Ice Cream and Tea and Accessibility

 In the evenings, my caregiving friend usually comes over around 8:00 or so, and we visit for a little while before we start the bedtime routine. We sit at my kitchen table, and I offer them hot tea or ice cream, both of which I try to keep in substantial supply and variety. Then as we sip or scoop, we talk about the usual things, like what we did that day, how is work, upcoming plans, what God is teaching us, and how to solve global issues. 

The other night, my friend Abby was here. Abby is an old friend from my previous Fort Wayne days, and we've stayed in touch over the years and have had our share of adventures together. We've actually been pen pals for a while (the old-school kind, with stamps and envelopes and everything), and we typically wrote letters to each other while we were drinking tea, so on this occasion we decided to have a long-awaited "cuppa" together. She is a pretty awesome cyclist, and she and her husband had just returned from a 260-mile round-trip bike ride, so needless to say she had stories to tell! After that she asked me about my summer adventure, so I filled her in. I told her that I was keeping this blog, and that I was looking for ideas for things to write about (let me know if you have questions or suggestions!). 

"Well, isn't one of the themes of We Carry Kevan 'redefining accessibility'?" she asked, referring to the t-shirt I was wearing. "What does that mean to you, in this season?" I forgot to mention that Abby is also a high school teacher, and therefore is very good at asking thoughtful questions. 

For me, redefining accessibility means that I look for ways to make my world and my dreams more accessible by inviting my friends to partner with me. I am grateful for the ADA and all the ways that has improved life for people with disabilities, but it has its limits and conditions. Laws and legislations do not change the hearts or minds of people, and the attitudes of people are our greatest assets and greatest obstacles. So accessibility is not just automatic doors and ramps and parking spaces; those things are awesome and improve life for everyone, but they don't replace the need for people to love and serve each other. True accessibility - the free and limitless and thriving kind - is achieved through kindness and awareness, friendship and empathy, creativity and courage. 

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