We can use two mindsets to frame how we often approach accessibility and inclusion and how we probably should approach it: one-size-fits-all mindset and alternative-oriented mindset.
One-Size-Fits-All Mindset
- Being obsessed about how one single approach, one single situation or one single tool could become all-accessible and all-inclusive.
- Pursuing moral purity over pragmatic accommodation.
- Pursuing compliance over context.
- Taking a culture-neutral approach.
In other words, one-size-fits-all is a fundamentalist mindset to accessibility and inclusion. It puts self-interest over people and their needs. It poisons the morale and hurts the advocacy.
Alternative-Oriented Mindset
- Providing sufficient alternatives in terms of approaches, situations and tools.
- Pursuing pragmatic accommodation over moral purity.
- Decisions being driven by context rather than by compliance.
- Taking a culture-sensitive approach.
In other words, alternative-oriented is a progressive mindset. It puts people and their needs over organizational dogma and political rigidity. It promotes systems thinking and injects passion into advocacy.
Which mindset do people often have in your organization? How would you advocate for accessibility and inclusion?
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Noah Fang 