My other long-term goal is to
create an accessible coffee shop. Governments often talk about the importance
of policies on accessibility, but the reality is that issues on public
transportation, student funding, and even attitudes pose a huge everyday
challenge. As a person in a wheelchair, I hear about inclusive policies all the
time. I know that most, if not all, places are technically accessible. However,
when I come across sidewalks that I cannot get down from, or city train cars
that I cannot board, or a building in which I have to use the back door, I
think the government needs to realize that people with disabilities are often a
hidden percentage of what we consider a diverse population.
I want to open ‘Cup on Wheels’
which would offer drinks and snacks but be completely accessible to
everyone. In British Columbia, we visited
a barn that was renovated into a coffee shop. When we stopped into this family-run business,
I discovered that they had an octagon table designed for people in wheelchairs.
At most coffee shops, the tables are too small and people with wheelchairs have
trouble finding room. It opened my eyes to the need for greater accessibility
in my own city.
Although more and more businesses
are becoming accessible, there are still barriers. Doors do not always open automatically. Tables and chairs that are meant to be close
together and cozy are very difficult to navigate through, especially when there
is a long line. I am attempting to
change not just the physical layout, but to make it easier to enjoy a cup of
coffee and a snack.
There are small ways to make it
more accessible: mugs with thicker handles that are easier to hold, straws that
can bend, and curved utensils. Counters and tables should be designed to be
easier to approach, sit at, and leave. There would be a computer at every table
where you could place an order instead of having to go up to the front, and
servers would bring your order to you. My goal is not to have a coffee shop
that is only for people with disabilities; it is for everyone to enjoy.
Opening any new business can be
hard and there will be obstacles. But life has been hard before and I have
overcome obstacles all my life. Sometimes
I'll want to give up on an idea but I never give up in life and I'm not
stopping now.
No matter what you want out of
your life, don't stop believing in yourself and reaching for your goals. Never
stop dreaming. No one can tell me what I
want out of my life. It will take time and
perseverance to reach my goals but I will get there.
People who stare at me everywhere
I go and believe I am less capable than another person are the ones I want to
prove wrong by writing this book and developing my website. I will do whatever
it takes to show that I can do whatever they can do, even though it may happen
in different ways. I need to do this because I do not want to waste my life
doing something I don't like and don't want to do.
