Access ≠ Accessibility
Access doesn’t always mean accessiblity. Inaccessibility to bodies of water excludes disabled people from what others experience with and in the water. I believe that access to water is a basic human right, one that includes making deeper connections with the environment and experiencing joy and pleasure. For me, there is no separation between disability justice and environmental justice.
The following posters are some of the things I said to the New York City Planning Department (NYCPD), during their online open comments session about the NYC Comprehensive Water Plan 2020. My comments are based on conversations with the NYCDP, with disabled communities across disability and NYC, my lived experiences as a disabled person trying to physically and cognitively access NYC waterfronts and waterways, and from researching public maps and their access points along the NYC waterways.
These posters were posted in large type throughout NYC during the 2019 Mayoral race and sent to each candidate. As a result of our collective words, hanging the posters, and sharing the posters with NYC 2019 Mayoral candidates, the New York City Planning Department extended their deadlines for comments and collaborated on an online Town Hall specifically for and with NYC’s diabled communities.
The first image has large bold letters in bright orange sitting on a solid navy jaggy cut out ground. Behind the solid blue cut out is a mostly bright blue ground with dark blue tiny dots and swirling lines undulating to make water and wave patterns.
The following 5 images are light blue bold letters on a mostly bright blue ground with dark blue tiny dots and swirling lines undulating to make water and wave patterns.
