Did society set us up for failure on accessibility and inclusion

The International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) is annually observed on 3 December to promote the full and equal participation of persons with disabilities and to take action for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of society and development. The theme for IDPD in 2020 was “Building Back Better: toward a disability-inclusive, accessible and sustainable post COVID-19 World”.

I participated in this panel discussion that brings out the need for accessibility, which has been highlighted even more strongly as we live in the shadow of the ongoing pandemic. The reasons for doing accessibility largely remain the same as always while we still struggle as a society to bring down the barriers even after trying to do so for over 40 years. The panelists talk about how our education system contributes to this problem and how industry and non-profit organizations are trying to improve accessibility maturity.