Origin Story: Universal Access
In 2020, Included By Design was formed when Universal Access and GenerousSolutions merged. This is the origin story of Universal Access, told by CEO Sean Crump.
Looking back on the last 15 years of my life, I reflect on the differences I experience as a quadriplegic compared to my life before my accident. While on a camping trip over May long weekend back in 2004, I sustained a neck injury from a diving accident rendering me a person with quadriplegia. After a year in the hospital, I endured hours of rehabilitation and endless physio.
After relearning how to breathe without assistance, I then had to shift my focus on improving my mobility and maximizing my potential independence. All while not knowing what to expect when re-establishing myself back into the real world. Upon release, I was unfortunately placed into a group living facility, due to the limited options available at that time. As a then 20-year-old, it’s hard for me to explain the discouragement and despair in that environment. Each day, I tried more and more to focus on getting my life back in line with the trajectory I had envisioned for myself before my accident. It would be a challenging few years of acclimating myself to the barriers that I faced, as I learned to be resilient in spite of these challenges.
Immediately, I learned that we live in a society that makes it extremely difficult for anyone with disabilities. It was far more complicated than I had imagined not being able to live independently and with the certainty I was once accustomed. One significant difference would be accessibility and having the ability to confidently go to a destination knowing definitively that it will be accommodating to my needs. This set me on my path to starting Universal Access.
Universal Access was born out of my sheer frustration of being limited to meet, what I perceived, my full potential. I was tired of calling ahead everywhere and being told that space was accessible, only to arrive and learn that was not the case.
With no proper legislation in place ensuring that I could live my life like those who are not “limited”, I decided I would make the change I wanted, but more importantly, needed to see. What does accessibility mean to me? Accessibility means everything…
It means that I, and the 1 in 6 other Canadians who live day to day with some form of disability, can live a full life, unencumbered by barriers that exist today. It means that real inclusion can be achieved, and those who are limited by these barriers, physical or societal, will no longer face the burdens of living a life that is surrounded by limited expectation. Allowing anyone to reach their full potential, as well as exceed the expectations and goals that they have envisioned for themselves. My vision is that one day, what accessibility means to me, will be no longer looked at as an exception, but as a norm.
My goal is to create immersive communities where all people feel comfortable going out and participating in different social
events, employment opportunities, or everyday tasks, without the anxiety or apprehension regarding the accessibility of the
location. We are hoping and pushing for our insignia to become synonymous with accessibility and more specifically in
indicating accessible locations, buildings, venues etc. that can be utilized by all prospective patrons.
Thank you for taking the time to learn more about my story and my experience with the lack of accessibility. I hope it allowed me to shed some light on what we hope to achieve here at Universal Access.
All the Best,
Sean Crump, Head Chair & CEO
