These 9 TikToks from People With Disabilities Highlight How Inaccessible Our World Truly Is

Getting out of a car in a parking lot, picking up items at a drive-thru window and going to school may seem like simple tasks. But if these places are inaccessible, members of the disability community can’t use these daily tasks most people take for granted. Non-disabled people may not even realize that certain places, objects or events are inaccessible.

A good way to actually confront ableism and inaccessibility is to listen to disabled people, like on TikTok. People with disabilities are calling ableism in videos on TikTok by showing how certain things are inaccessible or acting out conversations. While TikTok has not always supported disabled creators, the nine creators on the platform in this list are doing the disability community proud.

Here’s what they shared:

1.

@mackenzie.937##DwarfismAwarenessMonth – Day 14 ##Ableism ##SystemicAbleism ##DisabilityAwareness ##VoterSuppression♬ original sound – Mackenzie Trush

Disabled people can face many barriers to voting, and this TikTok shows that perfectly. TikToker Makenzie Trush, who has dwarfism, is unable to drop off her mail-in ballot by herself for the 2020 U.S. Presidential Election because the opening of the box is too high.

2.

@annieelaineyMore ##Inaccessible adventures! ##disability ##wheelchair ##TheFutureIsAccessible♬ original sound – Annie

Even if places claim to have accessible parking, that is not always true. If there are not ramps from a parking lot to the curb, for example, wheelchair users like Annie Elainey are not able to get to their intended destination without assistance.

3.

@erin.sydthe life of a Deaf student learning via zoom ##fyp ##asl ##deaf ##signlanguage ##hoh ##college ##zoom♬ Married Life – L.Dre

A delayed or inaccurate Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning is one of the challenges that Deaf and hard-of-hearing students can face while attending school over Zoom. That is, if professors even follow Deaf and hard-of-hearing students accommodations.

4.

@ymotokydand so it is… / / ##accessibility ##film ##movies ##canthearshit ##hispanicproblems ##fyp ##goingpro ##quarantine ##lockdown♬ Crocodile I Drive A Movie Thee Ay Ter – Brogan Thomas

If you choose to not have captions on while watching movies or television shows when you’re with others, it excludes Deaf and hard of hearing people who may be watching it with you. User ymotokyd‘s TikTok nails how frustrating it can be for family members or friends who decide to not turn on captions.

5.

@wilsonxcassie##concert ##music ##disability ##accessibility ##nonprofit ##smallbusiness♬ original sound – Cassie Wilson

As Cassie Wilson highlighted in her TikTok, many concert venues are not fully accessible, whether they have stairs or do not have dedicated space for people in wheelchairs. Wilson, who uses a wheelchair, showed photos that she took while at concerts — and her view of the stage was obstructed by people who stood every time.

6.

@binababiesThis happens to us almost every day. Causing anxiety about going places. Ppl were mad at US for blocking the lane ????????‍♀️???? ##accessibility ##powerchair♬ original sound – The real Bina

If you park on the striped lines next to an accessible parking space, you may block someone from getting out of a car. This TikToker needed the space on the designated striped lines to use a ramp to get out of the car with their power chair, but a neighboring car blocked the access lane.

7.

@themarvelousmariahY’all know how it is ##accessibility ##accessibilitymatters ##disability ##disabledtiktok ##urbanplanning ##architecture ##civilengineer♬ all credit to TATI – Dylan Shefman

Some places might not have access lanes at all, even if they claim to have accessible parking. TikToker @TheMarvelousMariah‘s apartment does not have access lanes or a ramp to the curb.

8.

@jasonhurdich##asl ##Deaf ##deafcommunity ##signlanguage ##deafawareness ##deaftiktok ##deafculture ##deaftalent ##learningasl ##cvs ##accessibility ##fyp ##pharmacy ##medical♬ original sound – Jason Hurdich

Now more than ever, people are picking up items through the drive-thru window at a food place or getting stuff through delivery to protect themselves from COVID-19. As Jason Hurdich explained in his TikTok, flyers blocking windows at a drive-thru can make it very hard for Deaf people to communicate with workers.

9.

@mackenzie.937Trip to the mail room & THANK YOU for 10k! ???? ##LearnOnTikTok ##DwarfismAwareness ##LittlePeople ##fyp ##Disability ##educate ##dwarfism ##accessibility♬ Up Beat (Married Life) – Kenyi

Unsurprisingly, accessibility barriers to pick up or send mail do not end at dropping off a ballot to vote. As shown by Makenzie Trush in this TikTok, mailboxes can be out of reach for people with dwarfism.

And if you want to help one thing be more inclusive to the disability community yourself, make sure to caption your own TikTok videos to make them accessible for Deaf and hard of hearing viewers.

@thespacegalTikTok, we would like the autocaption feature please. ##accessibility ##science♬ original sound – The Space Gal