rotmanmagazine.ca / 111

Q

&A

In a recent presentation you said: “I live in a world that

wasn’t built for me.” What you did you mean by that?

Basically, the world we live in — and most of the products

and technology that we use — are built with a specific user

in mind: The able-bodied individual. When I’m traveling or

navigating physical environments, I am constantly encoun-

tering barriers because city planners or designers didn’t

prioritize the inclusivity of these spaces for everyone. For

example, I’ve seen elevators that are not designed to accom-

modate a wheelchair user because they’re either so tiny that

I can’t even fit in or the buttons are so high that I can’t reach

them. I always think, ‘How did someone believe that this

was the right way to design this?’

How do you plan to make accessibility a forethought

rather than an afterthought?

I see our app, AccessNow, as a vehicle to not only generate

conversations but to also lead to real impact and change.

Rather than creating an awareness campaign that would

A leader in the realm of

accessibility discusses

progress on making

cities—and the world—

accessible to all.

Interview by Victoria Heath

QUESTIONS FOR Maayan Ziv, Founder, Tech Entrepreneur and Activist