As part of our advocacy, #OneAccessibility, we will share information about differently able and profile one location with accessible trails. Look out every week for this enlightening post.
Before I start, I want to Say big Thanks local guides program, which gave me the chance to type my heart out about this sensitive issue of Accessibility because I’ve experienced the issue and I know the importance of seeing the person being devastated because of the disability. When I started to contribute Google maps, I wasn’t aware why in the Q & A sections it asked again and again about wheelchairs. But as I suffered from the experience of my father’s last year with the same issue. I and my father usually visited many places which we wanted to go to, but after he had been in the wheelchair, we had very few choices on our list to visit.
This experience inspired me that Google maps care so much about the people who cannot visit these places just because of no access to wheelchairs. That motivated me to work for the mapping of accessible places, not only mapping but to create awareness in people of how important it is for them to have an Accessible ramp for wheelchairs in their restaurants and other places. Today I’m a proud member of #oneaccessibilityalliance, with the guidance of very active local guides from around the world.
My Goals as a One Accessibility Alliance Team Member for 2021 :
Last year will be remembered in the World’s history as the most terrible year in many aspects, like Pandemic, Economical crisis, instability of the world, the lack of Social meetings, and many other issues that occurred in 2020. But we all are expecting the new year 2021 as a year of hope.
I’m expecting a lot by myself as a Local guide, as an Accessibility Champion, and as a responsible human.
What I set the goals for 2021, If I succeed in achieving all these goals, it will be my greatest achievement.
Through Accessibility Awareness by Local Guides Knowledge Sharing Accessibility Meet-ups (in-person & Virtual) :
In 2020 we had some great knowledge Sharing meet-ups Virtual & Some in person too, and we want to continue it through the platform of the Local Guides Program.
Because this is a highly important topic, whether you have a lot to say about it, even on just a few people, but we should make a great impact on them.
Through Accessibility Walks :
Most developing countries lack facilities for differently-abled people, especially Pakistan. How many Restaurants, offices, shops, residential buildings that we can call accessibility friendly places or they have some special way or ramp for wheelchairs here, you can note it by yourself in accessibility walks. We are not talking about toilets and lifts because these are the next steps, we are just talking about the accessible way to access these places. I aim to map all Accessible and inaccessible places of important parts of my city on Google maps by Accessibility walks and engage as many local guides of my country as I can.
Here is one of the Lists on Google Maps of a Full day trip of Karachi to Accessibility-Friendly places in Karachi , Pakistan which I suggested after Accessibility walks in my city sometime ago.
Through One Accessibility Posts on Connect :
As a One Accessibility Alliance member, normally we post articles on Local Guides Connect on different topics, we wrote about Different Types of Disabilities, Accessible Laws, Adaptive Clothing, Accessible Transport, Assistive Technologies, Travel Guides for differently-abled persons, Accessible Cities, Games for differently-abled persons, before, all of One Accessibility members shared their wonderful experiences in these articles.
In 2021, this journey of spreading knowledge through Features on Local Guides Connect will not stop, but it will continue with more passion and dedication by me and all fantastic members of One Accessibility.
Through In-person routine meeting with the Business Owners at my work
Place :
As a retail and wholesale business person, I have to meet dozens of other business owners in my daily routine. As I did in the past, I will continue to create awareness regarding accessibility friendly businesses by my Daily routine meeting with these business owners. And I will try to explain how important are Accessible entrances to their Businesses if they don’t want to lose customers who have different abilities.
Again thanks to @EmekaUlor and the #OneAccessibility team, who gave the awareness, so that I along with others can work towards this cause, as this gives me immense peace and aware others of the significance of this so that the unaware people are enlightened about the sensitivity of this issue
I wish you a great year in 2021.
How will be your 2021? What are your Ambitions to do for the people with different abilities? What do you think how we can be more helpful for differently-abled people as Local Guides? Please share here or you can write a separate Post using #oneaccessibility and #myaimforaccessibility hashtags, and tag one of the #oneaccessibility team member in your post.
If you have a question, suggestion, or contribution, feel free to comment below. You can read last week’s roundup article here and check the list of our other articles under “Accessibility Uncovered”.
