For many people with disabilities, challenges are not limited to major life events or rare circumstances. The common barriers people with disabilities still face often show up in small, everyday moments that others may take for granted. From navigating buildings and using transportation to accessing information or participating in community life, barriers can still exist even after decades of progress in accessibility and disability rights.
In Missouri and across the country, organizations like Delta Center for Independent Living work to reduce these barriers and promote independence, inclusion, and equal access for people with disabilities. Understanding the most common obstacles is an important step toward creating more accessible communities and finding practical ways to overcome them. Consider the following challenges and the efforts to overcome each of them:
- Physical Accessibility in Buildings and Public Spaces
One of the most visible barriers is physical accessibility. Despite standards mandated by the Americans with Disabilities ACT (ADA), not all buildings are fully 
accessible or designed with mobility needs in mind.
Common challenges include:
- Steps without ramps or elevators
- Narrow doorways or hallways
- Heavy manual doors
- Inaccessible restrooms
- Uneven sidewalks or curb cuts in disrepair
These barriers can make routine tasks such as visiting a store, doctor’s office, or public building, difficult or impossible for some individuals.
How to overcome it:
Improved design standards, routine accessibility audits, and retrofitting older buildings can significantly reduce these issues. Simple modifications like automatic doors, ramps, and widened entryways make a meaningful difference. Many businesses, for example, will respond positively to requests for remediation of these issues, so contacting a business or building owner is a first step. However, ADA violations can also be reported to the U.S. Department of Justice, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, or the Department of Transportation, depending upon the specific complaint.
- Transportation Limitations
Transportation remains one of the biggest obstacles to independence for many people with disabilities. Even in well-served areas, gaps still exist.
Challenges include:
- Limited availability of accessible public transit
- Inconsistent paratransit scheduling
- Lack of wheelchair-accessible rideshare options in some areas
- Difficulty navigating stops, stations, or boarding systems
Without reliable transportation, access to employment, healthcare, and community engagement becomes significantly harder.
How to overcome it:
Expanding accessible transit fleets, improving paratransit reliability, and increasing community-based transportation programs are key solutions. On an individual level, planning routes ahead and using accessibility-focused transit apps can help reduce uncertainty. Still, it’s important to contact the transportation entity involved with the problem and seek a remedy. If no improvements are made, contact the U.S. Department of Transportation for assistance.
- Employment Barriers and Workplace Accessibility
Employment is another area where barriers persist, even with legal protections in place.
Common issues include:
- Inaccessible office layouts or equipment
- Lack of flexible scheduling or remote work options
- Misunderstanding or stigma from employers
- Insufficient accommodations during hiring or training processes
These barriers can limit opportunities for meaningful employment and career advancement.
How to overcome it:
Employers can make a major impact by adopting inclusive hiring practices, offering reasonable accommodations, and ensuring workplace accessibility. Assistive technologies such as screen readers, adaptive keyboards, and speech-to-text tools, also help level the playing field. Employers tend to be keenly aware of the legal requirements associated with these workplace aids and want to avoid employee complaints made to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.
- Digital and Communication Accessibility
In today’s world, so much of daily life happens online, banking, shopping, healthcare, education, and communication. But not all digital platforms are designed with accessibility in mind.
Common barriers include:
- Websites that are not screen-reader friendly
- Videos without captions or transcripts
- Poor color contrast or small text
- Forms that are difficult to navigate with assistive technology
These issues can exclude individuals from essential services and information.
How to overcome it:
Following Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), adding alt text to images, ensuring keyboard navigation, and providing captions can dramatically improve digital inclusion.
- Social Barriers and Misconceptions
Perhaps the most overlooked barriers are social ones. Attitudes, assumptions, and lack of awareness can create exclusion even when physical accessibility exists.
Examples include:
- Underestimating capability or independence
- Speaking to companions instead of the individual
- Lack of inclusion in social or community activities
- Stigma surrounding visible and invisible disabilities
These social barriers can be just as limiting as physical ones.
How to overcome it:
Education and awareness are key. Inclusive language, respectful communication, and actively involving people with disabilities in decision-making help build more inclusive communities. While there is no state or federal entity that governs societal barriers and misconceptions, it’s important to understand that every person living with a disability has the power to work as an agent of change, expecting inclusion and putting an individual human face on this challenge, one person and one relationship at a time. We’re all in this together.
Moving Toward Greater Inclusion
While progress has been made, everyday barriers still affect quality of life for many individuals with disabilities. The solutions are often practical, better design, improved access, stronger awareness, and more inclusive policies.
Organizations like Delta Center for Independent Living continue to play a vital role in advocating for accessibility, providing support services, and helping individuals live independently with dignity and confidence.
A More Accessible Future Is Possible
Accessibility is not just about compliance, it is about participation, independence, and equality. When barriers are identified and addressed, communities become stronger, more inclusive, and more functional for everyone. It’s nearly always best to work with businesses, organizations and others who have not eliminated barriers to those living with disabilities first and only seeking assistance from governmental agencies second.
If you or someone you know needs support, guidance, or resources related to disability services or independent living, Delta Center for Independent Living is here to help. Contact us today to learn more about programs and services designed to support independence and accessibility in everyday life.