The Curb Cut Effect: Enhancing Accessibility for All Beyond Curb Cuts
*This is a follow-up to our earlier piece about curb cuts; please check it out here!
Accessibility isn't just about making life easier for a specific group of people; it's about enhancing the quality of life for everyone. In this article, we explore the concept known as the Curb Cut Effect, where accessibility features designed for individuals with disabilities end up benefiting society as a whole. From curb cuts on sidewalks to closed captioning on television, these accommodations have a far-reaching impact, making the world a better place for everyone, not just those who need them the most.
ENHANCING ACCESSIBILITY FOR ALL
As we previously wrote, curb cuts are the ramps built into sidewalks that allow wheelchair users and people with mobility aids to hop up on the curbs. Their implementation in US cities was largely the result of disabled activists rallying together to implement them themselves, and since then, they've become a staple of every street in the country. Even if you don't use a mobility aid, though, they're still nice to have around. They allow people pushing strollers to more easily cross the street, they're helpful so small children won't risk tripping over curbs, useful for someone walking a small dog to make sure the dog can get up on the sidewalk, for bikers, skateboarders, and anyone else using anything with wheels – really, they're just great and useful for everyone! This can be found all over the place, in many accessible spaces, which helps make it more accessible and ultimately helps everyone.
BEYOND CURB CUTS
This is known as the Curb Cut Effect, but it's far from just curb cuts that benefit. For instance, it's mandated that television programs have closed captioning available on all televisions for the deaf and hard of hearing. Studies have shown that around half of all American households use closed captions while watching television, far greater than the around 15% of adults in the country who have issues with hearing. Often, it just makes shows easier to follow and may help those with auditory processing issues understand the dialogue better. It may also help those who aren't fluent in the language the show is in understand what is happening better, as reading a language is often easier to understand than hearing it.
BROADENING ACCESSIBILITY
This increase in the quality of life for everyone brought about by accessibility is omnipresent in modern society. Elevators not only help people with mobility issues get around multi-floor buildings easier but also allow for cargo transport and make traversing very tall buildings more pleasant for everyone. Audiobooks are one of the most popular forms of entertainment nowadays and they started as a product targeted towards blind people.
ACCESSIBILITY BENEFITS ALL
The bottom line is, accessibility helps everyone, not just those who need it most. That's the principle of the Curb Cut Effect. Everyone's lives get better when people are committed to helping make the world a more accessible place. It's a simple doctrine but an important one: accessibility is key to making the world a better place for everyone. Even if it only helped one person, it would still be more than worth the effort.
