Our zine cover portrays two sides of the same road with both sides exploring aspects of accessibility in the pandemic. On one side of the road, we show a library with signs promoting book-drop offs, a church offering free meals and supplies, and a restaurant setting up outdoor dining. On the other side of the road, we have a public park with hand sanitizer dispensers and tables with wipes and laptops for free use. On the road itself, we show five individuals of different ability, gender, and racial identities.

The Road to Accessibility: Pandemic Edition

Quaran-Zine is a collection of artistic and literary representations of the pandemic’s impact on our lives and understanding of NYC. We explore the accessibility of spaces throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gregory Baer, Ken Prakasam, Nawshin Maleeha, Nick Melkadze.

Combining the ideas of what it means to make a space truly accessible and how the use of spaces have changed during the pandemic, we explore the overall theme of accessibility during COVID-19. In our zine cover, we highlight the importance of accessibility in the pandemic, such that spaces can cater to all members of their diverse communities, regardless of their financial status, and adapt to the pandemic. For instance, we showcase the need for adequate safety measures amid a global health crisis and the need for internet access to account for the countless jobs and events that are shifting to an online format. We then use these accessibility guidelines from our zine cover to critique the implementation of safety measures in institutions, like libraries and churches, as they try to maintain similar functions and play new roles to serve a purpose in the pandemic.

The pandemic has shaped the views of our group’s themes because it has directly affected accessibility in public spaces and how people now use institutions with designated uses. Specifically, the zine creation and pandemic have challenged us to carefully reconsider how access to institutions is no longer limited to ideas of finance, location, disability accommodations, and racial diversity but now includes virtual and safety aspects. As creating the zine cover encourages us to think about the pandemic in terms of society and the city beyond lockdowns, we have developed a more holistic and interdisciplinary approach to thinking about the pandemic. Overall, access in COVID-19 is an issue that affects everyone, so our zine cover and thought process attempt to encompass all people and relevant factors for this theme.

Image showing the outlines of three buildings: a library with a book drop-off slot, a church, and a restaurant with a grade of "B" on it. The image shows three tables for outdoor seating next to the restaurant, and markers for social distancing on the sidewalk in front of the buildings.
This next zine cover portrays how public institutions have adapted their function during the pandemic and our personal critique of their adaptability. We show how public libraries have turned to a drop-off method for returning books; how religious institutions have committed to helping those who are struggling; and how restaurants have set up outdoor dining.

 

Image shows large grassy public area. To the left is a dispensary with a sign that says "No Fee: Get Masks!" To the right is a rest room with a symbol that represents an all-gender restroom. There are hand sanitizer dispensers on the grass and two benches that have laptops on them and a sign that says "Free laptop use." At the bottom of the image there are five socially distanced figure drawings
This zine cover is representative of what it means to make a space truly accessible. We show a sample public space here that represents several features of accessibility: a public park with open space, no financial restraints, gender diversity, free services, safety measures, etc.

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