After 6 years living in and traveling around Europe, there are so many places which are frustratingly inaccessible for people with disabilities. But why? Does it have to be this way? That’s what I set out to understand… speaking with those living with, designing for, and advocating for disabilities, across the continent.

    Chapters
    00:00 Preview
    01:01 Introduction
    03:44 Paris, France and the “Old” Excuse
    09:08 How the Americans with Disabilities Act Works
    15:26 EU “Soft” Laws & the United Kingdom Regulations on Accessible Design
    19:56 What Happens in Germany?
    24:24 What Happens in Vienna, Austria?
    28:31 The Netherlands

    Episode No. 151
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    you cannot make a building anymore without thinking a lot about like how green the building is and I think accessibility also needs to be on that level you know I think when I when I first start to take my son around in I push chair you suddenly find out how accessible things actually are and I looked at the station and I couldn’t believe it there was this brand new uan station and to get to the elevator you had to go up three steps there was no ramp sometimes in France with the the accessibility because you feel like it was made as an afterthought really enough of I had to work very hard to become as independent as possible you really do with a disability and just like having that infrastructure to be able to to have that freedom of Mobility is something that I would have desperately wanted and it is often seen as like you know either like visually or financially as an annoyance they’re disabled or like being disabled it’s a minority group that anyone can fall into at any time of their life [Music] [Music] I want to show you something like many commuters in my country I take public transit into the City and for the most part it’s great it’s comfortable efficient affordable and mostly on time but then I get off at my train station and that’s where things get difficult if you’re an able-bodied person you either take this set of stairs down to the tunnel which takes you under the platforms and into the main station or you’ll walk to the end of the platform and take the stairs up to the bridge where the trams are located but what if you’re disabled or commuting with a bike or a mom with a stroller and want to get inside the Central Station or just simply transfer to another train well in this case your only option is to head to the very end of the entire platform rain snow or shine and take this minuscule elevator which comically is out of order for the rest of the summer but even if it wasn’t let me show you just how burdensome this transfer really is you again walk the entire length of the platform to take this tiny elevator up to the tram Bridge at which point you then transfer to another tiny elevator down to Platform One then you walk the entire length of that platform before finally making it inside that’s their solution and before you comment saying something like yeah well it’s probably a historic building and this is the only solution available nah it was built in 2001 and to be honest while my train train station is a personal example of a really poor accommodation for those with disabilities the reality is it isn’t alone a lot of places here in Germany and quite frankly throughout Europe are wholly inaccessible for people with disabilities but why does it have to be this way that’s what I set out to understand speaking with those living with designing for and advocating for disabilities across the continent so let’s take a look at what I [Music] found now obviously Europe faces some pretty unique challenges when designing for people with disabilities we’re working with buildings streets and infrastructure that are hundreds of years old Cobblestone sidewalks are sometimes very narrow and don’t have curb Cuts entrances that are above or below grade and doors that are definitely not wide enough for a wheelchair but even the more modern establishments and pieces of infrastructure that have been adopted can still be really frustrating to use if you’re part of the 101 million people who are living with a disability here in the European Union take Paris for example there have been a lot of improvements in museums for all different types of disabilities but by large Paris is not an accessible City things like the the with of the sidewalks in the smallest streets of Paris where you can’t even roll uh a wheelchair the sidewalk is not enough for the WID Between the Wheels arguably its most famous landmark the Eiffel Tower is only accessible to the first and second floors the top is not accessible to them for safety reasons and despite having one of the most densest Metro systems in the world only one the metro line 14 is fully equipped but the Metro also really highlights this conflict that often occurs between efficiency and accessibility we’ve seen we line 14 that accessibility in practice physical accessibility um is just a part of the issue trains uh depart every 85 seconds during R hour the DNA of the the Metro the hisorical Metro is short well times fast exchange even if um modified to be physically accessible from Street to trains is still not easy or practical impact Us by the time Paris will host the Olympics and Par Olympics later this summer The Parisian author say that 32 stations will be accessible by game time and that other transport options are plentiful it is worth noting that the entire Paris bus Network and 86% of bus lines serving the suburbs are accessible as are all eight of the city’s trm lines and two of its major cross town Rail lines but transport deficiencies in France were among the many problems that the Council of Europe social rights committee seized upon in a ruling made public in April of this year the continent’s foremost human rights body found France in violation of a European treaty on social and economic rights citing multiple failures towards adults and children with disabilities sometimes INF FRS with the the accessibility because you feel like it was made as an afterthought really an afterthought like they’ve designed the entire thing that how can we insert accessibility now it’s it’s not they’ve not included from from the GetGo it’s it’s like something that been slapped on top of it the 15 member committee that monitors whether countries are complying with their commitments to the European social Charter said unanimously that shortages in support services and lack of accessibility to buildings and public transport for people with disabilities causes many families to live in precarious circumstances the ruling from the committee is unfortunately not legally binding but it does give Advocates some leverage but to me this really highlights something that I find is actually really quite pervasive as an excuse for Europe’s lack of accessible infrastructure people will often say things like well Europe is just too old to adapt to Universal Design Solutions I honestly think that’s really naive because when you look closely there actually are some really great examples of cities that are trying to make these incredible historic places more accessible to everyone you can actually reach the top of the Acropolis in Athens or enter the cistin chapel in Rome by using specially designed wheelchair lifts the fren kosa in the center of Dresden has integrated ramps and accessible entrances the reiches museum in Amsterdam is phenomenally welld designed for accessibility they even have a director who specializes on this topic and has written books on how to adapt more Museum spaces for Universal Design principles it’s just that these measures aren’t even or reliable especially when it comes to private businesses one survey showed that over half of the shops on the main shopping street in Copenhagen are inaccessible for people in wheelchairs and 77% of people with physical disabilities have poor or no access to public spaces according to the Irish wheelchair Association and so while I really do love living in Europe Europe if there’s really one thing that I can say that the US does much much better it’s accessibility but the United States didn’t suddenly become accessible overnight and it wasn’t simply because they thought it was the right thing to do accessible spaces and accommodations were hard fought and the changes took decades to fully realize in 1973 the Rehabilitation Act was the first time that the exclusion and segregation of people with disabilities was seen as discrimination it was also the first time that people with disabilities were viewed as a minority group Section 504 of the ACT banned discrimination against people with disabilities and programs that get Federal Finance assistance before this Society at large had the general mindset that the problems people with disabilities face like unemployment or lack of Education were inevitable circumstances imposed by the disability itself but the ACT started to change that mindset and help others to recognize that it’s often the result of societal injustices prejudices and barriers the first version of The Americans with Disabilities Act or the Ada was introduced in April of 1988 and ultimately put in effect by Congress on July 26th 1990 but tragically for too many Americans the blessings of liberty have been limited or even denied and today’s legislation brings us closer to that day when no Americans will ever again be deprived of their basic guarantee of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness the Ada bans discrimination based on disability and requires public accommodations to be accessible the ACT defines a disability as a quote physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities and these can be things such as walking talking hearing seeing or learning the ACT also includes protections for people who have a history of an impairment so for example somebody who had cancer but that’s now in remission or somebody who is experiencing some form of impairment that is probably going to last more than 6 months but in order to understand the Ada it’s important to recognize that it’s actually divided into five pillars all of which that really help to bolster and support one another and really give this law the teeth that it needed to be so successful but granted this is a pretty long video as is and for brevity sake I can’t go into all of them but I’m going to Briefly summarize the major points as it specifically relates to the built environment the first title is about employment and this essentially says that people with disability should have the same employment opportunities and benefits as everyone else it’s enforced by the US equal employment opportunity commission or the EEOC who defines discrimination as when an employer treats a qualified individual unfavorably because they have a disability and they require that employers provide reasonable accommodations which are basically modifications to a job or work environment that will enable an employee with a disability to do their job well unless these accommodations will cause undue hardship or any kind of difficulty because of the employer size finances or the needs of their business and all of this applies to businesses who have 15 or more employees so although title one isn’t EXP licitly about design standards it brings up a critical point the lack of accessible design features don’t simply just limit the patrons who might come into a shop or a restaurant But ultimately the employment opportunity is for people who live with a disability and limiting them is illegal now title two is in regards to public entities and public transportation this section describes that there must be both space and accommodations for wheelchairs on public transportation and that people with disabilities need to be able to access all state and local public housing but the really important part of title 2 is the architectural barriers Act of 1968 which says that buildings which are designed constructed or altered in any way after September of 1969 need to be accessible for people with disabilities now any building that was built before this point in time are typically not impacted but any major Renovations that will need the use of a permit in order to carry them out often triggers compliance with the Ada title three is arguably one of the most important parts of the Ada it says that people with disabilities will not be discriminated against in the ability to have full and equal enjoyment of goods Services facilities and accommodations of any public spaces and public space is actually a really broad category it includes things like hotels Recreation transportation education dining stores care providers like hospitals and public spaces like Parks discrimination here would be the failure to remove architectural barriers like steps into a facility particularly when these type of things are easy to do without much expense But ultimately it is title three which mandates that any new construction must be fully compliant and that’s why all new buildings which have been constructed in the past 34 years in the United States have included accessible design standards in other words the vast majority of commercial and public spaces that have been constructed in my lifetime have been impacted in some way shape or form by the Ada but it’s important to remember while the Ada did a heck of a lot it didn’t just simply wave a magic wand but yet it’s an essential Foundation onto which Solutions are constructed and the basis for which we continue to strive for a more universally designed environment but fundamentally the big thing here is that the Ada is a hard law it is legally binding to all parties involved and it’s legally enforceable before a court which isn’t necessarily the case throughout much of Europe for the 27 countries which are part of the economic and political partnership known as the European Union european-wide legislation is achieved by several types of legal acts some are binding others are not some apply to all EU countries others to just a few in the context of accessibility and protections for those with disabilities at the EU level much of the legislation is soft law quasi legal acts of the European communities such as codes of conduct guidelines notices and recommendations or Communications the code is more what you call guidelines than actual rules and although these instruments in principle lack legally binding Force they still can influence a heab a lot so for example the EU has made a commitment through the European disability strategy to eliminate barriers to the life of people with disabilities that prevent them from fully participating in society and enjoying their rights equally to other citizens persons with disabilities have the right to have good conditions in the workplace to live independently to equal opportunities to participate fully in the life of their Community all have a right to a life without barriers and it is Our obligation as a community to ensure their full participation in society on an equal basis with others sounds Noble right well unfortunately the vast majority of these things are recommendations here’s what countries in Europe should be doing here are the things that you should be working towards instead legally binding laws and enforceable regulations with specific details on targets for accessibility participation equality employment Education and Training social protection and health well they’re presumed to be ironed out on the individual National level where I think the EU yes shows its teeth is that um it quite often like sets certain standards and you can actually see every year things changing because not local laws but because either insurance or but mostly EU laws change which is the big reason why when you’re traveling around the European Union the experience of accessibility within the built environment is probably going to vary pretty dramatically from one country to another accessibility regulations in the UK for example have evolved over time along with the country’s commitment to inclusivity and equal opportunities and the way that it works in Britain but in Scotland specifically is there what’s called the building Control Act which is an act of parliament but what the ACT says it’s only two or three pages long it says that uh there will be some bilding Scottish building regul ation and they’ll be reviewed on a regular basis and that’s all it says it doesn’t say what the regulations are and the regulations are a statutory instrument and what that is is the regulations get updated and they don’t have to go back through Parliament to be renewed so it’s not like a Time limited act and like Colin said it’s intentionally vague the building regulations of 2010 didn’t actually specify exactly how building should look if they want to be accessible instead they use a lot of General link anguage like new buildings should have step-free access as far as possible and in principle where toilets are provided for customers and visitors they should be accessible to everybody including wheelchair users Scottish building regulations are quite prescriptive in the sense that um the regulatory environment is is a lot stricter than it is in England so things like there’s there’s an entire section which just deals with accessibility and nothing else and the benefits of this kind of enforcement structure is that it puts a lot of power into the hands of local authorities in their own communities and moreover it makes private businesses legally obligated to make these kind of accessibility changes so that it does not unduly limit somebody with a disability but that’s not necessarily the case in other countries in Germany the 1994 amend mment to the basic law for the Federal Republic of Germany article 3 paragraph 3 states that no person shall be disfavored on account of his or her disability with this amendment the German Constitution clearly states that regulations that discriminate and alienate as well as discriminatory conditions in the everyday lives of people with disabilities is not acceptable to society as a whole but General Clauses of this kind of course can really only be carried out through specific legislation Berlin was actually the first federal state in Germany to act on the federal ban on discrimination by passing the state Equal Rights Act Federal legislation later followed suit with Article 1 the equal opportunity for peoples with Disabilities Act of the law on disability equality and amendments to Prior laws from 2002 the BGG which entered into force on May 1st 2002 gave concrete Nationwide expression to a paradigm shift in Disability Policy and defined the concept of barrier-free access for the first time facilitating self-determination instead of just simply facilitating Aid became the new guiding principle in Germany which had a profound effect specifically on public transit this is Dylan he’s legally blind and traveled around Germany last year with the assistance of his guide dog elwin and immediately noticed the the tactile pavement which is in all of the transations and it runs throughout some of the Cities um which I’ve only ever seen in textbooks those are very useful for a white cane uh they’re also useful for a guide dog because you can feel you can kind of even through your shoes you can kind of feel them a little bit I think the one image that I carry with me when I think about why I would like to move to Germany is um I saw just like an unaccompanied kid on a on a a tricycle just get on the on the tram and like take it like a block or two and then get off and just like keep going and playing and with my guide dog we can walk a a long distances we do that all the time he’s very in shape um but that walking to the tram getting on it and he’s able to like sit and rest and recover and so like if I had that incorporated in my every day I I could go out and stay out longer and because like we have to stop and rest a lot frankly if I had had that amount of Freedom as a kid I I I had to work very hard to become as independent as possible you really do with a disability and just like having that infrastructure to be able to to have that freedom of Mobility is something that I would have desperately wanted but when it comes to architecture not every building is designed with baright in design I think the one thing I noticed that I think the United States does a little bit better and you mentioned this before just like the the building code um like that normal accessibility thing like make sure you have a ramp leading up to the to the door or uh making sure there’s Braille on all the signs or just just that building into your buildings that just Universal Design that works for everybody uh I think there could have been a little bit more of that not that there wasn’t any but there I feel like there could have been more of that and laws and regulations are often limited to publicly accessible buildings accessible apartments and transportation infrastructure whether or not a private business like a restaurant or a clothing store has to make accessible accommodations to their facility is actually up to the individual states here in Germany and sometimes it actually just means that it’s up to the own business owner’s discretion as to whether or not they actually want to implement it in Berlin for example bars and restaurants with areas of 50 sare meters or more must have at least one barrier-free toilet available for use by guests with reduced Mobility but in North R West faia guest toilets aren’t even required at all unless the dining area has space for more than 200 people accessible or not but other loopholes kind of compli licate things further much like the Ada the laws here in Germany are not retroactive which means that any building that was constructed before 2002 was not really affected by these kind of laws which makes things very difficult if you are dining out in Germany because you don’t really necessarily have reliable access to accessible bathroom facilities but beyond building code perhaps the other big reason on why accessible feed have not been as widely implemented around the European Union is that Beyond asking business owners to Simply act in good faith often times there really isn’t a heck of a lot of incentive for them to do so in general EU countries do not have the legislation with the same legal teeth and such wide-reaching implications as the Americans with Disabilities Act and this is compounded by a different approach from a societal point of view in comparison to the United States the historical focus in Europe was to provide direct monetary support to people with disabilities such as a monthly stipend to parents to stay at home and provide care for their disabled children which don’t get me wrong is something that I am immensely grateful for access to things like Universal Health Care or you know heaven forbid if something was to happen to myself my husband or one of my kids we would have access access to Mobility aids with the assistance of public funds but perhaps the unintended consequence is that such kinds of support are ultimately aimed at keeping disabled individuals comfortable at home instead of constructing a public experience which is universally accessible to All by forcing organizations and businesses to provide accommodation so that people with disabilities have an equivalent level of access in Austria much like Germany article 7 of the Austrian Federal Constitution states that no one shall be discriminated against because of his or her disability and this means that access to buildings must be possible for disabled people as it is for non-disabled people the second legal Norm that’s relevant for this context is the federal disability equality act section 4 states that a disability must not give rise to direct or indirect discrimination and section five specifies that areas of life must not be designed in such a way that they are disadvantage agous for people with disabilities and generally this has been required for public buildings since 2016 but too often it’s due to a lack of knowledge of the relevant regulations that accessibility has not yet been adequately and comprehensively implemented in the Austrian public the controls cannot be extensive enough to detect all the violations in the applicable regulations and I looked at the station and I couldn’t believe it there was this brand new u station and to get to the elevator you had to go up three steps there was no ramp in addition in my opinion it’s also not really enough to say that just public buildings in Austria need to be barrier-free if you want to have equality for the rights of all people disabled or not these kinds of regulations also need to be applicable to the private sphere but unfortunately they’re largely not a violation of the provisions of the federal disability equality act does not often result in any significant sanctions as it is a civil law regulation claims for damages and the right to remove obstacles do now exist but it’s often not enough to ensure that conditions for disabled people in Austria are implemented optimally Austrian law because there’s no class action suits you cannot really have a class action suit in the States you can you can all people who have wheelchairs all people who need Walkers all all PE moms with they all need accessibility and you can have a class actually you can’t do that in Austrian law because the city or the state or the community provides for all these things you can’t go after a shop you know and say you know all people should be able to enter this shop the shop has to decide whether they comply or not so in the meantime it’s often up to Ordinary People to do the right thing when they can and while that might be good it still means that life can be really frustrating for some someone who’s living with a disability here in Europe traveling northward in Europe the Netherlands is often seen as one of the most wheelchair friendly countries the Dutch government has invested heavily in accessible public transportation making almost all buses and trains wheelchair accessible I personally loved this signage at the tram stops in utr the city wanted to provide more than just an accessible car on the tram but actually give notice of where that car would specifically pull up so you don’t have to play musical chairs guessing which one is the most accessible and rush over to it and because the cycling infrastructure in the Netherlands is the best in the world designs like this ferry in Amsterdam which are catered to those commuting with a bicycle is also really great for wheelchair users but speaking to Amsterdam residents like sha the program coordinator for the new Gallery design at Arcam there’s still so much more that can be done I think in a world of architecture it just needs to be more on the agendas of people nowadays you cannot even you cannot make a building anymore without say without thinking a lot about like how green the building is or like the those things and I think accessibility also needs to be on that level places like AR cam in the Netherlands have done so much to uplift voices of Architects and designers who are living with a disability and increase General awareness for for different design solutions that we could and should be making for a more inclusive environment but her message was also loud and clear so I think maybe it would be a change that in not thinking okay well this person has a disability but maybe saying okay well the not people but the environment has a disability many of us just simply don’t recognize how inaccessible our world is unless we’re confronted with it one of the most glaring examples of this perhaps can be found at one of Amsterdam’s most popular tourist attractions the Anne Frank Museum of course the original home where Anne and her family sought Refuge comes with accessibility challenges relative to Historic preservation but the more modern addition to the museum space completed in 1999 and located just a couple of Doors Down entrance is only granted to those in wheelchairs if you flag down an attendant who then will lead you through a locked side door to an employee key operate an elevator I personally witnessed a mother and her daughter who were visiting struggled to understand where to go and how to gain entry and I don’t want to come off too harshly here but I visited this space and listen you mean to tell me that even if these regulations were not in place when the original building was constructed in 1999 that no one in the last 20 years has made an effort to make this gigantic entry with plenty of room to accommodate a ramp and electric doors more accessible or that despite being in the modern part of the museum The Diary of Anne Frank herself can only be seen by traveling down three steps there’s plenty of space for a ramp and yet there isn’t one these images by the way that you see were provided by Joseph who is the brainchild behind the phenomenal website Abel Amsterdam I started AEL Amsterdam after I had a very severe traffic accident in 2017 I completely shattered my right leg in a traffic accident where I was hit by a car and as a result of that I ended up using a wheelchair for about 3 and a half years so after I had my accident accessibility suddenly became something that I had to focus on in my daily life and I suddenly became aware of how difficult it can be to know where you can go inside where you can go inside and use an accessible toilet um things that are accessible for people of all ages you know as a 23-year-old at the time I still wanted to do the same things that I wanted to do before I had my accident but suddenly I found that the places I normally could go inside were not accessible to me Josephine advocates for a more accessible City on numerous platforms and uses her online presence to share wheelchair friendly things to do in Amsterdam including accessibility reviews and practical information about the city one of her favorite examples in the city by the way is the Museum of the canals this stunning museum is located in a 17th century Canal House and includes period rooms which show different eras of Amsterdam’s architecture and it’s wheelchair friendly complete with an accessible restroom modern elevators and this ingenious wheelchair ramp the thing that I find so special about it is that actually when you walk past or if you roll past in a wheelchair you would never know that it was a platform lift until somebody actually showed it to you because it Blends so nicely into the kind of design of the building the stone that’s used will be fake Stone I’m not exactly sure what it’s made of um It just fits so well with the rest of the building that you think that it’s just any old staircase when in fact it’s an electronic platform LIF seriously how cool is that it really makes you think twice when people say that you know well this building is too storic to be adapted you know what I mean but I think if there’s one thing that was the big takeaway message that I had when I spoke to Josephine was that when we improve the experience for people with disabilities in any environment we ultimately improve the experience for everyone involved I I once read somewhere that the disabled or like being disabled it’s a minority group that anyone can fall into at any time of their life um and I think that’s such an important part of accessibility is realizing that something that’s inaccessible um can actually negatively affect just about anyone around you even if today it may not be something that’s a challenge for you you could fall and you know twist your ankle tomorrow and suddenly be on crunches for 3 weeks or unfortunately like in my case it can be a more severe accident that means that uh you know you end up um facing accessibility accessibility challenges for several years um I think a big part of the emphasis on the importance of of accessibility is that it really is something that’s for everyone because it can affect anyone at any time it’s true I would wager that for the vast majority of us we often probably think that issues of accessibility are really only relative to the elderly or very small part of the population but the reality is that encountering a disability can happen to anyone at any time and impacts a much much larger portion of the population than most of us are probably aware and living with a disability likely means that you lose the ability to be spontaneous something that you and I might take for granted a lot of the times people do kind of assume that disability is more related to elderly people people and of course there’s a huge part of population that is older that has accessibility needs but there’s a huge population as well that’s younger that also you know has the same um drive to go out and and explore but you know being limited by by the environment just means that you’re not able to do that like other people are and don’t get me wrong while I think it’s amazing that you can book an accessible taxi in Paris or request assistance for the transfer from Inner City Express trains with deutan in Germany ultimately when we have to rely on the assistance of others in order to participate in our community we fall short of living a truly autonomous and equal life but the problem often is in these types of restaurants uh is that uh if you want to eat it’s fine if you want to go to the toilet while you’re there it’s a lot more complicated clubs the first more than have the of the clubs are not accessible at all you know I think when when I first start to take my son around in I push chair you suddenly find out how accessible things actually are going from being very independent to suddenly wanting to go out you know to a club maybe with friends or to a bar or to a certain Museum that I enjoyed what uh going to and not being able to it it’s very limiting um it makes you feel like you’re you know not able to enjoy yourself as you should be able to you’re not able to get what you can out of the city that you live in um they’re all things that I kind of took for granted beforehand um and suddenly I wasn’t able to do what I enjoyed which is just it’s yeah it’s very difficult especially when you’re used to having a different kind of life you and I might not think about it but it’s actually quite liberating that we can go to dinner or grab a cocktail with our friends without having to call ahead to see if you can even use the bathroom facilities there or go shopping without worrying whether or not you can get in the front door but that’s not necessarily the case for people with disabilities and designing with everyone in mind is not necessarily a new Endeavor clever Minds from involved communities have already created guidelines for accessible design and I was lucky enough to discover quite a few of them some who have already begun to do some really great things here around Europe I don’t think it would it doesn’t take much it takes a bit of thought but it doesn’t actually take much to to modify existing spaces do you know what it’s nice to go to a toilet which you’re not crammed in you know and it’s nice to to not have to climb stairs and it’s nice just to walk into a bar and and you know everything’s on the level and you know that’s that’s a pleasant experience for everybody but it’s still clear that more can be done and it’s my hope that this video Can Shed light on the barriers that still exist in the world around us here in Europe so the moment that a lift doesn’t work or a bus round malfunctions what’s accessible on paper isn’t actually accessible in practice there are so many lifts in the public transportation system that are broken down so much of the time and they don’t get fixed immediately I mean understandably it’s it’s not possible to immediately have somebody come and fix it but if that happens then and it happens to be the only lift to a certain platform or the only move to get to the stop that you need to get off at what’s supposed to be accessible isn’t and at the end of the day accessible design is in everyone’s best interest because everyone benefits from more accessible design don’t you agree let me know your thoughts Down Below in the comment section and as always if you enjoyed what you saw today be sure to hit that thumbs up button and for more content from typ Ashton hit that subscribe button so I’ll see you next Sunday cheers [Music]

    50 Comments

    1. My impression about the facilities for disabled in the US was this is a result of the Vietnam war, when many soldiers returned in a wheelchair, see Ron Kovacs: Born on the 4th of July

    2. Another great video.
      A few things are missing.
      First of all, as usual Spain is overlooked, regardless of the subject and especially with this subject as it's one of the most accessible countries in Europe and the European Disability Forum has a pretty good opinion (far from perfect but on the right track).
      As for private businesses, forcing small businesses to adapt their location is not a viable solution. In this case I believe that the government should encourage them to do so by financial aid in the adaptation process of tax reductions for a specific period.
      As for the US, it is definitely a very positive and important thing that they did what many other countries don't – making it into an enforceable law but there are two things you've ignored or brushed of a bit.
      1. The old building thing is a major different as the US is a young country with very few old buildings and with a tradition of demolishing even recently built building for a new one.
      2. As you said, the law mostly expects the citizens to uphold the law which is problematic.
      3. The US as a huge mobility and discriminatory problem that affects anyone who does not drive. It's easy to adapt public transport when you hardly have public transport.

    3. Come to Greece to see the numerous barriers to disabled people in almost every sidewalk, bathroom, train, bus, etc. You literally cannot navigate any town or city without taking a wheelchair onto the street in traffic for blocks at a time. At least there are a few wheelchair accessible beaches.

    4. What mean person with disabilities? 101000 person would be around 25% of all person when eu has 450000 person. Seems a bit high

    5. What mean person with disabilities? 101000 person would be around 25% of all person when eu has 450000 person. Seems a bit high

    6. Golly, you showed the accessible features of Burlington, Ontario in Canada in your video after your description of US legislation. (Libraries, hospital, restaurants) The city has worked hard to make it accessible and is considered one of the most liveable cities in the country. All sidewalks are ramped and contain pads to break wheelchairs. The park tables have a wheelchair slot so everyone can sit at them. There’s still a lot to do. I thought that the raised bumps on our bills is braille. The GO commuter system has accessible areas near elevators to enter the trains similar to what you showed in the Netherlands.

    7. In my apartment building (1960s) the elevator started at the first floor, so you had to take the stairs to get to the elevator. Luckily, when they renovated the building to make it better insulated, they also fixed this problem (partly). The elevator is now accessible from the ground floor. My brother in law uses a wheelchair, so he had never been able to visit. Now he finally can. However, people in a wheelchair still can't get to the storage. That is still only accessible by stairs.
      I really don't understand what the original architect was thinking when he designed this building. Having the elevator start at the first floor kind of defeats the whole purpose of having an elevator in the first place.

    8. If theee is a will there will be a way. There are no wxcuaes why a public building is not acceasable for hndicaped people. None! Many times administration move in oldee buildings cause they are cheap. But if the building is bot accessable for everybody it is not suitable even if it is cheap. These big staircases in Front of aome buildings are just there that everBody has to bend forward to the administration to show obediance to the authorities. These days are happily over but once in a qhile we have ti remind the administration that they qirk for us, the people!

    9. A lot of people have an insurance for this and that, so I take that as evidence are able to think about potential future events that can negatively effect them. I guess I'd argue from this point of view if i had to convince someone of useful for such accesibility measures. Lots of people in the "middle class" are already anyways worried about loss of their current comfort level and what's becoming disabled if not that?

      Also, great video! Many more interviews than usually, was very interesting to hear other people speaking on the issue.

    10. Accessibility is indeed a big problem, and here in the US as we know cities are mostly car oriented. Walking is relatively rare. We transfer "between parking lots." In most cases we have the blue handicapped spaces close to the entrances (my wife is handicapped for several years by now) and… I have to admit I love take her with me shopping because I have an easy parking than. There, I said it, I confessed! In my profession (software) I was personally involved in providing accessibility to every category of handicap: blind people, eye sight impaired, color blind, dexterity missing or impaired, tremors etc. So yes, I understand the extend of the problem, and I developed a personal conviction that this great, tedious effort is the right thing to do. We the fortunate have to do what we can for the handicapped.

    11. I'm curious, how could USA be better at this when you are dependent on cars for mostly everything? Ok, maybe the buildings are up to standard, but if you can't get there?

    12. i guess after war in Vietnam it was hard to deny. When the state asks you to fight for the interests of your country with a very real danger of getting seriously injured in the process they should provide a means to live after that. But i really wonder why it's so hard then to implement social nets and health care if you have such strong regulations for disability.

    13. Easy solution: Introduce a law, that you can sue the owner of any kind of public facility for €100 each time you cannot use it without additional help. Actually €100 first time, €200 second time, … .

    14. Great video. I looked at some stats and according to all ratings I found Germany ranked higher than USA – my best guess is that lacking/poor public transport in the US is a large part of the reason? As a Swede I found it's rating interesting.. because it jumped around a lot. I'm guessing that these surveys take different aspects into account and many countries may be good in some areas but sadly lacking in others. For example I think Sweden ranks pretty high on access to public transport and official buildings and museums but a lot lower on access to private shops and businesses.. but that's just based on my experiences and I don't have a physical disability, so I could be way off.

    15. Public transit? Come on. Don't you see those giant steps at almost every train in Germany? How often is the only elevator at the train station of your new home town in Freiburg broken?
      And the problem is not only bathrooms. Try shopping or dining in Freiburg. And just think about the "Bächle"

    16. The accessibility vs historical preservation question seems very tricky and I'm not sure there's a clear answer to it. New buildings though? Yeah, there are no excuses to not make them accessible.

    17. Many times I have tripped and fallen walking on cobblestone streets and roads around Europe Ashton. They are death traps for sure. I am certain they will get me one day . This is an awesome video on what is actually a global issue. Europe for sure has to find a way to make its quaint little thatched roof buildings and castles that everybody loves accessible to everyone. I think it’s a case of cost. You’ve shown some excellent examples of what some people have done to bridge the gap. But alas, this sort of thing all comes down to money. I think my favourite European 🇪🇺 accessibility option is at the Coliseum in Rome. They have modern Elevators 🛗 that take people up to the top level of the Flavian amphitheater to the gift shops. If you go there check it out.

      Here in New Zealand 🇳🇿 we have a long way to go. Recently the government created a ministry for disabled people. Because they see it as an important issue. However, the new right wing government has created another ministry to make sure any regulations that affect (or cost) the economy are reversed or cancelled before they are passed. I have shared your video to help bring more attention to this important issue. Thanks for making it Ashton.

    18. The one thing Canada is good for when it comes to new design is accommodating those with accessibility challenges. However, it takes FOREVER to retroactively fix infrastructure that was built without accessibility in mind, especially GO Transit in Ontario.

    19. There is one more aspect why it should be important to everyone: We are social animals and like to do things and go places with others. If places are not accessible, we exclude people with Handicaps, strollers or the elderly or at least make them feel like they're making life harder for everyone else. And who said that the elderly don't have the drive or need to go out like a 23yo? Maybe it's partially the struggles with the inaccessibilities of their environment?

    20. This was also my impression in London in 1995. There were no curb cuts or wheelchair ramps anywhere. I think it's better now.

    21. My biggest pet peeve was no stroller access. I stuggled coming home from shopping in Germany (I lived in Switzerland). A lot of the tram stops were high for me because I'm short.

      Yes I could have gotten a smaller lighter stroller, but that meant having small wheels and I had the medieval cobblestones in my village. I watched other mom's with lighter strollers get the wheels of the stroller stuck in the cobblestones.

    22. Just getting a baby will already open your eyes to accessibility problems (it sure did for me). Unfortunately, most people forget after the children get out of the stroller (and I am as guilty of that as the next person), thanks for the reminder.

    23. A freak injury left me temporarily visiting Chicago in a wheelchair. It was a thoroughly eye opening experience for the whole group of us! Later once we had babies and strollers you realize how much better we could still do in the US. Then we moved to England and travelled around Europe. It’s just not feasible for lots of disabled people. It’s a real shame and I’m glad you’re shedding light on this issue! I feel that especially with an aging population these needs are going to have to be addressed sooner than people realize!!

    24. I cannot agree more with you. The first french law regarding accessibility to disabled people dates is precisely 49 years old today. Since then, very few has been done. I am not disabled myself nor I know any disabled in my surroundings but, born and raised in the Paris area, this is something I am very sensible to. It always struck me how bad the metro system is in Paris in terms of accessibility (even for tourists with luggage btw, which is a shame for one of the most visited capitals in the world). I also think that handicap has always been taboo in France, compared to the US or Canada. As I lived a few years in Washington, DC, I really was able to compare accessibility to public administration buildings. Now living in the Frankfurt area I can say that Germany does better than France in that regards but let's be honest: Germany has been siginificantly destroyed and and it was easier and less constraining to rebuild wide sidewalks for example and more accessible buildings in general even though they could do a little more effort to place ramps at some places.

    25. Great video Ashton.

      The authorities simply need to work more with people who are affected. I once spoke to a blind man* about this, and he told me that he can feel the rises (quote: "like a bat") of the pavements if they are not too SMALL. My city has made great efforts and investments. But the rebuilding of the railway station was rejected in a referendum and would have cost millions. Attention and money are probably the biggest obstacles.

      *He and his wife, also blind, live and work completely self-sufficiently. The only help they have is a cleaning lady once a week, whom they get paid.

    26. I live in Kyiv which has many limitations, even getting into the metro or crossing the street (often through underpasses). Now with Russia's full-scale invasion, there are many soldiers who have been limited through war injuries, and my adopted country (I'm an American) is quickly having to overcome such obstacles for men and women of all ages… And unfortunately, thanks to Putin, the Kremlin and the citizens of Russia, children too!

    27. You bring up a lot of great points, but one thing I would say as a legally blind person is that the ADA, while important and useful, is not magically better because it is hard law. As someone who is legally blind, I feel more locked out of society in the US than in the EU, without a doubt. In the US, even the disabled are expected to drive using modifications (wheelchair users and prosthetics alike), public transit and para-transit are virtually nonexistent and certainly not something you can utilize to get to work on a regular basis. I agree, the EU has a long way to go to making things accessible to all people under universal design principles and it's a good thing, but the ADA has not had as great of an impact on the built environment at scale as its other pillars.

    28. Sweden has basically the same laws providing accessability and equality. For any house or major improvements.
      Since 2010 there are also clear building requirements to ensure accessability.

    29. The most "not-disabled" people do not really consider all this in their daily life/s. I certainly do, because you never know if it hits you either today or tomorrow to be disabled. Lately than you must deal with all those circumstances you didn't think of earlier. And sometimes all those advantages for disabled people also we "not-disabled" benefit from. So yes, i really think of all this very most of the time and it freaks me out when the particular authorities of the city don't really manage a broken elevator to function again. This makes it in my view a double-disability for those people. We all pay our taxes for exactly things like this, so it should be planned properly from the beginning on.

      I really appreciate your broad variety of topics you consider and bring up on you channel, Ashton. ThumbUp*👍& 👏*HandClap

    30. My wife managed retail stores in historic building. Stairs with no hand rails etc. I feel a great sympathy about trying to do what we are doing in the US in Europe. I agree that something can be done but it is a challenge.

    31. I would really like to know where that inaccessible elevator in Vienna is. I know several ones that have stops on either side to cover height differences of about 20-30 cm. Not saying the lady was lying, but maybe there was another elevator at the same station or something.

    32. I'm really glad you touched on this topic. I recently started being more aware of my surroundings, wondering what it would be like being disabled. Would I even be able to pass this sidewalk if people park cars on it without thinking? How would I get to underground passage if only stairs lead to it? It's honestly infuriating. Especially since I had to visit a government facility in my city, which is located in the middle of nowhere, around big construction is happening so the way from public transport is long and impossible for someone disabled and this facility DARES to put up posters about promoting "employement for disabled people"??? Only LAST MONTH they installed wheelchair ramp to even get inside. Like be for real rn.

    33. It’s the one thing that the US does really well. Even when you’re not disabled, you can appreciate all of the wheelchair accessible places when you’re pushing a stroller around. I always notice the stark difference when I’m in Europe, because I like to travel with a carry-on suitcase. While not having access to an elevator or escalator with a carry-on is an inconvenience, I always wonder what does a person with a disability do in a situation like this. It’s nonsense that Europe is too old to make these changes. They’ve managed to put the majority of the ugly electrical lines underground (which the US is doing a very poor job at). If Europe can do that, then they can make areas more accessible for the disabled.

    34. Yes I had seen in new airport, like the New Berlin airport. I had a new operation in my leg and they had a elevator, but to get to it, I had to go down a stair. I couldn’t believe. I had come from Switzerland

    35. japan is so great for physical disability in public places. and that is despite in japanese society the stigma is so much greater and disabled people are invisible to society

    36. Especially in Germany, the lack of inclusion and the deficient accessibility infrastructure, can't be understood without looking at the eugenics and euthanasia movements in the first half of the last century.
      People with disabilities are still widely seen as a burden to society, not as full members with equal rights but special needs. That's why accessibility features are perceived as an expensive "on top", not as something essential like windows, doors or heating.
      We need a change in paradigm: All infrastructure needs to be accessible. The on-top are special features, like shortcuts with stairs, for able-bodied people, which can be added later. Such a shift of paradigm, changes the whole design process.

    37. Hi Ashley, I am an Italian, living in Hamburg. The city is undergoing extensive works to extend the Ubahn network. They have just finished my station and guess what? The station has 2 entrances and the platform is right below a big road intersection. On one side there is only an escalator going down. On the other, 2 escalators and 1 elevator. When I go to apt and have luggage, i must walk 400mt extra and cross 6 lanes to take the elevator. 😢

    38. Thank you very much for this video. Fun fact: In Germany's fast trains (IC and ICE) there is no space at all for wheelchairs in 1st class coaches, there are only a few spaces in some of the 2nd class coaches. To Deutsche Bahn, disabled people are second class only.
      Besides what you mentioned, there is not only a huge gap regarding accessibility between public and private buildings and spaces, but also between (larger) cities and rural areas. Generally, the more rural, the less accessible.

    39. Another type of discrimination is when at the Central Station in Hamburg NOTHING is in English. Till couple of years ago you couldn't even by tickets without an EC karte… VISA? Nein!!!

    40. In which new subway station in Vienna do you have to go up stairs to get to an elevator?
      Livin in Vienna and having travelled a bit over the years I would actually say that Vienna is an example of good practice in public transport. All subway stations are accessible by elevator, trams are low floor in combinaion with raised plattforms so that kinderwagen or wheelchair are no problem as well as on the busses which can lower the right side.
      Compare that to London, Paris, Barcelona, Berlin, etc …

    41. It is mostly how permits work and a cost thing. Just like new fire codes. If you pass a new law, there is almost always saying the code is applicable from that time frame and new permits. It means that if you have a building permit, you only have to adjust all elements you need a new permit (like renovation). So if you say well we make the building accessible for wheelchair. You need a new permit. But that means that all "new" regulation is applicable. So you need to be in line with latest fire code, energy code, etc.

      You cannot only renovate for accessibility. So if your cost is 20 000 euros for accessibility you could say OK, is practical. But then the permits says, you also need to be energy efficient, need extra parking lots (because that standard also changed), fire code, etc, and then you get so a high cost that all work will not be done.

    42. The ADA is the minimum standard for a nation to be called civilized. It is, to me, a fundamental act that places Americans above the nebulous idea of "America". It "promotes the general welfare" nd "ensures the blessings of liberty" as promised in the document that defines America.

      It is an expression of compassion and a recognition of each other's humanity based not upon what we can provide, but by what we are. It should be expanded and strengthened.

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