HONR401 Access Denied

Spring 2023

 

During the Spring 2023 semester, I took a class called Access Denied with Jessica Schomberg. This class consisted of another honors student and a graduate student. The focus of this class was to observe the accessibility of the Memorial Library and make a recommendation to leadership on how to make the library more accessible. Throughout the semester, we also learned about various current and historical factors that have affected the disabled community. We learned from professional and academic materials, but also learned from the disabled community themselves. We listened to podcasts and even watched TikTok videos created by those with disabilities. Disability justice was a heavy topic in this class.

 

One of the biggest messages I took from this class was the concept of spoiled identities. This is something we all participate in, whether we are aware of it or not. The concept of spoiled identities describes how we think of someone based on their identity before we know anything else about them. This is something I have experienced a lot, particularly with the medical community. It’s easy for a doctor to see a disabled individual and decide to talk to their care partner instead of them, assuming they don’t have the mental capability to participate in their own healthcare.

 

There are many groups that experience spoiled identities, including individuals of different races, ethnicities, religions, and cultures. We all assume things about each other. Being aware of spoiled identities and the biases we hold against each other can help us be more conscious of approaching everyone with an open mind and expecting everyone to be unique and different. This is especially important when you are interacting with and individual with a disability because they will often have very different abilities and needs.

 

For example, a doctor may look at a disabled individual and automatically assume they cannot make medical decisions for themselves. That population is often stigmatized as being helpless and in need of charity. While many disabled people do need assistance completing daily tasks, many of them are completely independent. This stigma can especially be harmful to individuals that use augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) devices. In one podcast we listened to, the individual using one of these devices talked about how most people assume he isn’t smart or able to make decisions for himself. In reality, he held many advanced degrees and is overall very intelligent. We would never know these things about other if we spoil their identities.

 

While the course focused a lot on libraries, I wanted to apply what I was learning to my current and future career in the medical field. One thing I have noticed in the medical field is that providers often don’t take the time to understand a person’s actual abilities and goals before they provide care. It can be easy to assume what a person can or can’t do solely based on their diagnosis, but that isn’t the best approach to take. Every individual is deserving of individualized care, and getting to know their individual needs can help ensure an individual with a disability is able to remain as independent as possible and aren’t confined to the assumed limitations of their disability.

 

It's also easy to assume that every disabled individual needs to be cured of their disability, and this just isn’t the case. This form of ethnocentrism can lead to viewing disabled individuals as lesser than others. It is not productive or respectful to view disabled individuals in this way, and this is another way we can create a spoiled identity. Some disabilities are things individuals will have for their entire lives, and it is a part of their identity in the same was ethnicity and culture is.

 

In completing this course and observing the library, I learned how while intentions for accessibility can be good, the execution isn’t always made with disabled individuals in mind. I also noticed that there are many spaces that appear to have prioritized design over accessibility. I focused on the group study rooms on the first floor, and I found that none of them were accessible. The doors were heavy and the entrance to each room was down a very thin hallway.

 

We also learned that there are many accommodations available through the library that are hidden away. Sometimes one of us would mention an accommodation we noticed the library needed, and Schomberg would tell us that accommodation already exists, it’s just somewhat hidden away. It seems like individuals in need of those accommodations really have to search to find them, and because of this they might not even know that accommodation exists.

 

Everyone can benefit from accessibility, even if you are not currently disabled. Larger and more accessible hallways and spaces are more comfortable to everyone. Automatic door opening buttons are also helpful for more than those who cannot open the door for themselves. For example, if you are pushing a stroller or carrying heavy things, that accommodation can help you too. While many individuals in charge will decide to create “pretty” spaces at the cost of accessibility, they are doing so at the cost of spaces that are comfortable and welcoming to everyone.

 

This class taught me a lot about how we can be aware of and break through stigmas to work collaboratively with the disabled community in order to create a society that welcomes diverse perspectives. I will use what I’ve learned to be more aware of the identities I’m spoiling and the stigmas I’m upholding, in order to provide care in my future career that is truly person centered and collaborative.