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For real estate developers and city builders, accessibility is often viewed as a compliance requirement rather than an opportunity. But what if accessibility could be a driver for engagement, innovation, and a more vibrant built environment?
We spoke with Shay Erlich, Founder and Executive Director of Ready for Access, a disability experience firm that helps organizations design truly inclusive environments. With deep expertise in accessibility consulting, advocacy, and creative solutions, Shay has worked across public spaces, the arts, and urban development to rethink accessibility beyond regulations—ensuring that disabled people can fully engage with and take ownership of the spaces around them.
In this conversation, Shay shares valuable insights on why accessibility should be embedded from the outset of a project—and how it can enhance the user experience for all while driving long-term impact.
A public square where children of all abilities, including a child using a wheelchair, engage in playful interactions with water fountains. Empathy Retreat—Experience (Source Robert Barlea for AMAIS, 2022)
Shay Erlich: I never made a conscious decision to become a disability advocate—it was something I had to do just to navigate my own life. I became disabled in my early 20s, while I was in university and starting my career. Suddenly, I had to explain my needs everywhere I went, just to continue participating in the same spaces as before.
Over time, I realized I had a skill for helping people truly understand the complexity of accessibility. Every time I thought I could step away from advocacy, another opportunity would come up, and I couldn’t resist working to make spaces more inclusive.
Shay Erlich: Creative placemaking is about shaping cities and public spaces that invite engagement. There’s something powerful about bold structures, vibrant colours, and interactive design elements—but they need to be accessible to everyone to truly have an impact.
Disabled people want to engage with public spaces in the same way as everyone else. We want to experience play, wonder, and connection. The challenge is ensuring we have the means to access and interact with these spaces fully. Accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about designing spaces where people feel ownership and belonging.
Shay Erlich: There’s no universal definition of accessibility. Every space, every project, and every user experience is different, so accessibility needs to be considered in context. Too often, accessibility is designed for just one disabled person in a crowd. But what happens when an entire group includes disabled individuals?
When I go out with friends, there are often multiple wheelchair users among us—yet most spaces aren’t designed to accommodate communities of disabled people interacting together. That’s a missed opportunity.
Shay Erlich: Accessibility isn’t a one-time checklist—it’s an ongoing commitment. Real estate developers and city builders need to build long-term relationships with the disability community to maintain meaningful accessibility.
A common example is accessible bathrooms—they’re often well-designed initially, but over time, they get used for storage, making them effectively inaccessible. Accessibility fails when there’s no one ensuring that spaces remain functional in daily operations, not just in the design phase.
A man performing Visual Vernacular.
Shay Erlich: One of the most exciting trends is creative accessibility—going beyond basic accommodations to make accessibility a fundamental part of the experience.
For example, in live performance, we’ve moved beyond standard hearing interpreters to deaf interpreters who use creative visual vernacular, making performances more engaging for deaf audiences.
Looking ahead, I’m especially interested in how technology can bring experiences to disabled individuals, rather than requiring them to physically access a space. Virtual reality, for instance, could allow chronically ill people to experience cultural spaces and artistic events from home—redefining accessibility in entirely new ways.
Shay Erlich: If you’re a disabled person balancing advocacy and creative work, my biggest advice is to separate the two roles whenever possible. Advocacy can be exhausting, and constantly fighting for accommodations can interfere with the creative process.
For non-disabled allies, my advice is simple: start the conversation. The first conversation won’t be enough. Neither will the second. But the more you engage with the disability community, the more patterns emerge, and real change becomes possible.
Shay Erlich: A disability doula is someone who provides peer support to disabled individuals, helping them navigate accessibility challenges, advocate for their needs, and build confidence in their identity.
Beyond one-on-one support, we’re starting to see disability doulas take on roles in public projects and community spaces, ensuring accessibility is truly integrated into design and planning processes.
Shay Erlich: Ready for Access is a disability experience firm dedicated to helping organizations create truly inclusive environments. We work as a bridge between businesses, the disability community, and the built environment—providing training, consultation, and co-design services to help organizations make accessibility an integral part of their work.
Our goal is simple: to ensure that the 30% of Canadians who are disabled are not left out when we build the future of our cities and cultural spaces.
