Honey, grab your favorite beverage and settle in—TechBear’s about to serve up some truth with a side of sass about the absolute MESS that is performative accessibility in our digital world.
Table of Contents
The Picture That Says It All (And Not in a Good Way)
Sweet Jesus, take the wheel! Y’all have probably seen that viral photograph making the rounds on social media—a man in a wheelchair patiently waiting for an elevator while staring at a poster that cheerfully proclaims “TODAY IS THE DAY WE TAKE THE STAIRS.” If that image doesn’t perfectly capture the hot mess that is performative accessibility, then I don’t know what does!
That poster, bless its well-intentioned heart, was probably meant to be a harmless fitness motivation. Instead, it became an unintentional monument to everything wrong with how we approach accessibility in 2025. It’s like putting a “Walk Don’t Run” sign on a wheelchair ramp—technically not wrong, but completely missing the point with the grace of a rhinoceros in a china shop.
This is what we call performative accessibility—the practice of implementing accommodations that look good on paper but fail spectacularly at providing genuine access and dignity. And honey, it’s EVERYWHERE.
TechBear’s Reality Check: It’s Not Just About Ramps
Listen here, precious—at Gymnarctos Studios, we live by the principle that accessibility without barriers means technology should work for everyone, period. Not “everyone who fits our narrow definition of normal,” not “everyone except those people,” but EVERYONE. And let me tell you, the current state of accessibility would make my fur stand on end if I weren’t already this naturally fabulous.
The problem isn’t just physical spaces (though Lord knows we’ve got plenty to say about those steep ramps that require a PhD in physics to navigate). The real crisis is happening in our digital world, where 95% of websites have accessibility issues according to the latest WebAIM survey. That’s down from 96% last year, which means we’re making progress at roughly the speed of continental drift.
The Digital Disaster Zone
Your typical website in 2025 is about as accessible as a secret speakeasy with a password written in invisible ink. We’re talking about:
- Videos without captions (because apparently deaf people don’t deserve to know what’s happening)
- Images without alt-text (leaving screen readers to announce “image”. Thank you, Captain Obvious!)
- Forms that can’t be navigated with keyboards (forcing users to play digital Twister just to submit their information)
- Color-coded information that’s meaningless if you can’t distinguish between red and green
- Flashing content that can trigger seizures (because nothing says “welcome” like a potential medical emergency)
Each of these represents a moment where developers chose convenience over human-centered technology—one of our core values at Gymnarctos. It’s like they forgot that real humans with diverse abilities would actually need to USE their creations.
Gaming: Where Accessibility Goes to Die
Oh honey, don’t get me started on gaming accessibility—actually, scratch that, DO get me started because this is where things get really spicy!
Gaming in 2025 is like a exclusive club where the secret handshake involves perfect vision, flawless hearing, and nimble fingers. Many games rely exclusively on:
- Visual cues to signal enemy positions (sorry, visually impaired gamers!)
- Audio alerts for danger (deaf and hard-of-hearing players can just guess or get caught by surprise, apparently)
- Rapid button combinations that assume everyone has the same motor abilities
- Color-coding for critical information (colorblind players, you’re on your own)
The burden of making games accessible falls entirely on disabled players, who must hunt down expensive custom controllers, specialized software, or community-created modifications. A controller adapted for one-handed use might cost hundreds of dollars and require weeks of custom fabrication. Meanwhile, gaming companies are out here adding haptic feedback and motion sensing like they’re trying to exclude as many people as possible.
At Gymnarctos, our inclusion by design philosophy means we consider diverse user perspectives from day one, not as an afterthought when someone complains loud enough.
The Architecture of Afterthoughts
Physical spaces aren’t much better, darling. The Americans with Disabilities Act gave us ramps, and apparently everyone decided that was good enough. Never mind that:
- Steep wheelchair ramps require assistance to navigate safely, turning independent access into a public display of need
- Accessible bathrooms are filled with storage supplies or positioned down narrow hallways
- Elevators that demand the disassembly of your dignity alongside your wheelchair, turning a simple ride into a draining ordeal of multiple trips and wasted energy.
These aren’t accidents—they’re the predictable result of treating accessibility as a legal checkbox rather than a fundamental design principle. It’s hostile compliance at its finest.
The Language of Exclusion (And Why It Makes TechBear Growl)
The most insidious part of performative accessibility is how organizations respond when disabled people raise concerns. Instead of listening with humility and urgency, they deploy a predictable arsenal of dismissive responses:
- “We don’t have the money” (while somehow finding budget for aesthetic improvements)
- “Historic building exemption” (as if old buildings are more important than human dignity)
- “That would only benefit you” (ignoring that many disabilities remain invisible due to stigma)
- “It’s on the agenda” (where accessibility discussions get perpetually deferred as “low priority”)
This gaslighting transforms disabled community members from valued participants into troublemakers, making unreasonable demands. It piles insult upon the original injury.
The Economics of Getting It Right
Here’s the tea, sweethearts: organizations claim accessibility improvements are too expensive, but this argument is shakier than my patience when someone asks if I’ve tried turning it off and on again for the fifteenth time.
The disabled community represents over one billion people globally with significant spending power. Companies that prioritize accessibility gain access to loyal customer bases while avoiding costly lawsuits and negative publicity. The cost of building accessibility into initial design is almost always lower than retrofitting accommodations later.
At Gymnarctos, we practice innovation with purpose—we don’t chase trends, we solve real problems. And guess what? Accessible design often benefits everyone:
- Curb cuts help wheelchair users AND parents with strollers
- Large, high-contrast fonts aid visually impaired users AND improve readability for everyone
- Captions help deaf users AND people in noisy environments
- Voice controls assist motor-impaired users AND anyone with their hands full
TechBear’s Action Plan for Real Accessibility
Moving past performative accessibility requires more than better ramps or clearer signage. It demands:
1. Center Disabled Voices in Leadership
Stop making accessibility decisions without disabled people at the table! Too many accommodations are designed by non-disabled people making assumptions about disabled needs. When disabled voices are included in governance and design processes, accessibility becomes integrated into all decisions.
2. Embrace Universal Design Principles
Instead of adding accommodations as afterthoughts, create spaces and systems that work for diverse bodies from the start. This means:
- Wide, gently sloped pathways as primary entrances
- Development practices that build inclusion from the ground up
- Clear communication that translates complex concepts into understandable terms
3. Understand Accessibility as Civil Rights
Stop framing accessibility improvements as special favors. This is about basic human dignity and equal access to public spaces, employment, education, and digital experiences.
4. Invest in Ongoing Education
Accessibility isn’t a one-time achievement—it’s an ongoing process. As technology evolves and our understanding expands, our approaches must evolve too.
The Gymnarctos Difference
At Gymnarctos Studios, we don’t just talk about accessibility—we live it through our continuous growth commitment. Our values aren’t just pretty words on a website; they’re practical guides for daily work:
- Accessibility Without Barriers: Technology should work for everyone, period
- Inclusion By Design: Representation isn’t optional—it’s essential
- Human-Centered Technology: The human experience comes first, always
- Clear Communication: Complex doesn’t mean complicated
Whether we’re providing IT support to small businesses, developing custom software, or creating games that center LGBTQIA+ experiences, we consider diverse perspectives from the beginning, not as an afterthought.
The Bottom Line (Because TechBear Always Has One)
The man waiting for that elevator deserves better than accidentally ironic signage. He deserves institutions that recognize his full humanity, value his contributions, and design with his needs in mind from the beginning.
True accessibility isn’t about “special accommodations” for disabled people—it’s about creating a world designed for human diversity, where everyone can participate fully in the spaces and experiences that shape our shared life. That’s not a burden to bear but a vision worth building.
Until we move beyond performative accessibility to authentic inclusion, we’ll continue creating spaces that proclaim welcome while practicing exclusion. And honey, that serves absolutely no one well.
Now go forth and make your corner of the digital world more accessible—before TechBear has to come over there and do it himself. Trust me, you do NOT want to see me in full accessibility audit mode. I make Marie Kondo look positively relaxed when it comes to organizing inclusive experiences.
TechBear is the sassy alter ego of Jason, founder of Gymnarctos Studios LLC. When not dispensing tech wisdom with a healthy dose of ursine sarcasm, he can be found lecturing smart devices about proper accessibility protocols and teaching squirrels the fundamentals of inclusive design. For more accessibility insights that actually make sense, visit Gymnarctos Studios or follow @gymnarctosstudiosllc on social media.
Got a burning question for Techbear? You can email him at TheRealTechBearDiva@gymnarctosstudiosllc.com.
For business-related inquiries, please email jason@gymnarctosstudiosllc.com. We’re based in Edina, Minnesota, serving small businesses and individuals in the Twin Cities Metro.
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