Some people seem to think that if buildings are made "accessible" for disabled or mobility-impaired people, that the result will be inconvenient for the able-bodied. Nothing could be more wrong. Principles of Universal Design (UD) promote the creation of environments that are easily usable by the greatest number of people, both abled and disabled.
In many cases, a UD approach increases the attractiveness of a space and makes it more convenient for everyone, regardless of physical ability.
For example, think about "rocker" light switches, which were developed to make it easier for disabled people to control the lights in a room. These switches are now considered a design "upgrade" over the old-style flip (or toggle) switches, and most people see them as part of the decor without knowing that they represent accessibility. This is only one example of how intentional accessibility benefits everyone.
Turning a round doorknob can be difficult, painful, or even impossible for people with common conditions such as arthritis, people with neurological conditions that limit hand function, people recovering from injuries, and people who have their hands full of packages. A lever doorknob solves this problem. It can be opened simply by pressing - no need to grasp and twist. If your hand is occupied (or in pain), you can use your elbow. In addition to being convenient, Levers can add beautiful designs and artistic flourishes to home decor.
Some people are reluctant to build ramps to the entrances of buildings, even though ramps make buildings easier to enter. There is a common misconception that a ramp always looks unattractive and detracts from the appearance of the building. Why would a staircase be better looking than a ramp?
Stairways can be dangerous, awkward to use, a barrier for children or others with short legs, miserable for the elderly or anyone who is tired or ill, impossible for some disabled persons, a blockade for strollers, shopping carts, walkers, and wheelchairs, and often quite ugly.
Architects have spent hundreds of years inventing ways to make stairs look good, despite all the problems they present. Stairs have been accepted as the normal way to get from one level to another. We see them everywhere, and have become so accustomed to looking at them, that we don't even notice how inconvenient and unattractive they are.
Some designers even add unnecessary steps to a space to create different levels because of some fantasy that it looks good or that it is a method to organize the way a space will be used. In what world are deliberately-created trip hazards good organization?
Unlike stairs, ramps are accessible to nearly everyone. When intentionally designed as part of a building's architecture, they look natural and may even be beautiful.
Choosing My Religion
I often see people who accuse others of being “fake Christians,” typically because the accused person appears to behave in a way inconsistent with the teachings of Jesus. My understanding is that the only requirement to be a “real” Christian is to believe in the divinity of Jesus. It is certainly possible that many of the people accused of being “fake” actually do believe that, even if they don’t believe they have to do anything about it.
In reality, there are very few people whose daily behavior is 100% compliant with the rules and recommendations of their chosen religion, and this applies to all religions, not just Christianity. If everyone who does not comply with all the tenets if their faith is “fake,” we have a world full of fakes.
Further, it can be very difficult to determine which specific faith someone follows, considering the hundreds or thousands of variations that are connected to every major religion.
Research suggests there are at least 46 prominent Christian denominations, with many more branches, sects, breakaway groups, independent churches, etc., adding up to an estimated 50,000 different flavors of Christian.
Although there are three major branches of Islam, there are many sects, groups, and movements. Some sources indicate that there are at least 73 distinct Islamic followings and traditions.
There are at least three widely recognized branches of Judaism, along with a broader array of different movements, sects, and affiliations. Research does not yield a specific number.
There seem to be three major divisions of Buddhism, along with many sects, sub-sects, communities, and traditions. Some sources indicate at least 1,000 different forms of Buddhism.
Hinduism is commonly understood to have four major denominations, with many different branches, practices, and traditions, often overlapping or including each other.
Those are the five largest religions worldwide, but there are many others. Estimates indicate between 4,000 and 10,000 distinctly identifiable religions worldwide. Most of these are relatively small, regional traditions.
There is a general trend for people to disconnect from religion altogether. No need to fake anything then.
This is how they do it
If you want to think about how "flooding the zone" works, imagine this scenario. Over breakfast, I tell my husband, "This week I'm going to have lunch in Budapest, slap your mother, eat all the donuts I want, slash the tires on your car, fix the leaky toilet, make the neighbor stop stealing our mail, and replace all the doorknobs. By the way, did you know that our roof is too slippery for Santa Claus? It's really dangerous to have a roof like that, and flat roofs are much better. Anyway, there's more coffee if you want it and I'm a lot prettier than your sister."
Hubby isn't sure how to respond, but he knows that lunch in Budapest is unrealistic and our mail hasn't been stolen. The comments about the roof sound crazy, but in the meantime, hearing that I might fix the leak makes him feel hopeful. "Don't you dare slap my mother," he says. I just laugh and tell him that's not what I meant, I'm just going to tell her to stop giving our kids so many cookies and I might have to yell a little. By now, he can barely remember anything I said, except that I mentioned his sister. "What's my sister got to do with it?" he asks. "She bakes the cookies," I explain.
At this point, he's thoroughly confused and doesn't even remember to get a second cup of coffee. Later in the week, when he finds all his tires slashed, he storms into the house, only to find that I've removed all the doorknobs. It turns out that I sold them for scrap metal, and Hubby eventually has to hire a guy to replace them (with plastic ones so I won't take them again). He doesn't even ask me about the tires, which get replaced by insurance. The toilet is still leaking.
More Random Thoughts
I understand pumpkin spice cookies, candy, drinks, even candles. But dish soap?
When I got my first job, it was my understanding that my employer had control over what I did at work. They could implement a dress code, require employees to speak courteously to each other and customers, insist that we be on time, etc. As soon as I left work at the end of the day, my life was my own. I could go where I chose, say whatever I wanted, dress as I liked, etc. When did that change? When did we, as a society, decide that an employer owns a worker's entire life?
I'm old enough to remember when Republicans said that communists were horrible because they controlled what people could say, and encouraged citizens to snitch on their friends and neighbors, and expelled people from their jobs if they expressed even mild disagreement with the regime.
I must be really old, because I can remember when presidents, vice-presidents, and members of congress tried to behave and speak with dignity.
For decades, we've been told, "There are two sides to every story," with the implication that both versions are equally valid (often with comparisons to two side of the same coin). This is utter nonsense. Sometimes there are three, four, or ten sides. Sometimes, there are no sides, just a big blob. Often one of the "sides" is the truth and the others are something else. If you're indoors and a person tells you it's raining outside, while another says it's dry and sunny, you don't think these are two sides of equal validity. You stick your head out to see for yourself.
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