Changemakers: Accessibility at Disney 🎆🏰

For my Changemakers project, I focused on accessibility — how Disney designs its parks to be welcoming and inclusive for everyone. Going to the parks showed me how much thought they put into even small details: things like the pavement textures, signs in different languages, calming music, and ramps that just blend in naturally. I realized that great accessibility design is almost invisible — you don’t really notice it when it’s working, but it has such a huge emotional impact.

One moment that really stuck with me was when I interviewed a man in a wheelchair at EPCOT. He shared how easy it was for him to get around and how supportive the Cast Members were. That really showed me that accessibility isn’t just about ramps and pathways — it’s about making people feel seen and included, like they belong there.

In the final video I made, I wanted to tell the story of how Disney uses inclusive design to make the magic available to everyone. I used a calm but kinda upbeat voiceover, warm music, and editing choices that helped show not just the facts but the feelings behind it all. I’m honestly pretty proud of how much my research and editing skills improved, especially since I had like 200 video clips to go through and shape into a clear story.

This project taught me that accessibility isn’t some bonus thing — it’s part of what makes great design. Designing with empathy means you think about how people feel, not just how stuff looks. I hope my film makes people think a bit differently about accessibility and realize how it creates joy, connection, and belonging for more people.

✨ Here’s the final video I made: