Mélange Accessibility for All Magazine October 2022 | Page 32

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Ressa attending Baseball game in Detroit Michigan
He Ressa strongly believes that access should be the start of the conversation instead of diversity , equity , or inclusion . " Access is critical because people with disabilities are being left behind . Unfortunately , diversity , equity , and inclusion tend to be framed minimally . Nondisabled rights activists tend to forget about the most marginalized group , yet disability makes people with disabilities the biggest group when it comes to diversity . People with disabilities virtually fall in all realms ; disability is intersectional ." He said that viewers typically believe that a space is accessible because it has an elevator , and many believe that makes the building accessible . Accessibility encompasses the street you take to enter the building , the entrance itself , access within the space , and more . There are many elements and components to make a space fully accessible . In addition , by putting ramps or entrances for people with disabilities in alternate locations from where people without disabilities enter , the site is not being inclusive , Ressa said .
Ressa said that the work he is continuing to pursue and the work that still has to be completed is a " communal responsibility " and cannot just be left to people with disabilities . " The fact that someone has a disability should not be a reason for them to be discarded . Their skills , knowledge , repertoires , and experiences should be tapped into until the day they leave this Earth ."