Raising a glass to accessibility
HandyCup pub fosters a community of people with disabilities and the able-bodied, spreading compassion and acceptance, Wang Xin reports.
Fu Ming, a 38-year-old business owner with a physical disability who is dedicated to promoting accessibility, recently celebrated his birthday with a heartwarming crowd of friends at Pub HandyCup in Shanghai.
As the first accessible pub in China, owned by Xia Yujie, Pub HandyCup's name is a play on words from "handicap", embodying the vision of breaking down barriers with drinks and creating an open, inclusive space for all.
When Fu was less than a year old, he fell and suffered a brain injury, which led to limitations on the left side of his body. Using a wheelchair, this regular pub customer, better known as Xiao Mi, freely navigates in and out of the pub thanks to its thoughtful accessible design.
The pub incorporates a ramp and a wide, foldable side door with handrails at the entrance, which wheelchair users can open and close with one hand. Inside the pub, seats and tables are on both sides, leaving enough space in the middle for wheelchairs to pass through and turn around. The table heights are adjustable, and the two bar counters are also designed at different heights to allow wheelchair users to socialize comfortably.
Moreover, many details are designed for the visually and hearing-impaired. A Braille map outlining the entire space is near the entrance, and Braille labels are in many of the pub's corners. All table corners are rounded to prevent injuries, a sign language board is hung on the wall for people to use to communicate with the hearing impaired, and even hearing aid batteries are available for free.
These details may seem unusual or subtle to the able-bodied, but it is these practical, common little courtesies that quietly yet concretely and naturally demonstrate accessibility.
"To me, accessibility is about people crossing physical boundaries for a shared vision or goal, understanding different needs, and making each one able to live their life in similar convenience," says Fu.
"This pub is open, inclusive, and cocreated by us all — not only by us with disabilities, but also by the able-bodied from diverse groups, backgrounds and countries."
