Disability Rights Advocacy Center - DRAC

In Nigeria, access often comes with a question:
“Can you prove it?”
For people with invisible disabilities, this can mean:
Repeated hospital visits for documentation
Explaining their condition over and over
Trying to be taken seriously in systems that are already stretched
And even then, support is not guaranteed.

In workplaces, in schools, even in public services, the expectation is often the same:
Prove that your need is valid.
But this process is exhausting. And for many, it becomes a reason to stop asking for help altogether.
Support should not depend on how convincingly someone can explain their pain.

Looks accessible. Isn’t.

“Accessible event.”
“Accessible venue.”

It sounds right until you get there.

There’s no sign language interpretation.
No captions for presentations.
The “accessible seating” is hard to reach or poorly positioned.
And the stage? Not accessible to wheelchair users.

So yes, the event was labelled “accessible.”
But was it actually usable?

No access to communication
No access to movement within the space
No access to full participation

This is what “tick-box accessibility” looks like:
The label is there
The access is not

Accessibility means people can enter, navigate, communicate, and participate, independently and safely.

If any of that is missing, it’s not accessible.

Accessibility isn’t a claim. It’s an experience.

Have you attended an event that was called “accessible” but clearly wasn’t? Let’s talk.

Looks accessible. Isn’t.

You see the accessible restroom sign on the door.
So you assume it’s usable.

But then you’re told:
“It’s locked… we keep cleaning supplies in there.”

Or worse, you get inside and find a broken toilet, no grab bars, poor lighting, and barely any space to move.

That’s not accessibility. That’s exclusion with a label on it.

A restroom turned into a storage space
No room to maneuver a wheelchair
No grab bars for support
No emergency pull cord
And sometimes… not even unlocked

And then comes the line:
“Can you just use the regular one?”

That misses the point entirely.

Accessibility means dignity, safety, and independence, not inconvenience or permission.

A sign on the door isn’t access.
Access is when the space actually works.

Have you ever experienced this or seen it happen? Let’s talk about it.