Breadcrumb Trail
Session D: An Excess of Access: Philosophical & Psychological Implications of Universal Design
- Date and Time
- Wednesday, April 23, 3:45 PM to 5:15 PM
- Presenters
-
- Ryan Parrey (PhD Student in Disability Studies; University of Illinois at Chicago)
- Kelly Munger (PhD Student in Disability Studies; University of Illinois at Chicago)
- Description
Universal design as a model of accessibility is a wonderfully ambitious idea. Nevertheless, it remains, and must remain, an ever approachable yet never reached possibility. Framing the motives of universal design through the philosophical notion of hospitality (Derrida 2000; Levinas, 1964; Raffoul, 1998), this presentation will consider the interplay between public space and subject positions. In this regard, we will discuss lived experiences of persons with disabilities as they navigate and negotiate these spaces, and their place in society. The presenters will argue that there is a danger that accessible spaces and places represent: Namely, that universal access runs the risk of being exclusionary at the very moment it works to include.
Accessible spaces and technologies, even the most mundane, provide access to opportunities. However, often in doing so they delimit inclusion in the overall community. For example, technologies that make public transit accessible also frequently serve to distinguish the disabled population as being different. Ramps, lifts, and "special" seating on busses all signal (often with actual sirens) that a person with a disability is coming on board and room needs to be made for her/him. Everyone else on the bus is free to sit where they please while the person in a wheelchair or scooter has no choice but to occupy the assigned space provided. This space, therefore, is a space of exclusion or at least difference.
What are the psychological implications of this exclusion/difference? Do disabled people who use or occupy these spaces feel their difference in damaging ways? To what extent do these attempts at increasing disabled people's access to the mainstream actually exacerbate their experiences of difference, especially as they limit opportunities for connection with one another (i.e., through specialized schools, transportation systems, etc)?
The presenters will discuss the lived realities of these (in)exclusionary spaces as well as their impact on people's interactions and experiences. Some potential solutions to this problem will be offered, as well as a discussion of the topic. In this discussion we hope to engage with educators, advocates, students, and anyone interested in accessibility from any background or with any degree of familiarity.