To the least of folx

You’ll pardon me if I update some biblical language to be slightly more modern and deliberately inclusive, I hope.

An idea has presented itself in several ways over the past few weeks, and it won’t let go of me until I write it down: accommodating the least of a group helps everyone in the group.

Actually it probably started with this 99% Invisible episode on Curb Cuts. I’ve never heard anyone complain about a curb cut in a sidewalk, but I know a number of folks with mobility aids that depend on them to navigate the city. And frankly they make life a lot easier if you’re on a bike, or pushing a stroller, for two examples.

There are so many opportunities for this kind of thinking in the States right now. (I can’t speak to the rest of the world, because I haven’t left the States in a number of years.) Making voting easier for the folks who are the most remote or disenfranchised makes voting easier for everyone. Supporting our unhoused neighbors in finding services and housing helps everyone else, because it makes the community generally healthier and happier. Making that next PowerPoint easily visible from the back of the room - even if we’re on a Zoom call - helps everyone to more easily understand your presentation. I see this almost every day, and maybe if I point it out, more folx will see it too.

As ever, wear your mask, wash your hands, drink your water, call your people. <3