spaces more accessible for people with walkers, women with strollers, and young children. When we design a program that accommodates people with visual impairment, we make it more accessible for neurodivergent people and people with learning disabilities.

Disability is a spectrum. It is also one of the only minority groups that anyone can join in an instant. 

Accessibility allows our friends, neighbours, and loved ones to engage, work, and thrive independently, reducing isolation, improving mental health, and allowing everyone to contribute fully to society. It means creating environments where everyone, regardless of ability, can participate fully and meaningfully. This, of course, includes physical access, like ramps and elevators, but also extends to programming, communication, and the everyday ways people are included (or excluded).

In Canada, accessibility affects millions of us. The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability found that over 8 million Canadians aged 15 and older (27%) have at least one disability. Accessibility, then, is not about accommodating a minority, it is about designing spaces that reflect the reality of our communities.

At See Different, we get to see firsthand how accessibility is connected to equity. Accommodating the different needs of our students is vitally important to allowing everyone to participate in our program. This blog will cover what accessibility means,  key areas of accessibility to consider, and small changes we can make everyday to be part of creating more inclusive and equitable communities. 

What Does Accessibility Really Mean?

To implement accessibility measures, we first need to understand what kinds of barriers exist, whether visible or invisible. It is important to use the Social Model of Disability to frame the following kinds of accessibility concerns. The Social Model of Disability asserts that people are disabled by environmental, systemic, and attitudinal barriers, rather than by their physical or mental differences.

Improving physical accessibility ensures that people can enter and move through spaces safely and independently. This can be the addition of automated doors, ramps, increasing contrast for barriers, etc. 

Improving programmatic accessibility ensures that activities, services, and opportunities are designed so everyone can participate. Accommodations to meet individual needs can include extra time, assistive technology, or alternative formats.

Equity reminds us that not everyone starts from the same place. Providing the same resources (or equality) isn’t enough. People need the right resources to succeed, and accessibility is one of the most practical ways to bridge that gap.

Key Areas to Consider

Accessibility touches every part of how we design spaces and experiences. While the list is not exhaustive, it can help you begin to think about how accessible your spaces and programs are. 

1. Physical Accessibility

This is often the most visible form of accessibility, and includes ramps, elevators, automatic doors, accessible seating, and things like clearing snow in a timely and effective manner. Across Canada, cities like Toronto have been investing in more accessible public transit, including low-floor streetcars and barrier-free subway stations. While progress is ongoing, it shows how infrastructure changes can reshape daily access.

2. Digital Accessibility

Websites, documents, and online platforms should be usable for everyone. This includes things like captions on videos, screen-reader compatibility and clear, readable layouts. Recent updates to the Accessible Canada Act have pushed federal organizations to improve digital accessibility, but we can’t stop there. Every organization should be working to implement these vital measures. 

3. Communication Accessibility

Not everyone processes information the same way. Using plain language, offering translations and providing multiple ways to engage (i.e., written, verbal, visual) can make our workplaces and schools more equitable. This can look like simplifying instructions or offering materials in different formats. 

4. Sensory Accessibility

Many environments can be overwhelming due to noise, lighting, or crowding. Creating quiet spaces, adjusting lighting, or offering sensory-friendly hours can help people thrive. For example, some Canadian retailers and community spaces now offer “sensory-friendly shopping hours,” reducing noise and stimulation for those who need it most.

5. Social Accessibility

Accessibility isn’t just structural, it’s also cultural. Do people feel welcomed, respected, and included? Are their needs taken seriously? Social accessibility means challenging assumptions, addressing stigma, and building environments where people feel safe to express what they need.

How Do You Get Started?

If you want to improve accessibility in your community, start with your circle of influence.

First, consult the people around you. As the saying goes: “Nothing about us without us”. Consultation is a vital first step in supporting any community in creating systemic change. Ask your friends and neighbours what barriers they are currently facing, what would make participation easier, and if they have any solutions they would want support implementing. Accessibility solutions are most effective when they come directly from lived experience.

Second, learn from people who have tackled those barriers. Once barriers have been identified through consultation, it is helpful to connect with people, groups, or organizations who have “been there, done that”. If you are looking to make a space more accessible for people with physical disabilities, search locally for resources and supporters that can help you build a reliable, and sustainable, plan.

Lastly, connect with leadership at your school, workplace, or community. Implementing change often requires buy-in from leadership, and can be a catalyst for broader systemic change in your community. Identifying accessibility gaps with those who have the power to change it can help us move beyond individual accommodations (although those are still important!) to policy and budget changes.

For example, in the University of Prince Edward Island Changemaker Project, students identified accessibility gaps on campus and implemented practical solutions like improving signage and creating clearer navigation tools. The takeaway is simple: meaningful change often starts with one actionable idea and a group willing to push it forward.

From Equity to Justice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHW0hcv_rZM

Accessibility work doesn’t stop at individual accommodations. Equity helps us respond to immediate needs by providing the right support. But the long-term goal is justice, which requires changing systems so those barriers don’t exist in the first place.

This means asking bigger questions:

• Why were these spaces inaccessible to begin with?

• Who was left out of the design or planning process?

• How can we rebuild systems that reflect everyone?

Equity and justice work together as a bridge toward true accessibility, where access is not an afterthought, but a standard.

Learning from youth and community

Across Canada, youth-led organizations and initiatives are pushing accessibility forward in creative and powerful ways. For example, in 2019, the Government of Canada launched a funding process called the Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF), providing grants to youths (age 15 to 30) who want to make a difference in their communities by identifying an accessibility barrier in a community space or workplace.

Accessibility is not a checklist, it is an ongoing commitment. Whether in a classroom, workplace, or community space, improving accessibility starts with listening, learning, and taking action. Even small changes can create more inclusive environments where everyone can participate and thrive. Because when spaces are designed with everyone in mind, everyone benefits.