Accessibility isn’t a statement.
It isn’t a checkbox.
It’s a practice, a strategy, and a commitment.
2025 marks 35 years of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) — a milestone worth celebrating, yet also a reminder of how far we still have to go.
In the U.S., accessibility is still too often treated as a compliance task rather than a meaningful part of customer experience. Even organizations with accessibility teams often fall back on assumptions, generic guidelines, or outdated checklists.
And the result? Performative accessibility — something I explored previously in Beyond the Checkbox: What Performative Accessibility Really Looks Like. On paper, access exists. In practice, it frequently falls apart.
When Access Isn’t Authentic
This year alone, I attended several events that asked attendees whether they needed any access services. Each time, I checked the boxes on registration forms to request interpreters and live captions — and each time, those services were not delivered. I ended up relying on a speech‑to‑text app just to follow along, which is far from equal access.
Accessibility isn’t just about using tools or hiring providers. It touches digital systems, email communication, documents, signage, announcements, venues, and customer service. When even one piece fails, the entire experience becomes inaccessible.
Why offer accessibility options if you’re not going to follow through?
A Lesson From Japan: Consistency Matters
During a recent trip to Japan, one thing stood out immediately based on my experience as a visitor: tactile paving is everywhere. Streets, train stations, buildings — the consistency is striking. In the U.S., I often have to remember which stations or intersections include tactile paths and which do not. In Japan, the system appeared so reliable that it was visible almost everywhere I went.
To my knowledge, this consistency did not originate from a sweeping national accessibility law. Instead, tactile paving began with a single local action.
In the 1960s, an engineer named Seiichi Miyake wanted to help a friend who was losing his sight navigate streets safely. Using his skills and his own funds, he developed tactile guidance blocks — now known as tenji blocks.
Tenji blocks are the raised yellow tiles found on sidewalks and transit platforms: some have long, straight ridges that indicate a safe path to follow, while others have raised dots that signal a stop, hazard, or decision point.
Miyake’s town installed them first. Other towns followed. Cities adopted them. Over time, tactile paving became a nationwide standard. From what I understand, a small, local solution — driven by care and practicality — evolved into a system that blind people now rely on daily.
Ikigai: Purpose‑Driven Accessibility
Learning how tactile paving began reminded me of a deeper concept in Japanese culture: ikigai — often described as a sense of purpose that connects what you care about, what you’re good at, and what your community needs.
Miyake’s story reflects this idea. He recognized a real barrier, had the skills to address it, and acted — not because he was required to, but because it made everyday life safer and more navigable for others.
To my understanding, this purpose‑driven mindset may help explain why tactile paving spread so widely and consistently. It wasn’t treated as a special accommodation. It became part of the environment.
You can feel this approach throughout Japan’s built environment. Even where accessibility laws may be weaker than in the United States, people often design with intention. It doesn’t feel like compliance. It feels like ikigai expressed through everyday design.
Communication as Accessibility: A Visitor’s Perspective
As a deaf traveler, I also noticed something else — not systemic deaf accessibility, but moment‑to‑moment communication.
Japan is not, to my knowledge, a deaf‑friendly country in a structural sense. For example, public announcements are typically audio‑only. Many businesses still ask customers to call, send faxes, or mail paper forms. These barriers are real.
And yet, based on my experience, I often felt less friction communicating with locals in Japan than I do at home in the United States.
The solutions weren’t perfect. But the willingness to communicate made the difference.
I explore this more deeply in my article, Ikigai in Communication, which focuses on accessibility for deaf people, real‑time communication, and what businesses can learn from these everyday interactions.
Stronger Laws Don’t Guarantee Better Access
The United States has strong disability laws, yet access remains inconsistent, for example:
- Tactile paving appears in some locations but not others
- Public announcements are often audio‑only
- Many businesses still rely on phone calls instead of offering additional options for real‑time text or accessible digital channels
Laws matter. But they do not guarantee better experiences for disabled people. Consistency comes from purpose, not paperwork.
This is why accessibility efforts fail when they come from checklists instead of genuine understanding:
- Without awareness, strategy is meaningless.
- Without strategy, action is scattered.
- Without action, even the best guidance stays theoretical.
Why Businesses Need Expertise — and Purpose
Information alone doesn’t create accessibility. Information is easy to find. Implementation is not.
Webinars, checklists, and generic guides may raise some awareness, but they rarely lead to sustainable, usable access. Real accessibility requires expert guidance that combines technical knowledge with lived experience.
In my work with organizations, I help teams:
- Understand real experiences of disabled customers
- Identify hidden accessibility gaps
- Build custom strategies that go beyond compliance
- Implement solutions that work in practice
Accessibility succeeds when organizations execute consistently across teams and systems.
Accessibility isn’t optional. It’s a commitment your customers can feel. Done right, it becomes part of your organization’s ikigai — what you contribute to the world because it’s the right thing to do.
Make Accessibility Part of Your Organization’s Ikigai
If you lead customer experience, digital products, marketing, or service delivery, now is the time to move beyond checklists.
I work with organizations like yours to implement accessibility that truly works — in real life, not just on paper — so your customers feel included, valued, and empowered every time they interact with your brand.
Don’t treat accessibility as optional or performative. Make it real. Make it purposeful. Make it an integral part of your organization’s ikigai.
Contact me today to start transforming your customer experience.