Hannah became disabled after an injury when she was a teenager. It left
her with Complex Regional Pain syndrome and a range of secondary illnesses and
complications. After spending most of her teenage years bed-bound and in hospital,
she is now a 29-year-old disability and lifestyle blogger.
These past 3 months or so have been a hard time for everyone.
Particularly disabled people. But as a direct result of coronavirus there have
been many positive experiences for the disabled and chronically ill community.
I believe this has made the world more accessible.
Remote working
Working from home has become the new norm. I hope this will continue and
that it has highlighted to companies what is possible. Organisations must make
this an option for disabled people after the pandemic ends, despite the obvious
social benefits of working together in an office. They are also missing out on
incredible talent by not being inclusive.
Perhaps big companies will be able to save money when they see they
don't need such a big office? The question is: why have disabled people battled
so hard for these reasonable adjustments?
A more inclusive environment
The pandemic has also led to loads of opportunities for disabled people.
We have now had access to a whole range of things. For example:
- church services via Zoom
- virtual quizzes
- remote classes or lectures for learning
- hobby or group meet ups via Zoom
- virtual tours of museums and art galleries
- virtual concerts or live streamed gigs
Some shops have even started home deliveries despite this not being
available before. This means many people have had the opportunity to buy goods
from local and inaccessible places. Coronavirus has made the world more
accessible.
Another positive aspect I have noticed is a greater sense of community.
These opportunities have opened doors for people who cannot get out as much or
if they are housebound. It is enabling people to be more connected to the world
and to reach communities they would have once missed out on. For the first time
the world is coming to us when we can't get out into the world.
A change I hope that will come
It would be such a shame to lose this increase in accessibility. I hope
many organisations will seriously consider options of keeping at least some of
these life-enriching services.
I’d like to think that they would be able to appreciate the difference
access has made during these extraordinary times and maintain it for people who
continue to need it.
One thing I am optimistic about is that the non-disabled community will
have a better understanding about what disabled people go through once the
pandemic is over. I hope they will think about how hard the last few months
have been and consider themselves lucky that their isolation is only temporary.
Unfortunately, for others it is not temporary. An end is not guaranteed.
If you would like to read more of Hannah’s work, visit her blog at Hannah’s Hope.
Have you had any positive experiences during the pandemic? Have certain
things been more accessible? Let us know in the comments below!
