At The Dog Park
at the dog park
More Posts from W0mbat-bug and Others
Cars vs Accessible Worlds
Alright, let me talk about one thing in terms of accessibility in science fiction settings - and Solarpunk specifically - that also has more than one side to it: Cars and accessibility. Because it is more complicated than you'd thing.
See: The fact that our world is so car centric really, really hinders accessibility. Wide streets are a hindrance for even normal pedastrians, cyclists and so on. If I want to get from A to B, and the route crosses a street, and there is only a traffic light every like 500 meters, it means tat I usually need either to risk my life or take the long way around to get there. And that is a fucking bother even when you are healthy and can easily take that long way around. And the more car centric a society is, the worse the issue becomes. Here in Germany it is a lot easier still to cross a street than in many places in the US.
And of course this gets a lot worse if you are disabled. Be it that you just cannot walk that far. Or if you are blind and cannot even see in what direction you could go for the next traffic light. Or if you are hard of hearing or deaf, you might be more in danger of being surprised by a car. (And that is without going into how electric cars being so fucking quiet makes stuff even more dangerous.) And, you know, neurodivergent people might also just struggle with the fucking noise that is created by roads and is often inescapable in big cities.
And of course even outside of the environmental issues, the constant presence of cars is also a health risk. Not just because of the risk of accidents, but also due to the pollution and how it interacts. Even if we all were driving electric cars, there would still be all those microplastics created by tires and streets and stuff.
So, really. We do need to move away from car centric infrastructure to make our lives healthier and to make the world more accessible for disabled people too.
BUT...
But there is the issue that some disabled people still might be in need to use some sort of personal transportation device that can cover both short and large distances, because for one reason or another public transport just does not work and cannot work for them.
For example someone with severe anxiety issues, or someone who will be easily suffering from sensory overwhelm. There might be other issues, too. Just some folks will always need something like cars.
And of course there is also the fact that stuff like emergency services will still need streets accessible to cars. Because the emergency services will just not get around using something like cars to get to all the places they might be needed.
And this... makes things complicated. Because infrastructure should not be car centric, no. But it needs to be accessible by cars - and be it just for emergency services.
This is just something that I would love to see more talked about especially within the Solarpunk sphere.
February 28, 2024 - American military veterans burn their uniforms calling for a free Palestine, at a vigil for Aaron Bushnell in Portland, Oregon. [source]
HELP ME GET INSULIN (HUMALOG) INJECTION, PLEASE DONATE AND SHARE!!
I am Yusuf, I had been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at a tender age, a condition that demanded a delicate balance of insulin, a commodity scarce in Gaza war-ravaged homeland.
As conflict raged around me, have struggled to find the insulin I desperately needed to survive. With medical supplies scarce and hospitals overwhelmed, obtaining medication became a daily battle fraught with danger.
One day, as the bombs fell closer to my house,my insulin supply ran out completely. With no pharmacies open and no aid reaching my area, I faced a life-threatening dilemma. Without insulin, my blood sugar levels soared, threatening to send me into a coma.I I'm here begging for your support to help me get insulin
My goal is $198/$365
Click here to donate and share
help a married couple in Gaza survive through the war and live out the rest of their lives
I'm sorry for being so sappy, but I wanted to show you guys something.
When I first donated to PCRF in December 2023, it was barely 10% close to its goal. Now in March 2024, they're also 100%. Everyone of you has helped support a better future for Gaza.
They're so close to their goal. Please donate or share this post so that they can get to their goal🇵🇸
