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A 2025 New Year’s Resolution: Building a World for Everyone

As we step into the New Year, many of us are making resolutions to improve ourselves or our lives. New Year, New Me, as they say. But this year, let’s challenge ourselves to think beyond personal goals. What if we focused on making the world a better place for others, especially those whose voices are often unheard? This year, resolve to create a more inclusive, accessible, and diverse world.

Inclusion isn’t just a trendy idea; it’s about ensuring that everyone feels valued and supported, regardless of their abilities. While strides have been made in areas like accessibility for people with physical impairments, cognitive disabilities often remain in the shadows. Conditions like autism, ADHD, dyslexia, or cognitive challenges caused by brain injuries or aging can profoundly impact how people navigate the world. Yet, these differences are often misunderstood or ignored.

True accessibility goes beyond physical spaces. For someone with a developmental disability, accessibility might mean providing information in clear, simple language, or designing public spaces that reduce sensory overload from bright lights or loud noises. It might mean creating technology that is easy to use, with features like text-to-speech or customizable settings on websites. Accessibility is about more than ramps and elevators—it’s about ensuring that everyone can participate fully, no matter how they process or experience the world. We’ve talked about it many times in blogs or on our podcasts, how the concept of universal design needs to be at the start, not an afterthought.

But it’s not just about changing our spaces or our tools; it’s about changing our attitudes. Too often, cognitive disabilities are met with impatience or judgment. How many times have we labeled someone as “difficult” or “disruptive” without considering the challenges they might be facing? This year, let’s focus on learning more about these experiences, educating ourselves, and sharing what we learn with others. By listening to the stories of people who live with cognitive disabilities, we can challenge our assumptions and become better allies.

Of course, resolutions are meaningless if they don’t lead to action. Look for ways to put these ideas into practice. Start by evaluating the spaces and communities you’re part of, asking how they can be more welcoming and supportive for people with disabilities. Just how accessible is your own home? Look for opportunities to amplify the voices of those who often go unheard, and support organizations doing the hard work of advocacy and change. Here at DDA, we are very active on our social media channels to tell stories about the people we support and the successes they have. We are very proud of the effort and attitude they bring to their lives every day and our staff who do everything they can to ensure clients are happy and active in their community.

At its core, this resolution is about imagining a world where everyone belongs and everyone has a seat at the proverbial table. A world where a child with autism feels comfortable and understood in their classroom. A world where someone with ADHD can thrive at work, where their unique way of thinking is seen as a strength rather than a barrier. A world where someone with Down syndrome can find the support they need. After all, a little support is ALL that’s needed.

This vision isn’t out of reach—it’s something we can build together, one step at a time. So, as we move into this New Year, let’s commit to making it a year of inclusion and empathy. Let’s celebrate diversity in all its forms and create a world that doesn’t just accommodate differences but embraces them.

Here’s to a year of meaningful change. Let’s make it one that truly counts.