Greetings everyone and I’m Christian Robicheau at the Sterling Creations desk.
It is a good time to start thinking of the oncoming Fall season but in the meantime, let’s share our president’s weekly editorial for today.
Donna J. Jodhan shares her observations of airports in Europe and the UK after a recent trip.
Please read her editorial and send her your feedback.
Write to her at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca
Enjoy your weekend.
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Will Canada Follow Europe And The UK?
By Donna J. Jodhan
A recent trip to the United Kingdom and several European countries left me feeling both encouraged and hopeful. As someone who is blind, I was delighted to see a simple yet powerful example of inclusive thinking in action at the airports I visited.
Airport personnel and wheelchairs displayed a series of accessibility symbols that represented a range of disabilities—not just mobility impairments. Alongside the familiar wheelchair symbol were images representing a person using a white cane, a person with hearing loss, and other disabilities. It was a small change, but one that sent a very important message: disability is not one-dimensional.
Unfortunately, this is not yet the reality in Canada.
Canadian airports and airlines continue to rely almost exclusively on the wheelchair symbol as the universal representation of disability. While the wheelchair symbol certainly has an important place in accessibility, it should not be the only image that defines the disability community.
For millions of Canadians living with disabilities that are not mobility-related, this long-standing practice is both limiting and exclusionary. As a person with vision loss, I do not identify with the wheelchair symbol because it does not represent my disability. The same is true for individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, those with cognitive disabilities, or people with other invisible disabilities.
Representation matters. The symbols we choose communicate who is seen, acknowledged, and included. When only one disability is consistently represented, it unintentionally reinforces the misconception that disability is synonymous with wheelchair use. In reality, disability is diverse, and our public spaces should reflect that diversity.
Canada has made significant strides in accessibility through legislation such as the Accessible Canada Act. Yet accessibility is about more than policies and regulations. It is also about changing attitudes, challenging outdated assumptions, and embracing inclusive design in every aspect of public life.
The airports I visited in Europe and the UK demonstrated that a more inclusive approach is both practical and achievable. They recognized that travelers with disabilities have different needs and that acknowledging those differences through universally understood symbols promotes awareness, dignity, and belonging.
Canadian airports, airlines, and transportation providers have an opportunity to follow this example. By adopting a broader range of accessibility symbols, they would send a clear message that all persons with disabilities are recognized and valued.
This is not simply about changing a few signs or adding decals to equipment. It is about changing the way we think about disability itself.
For far too long, the wheelchair has become the default image of disability. It is time to recognize that disability has many faces and many forms. A truly accessible Canada is one in which everyone can see themselves represented.
The question is no longer whether this change is possible. Europe and the UK have already shown that it is.
The real question is: Will Canada follow?
I’d like to leave you with this for your consideration.
An empty wheelchair is positioned in an airport terminal. Standing nearby are a person holding a white cane, another individual who is hard of hearing, and a person wearing thick eyeglasses, representing travelers with a variety of disabilities and accessibility needs.
Or, if you’re looking for a shorter alt-text style description:
An empty wheelchair at an airport with a person using a white cane standing nearby, alongside a hard-of-hearing individual and another person wearing thick glasses, symbolizing accessible travel for people with diverse disabilities.
Image = Three travelers stand in a bright airport terminal beside large windows overlooking parked airplanes, with luggage nearby; one person wears sunglasses and holds a white cane, another with short gray hair and a hearing device gestures while speaking, and a third holds a ticket near an empty wheelchair, suggesting accessible travel and conversation before a flight.
To learn more about me as an award winning sight loss coach and advocate visit http://www.donnajodhan.com