International Day of Sign Languages ā¢ September 23
Most of us probably do not intentionally exclude people who communicate differently.
We simply do not always think about it.
If we can hear and speak, we walk into an office and talk to the staff. Everything works, so we hardly notice anything wrong.
Then someone starts using sign language, and suddenly everyone has to figure out how to communicate.
Sometimes, it almost feels like a deaf person needs a shirt saying āIām deafā before everyone realizes that talking may not work.
That does not mean everyone has to learn sign language. It simply means spoken communication should not be the only thing we are prepared for. Writing, captions, phones, translation apps, AI, and sign language interpreters when needed can all help.
And sign language is not only about being deaf. Some people can hear but have difficulty speaking. Family members, friends, teachers, and interpreters may also use it to communicate.
The same thing happens with other disabilities. A person in a wheelchair arrives, and suddenly we notice the stairs. A blind person needs information, and suddenly we realize that the information was made only to be seen.
It is not always because people do not care. Most of us are simply so used to things working for us that we forget they may not work the same way for someone else.
Accessibility does not mean preparing one solution for everyone. It means remembering that not everyone will use the same door, read the same information, or communicate the same way.
Maybe the biggest problem is not that we have no solutions.
Sometimes, accessibility simply was not on the agenda.
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