Everyone should have the same opportunity to pursue their needs.

Ms Nickels, thank you for your time. For our readers who don't know you, could you please introduce yourself briefly?

I'd be delighted to. My name is Carine, I am 49 years old and, since a car accident in 2012, I have been a quadriplegic. This means that I am paralysed from the chest down, with little mobility in my arms and almost no grip strength in my hands.

Despite everything, I have made it my mission to show the public that having a disability does not mean being disabled. It is very important to me to live my life as independently as possible. It is also important to me to show others that, despite a disability, you can do something valuable and help others. That is why I have been on the board of the National Association of Road Victims ( , AVR) for several years and have also been its president for two years .

One of the missions of the OSAPS is to ensure that the accessibility of products and services is improved. What recurring barriers do you encounter yourself?

There are many barriers that people with disabilities encounter in everyday life. The most obvious are pavements that are too high or too narrow, as well as buildings that are difficult or impossible to access due to stairs or lifts that are too narrow.

But there are also obstacles that many people would not even think of: cash machines that are mounted so high that wheelchair users cannot reach them. Doorbells that are mounted high up on the wall. Automatic door openers, which are supposed to be helpful, but are also installed too high and therefore offer me no assistance. Or other devices such as ticket machines at the cinema – they are at a suitable height, but are installed in such a way that I cannot get close enough to them with my wheelchair to operate them.

It is particularly ironic when I am assured on the phone: "Don't worry, when you arrive, ring the bell and we will help you right away." And then you realise when you get there that you can't reach the bell at all.

What does inclusion mean to you? When do you think it will be achieved?

For me, inclusion means giving everyone the tools they need to achieve something. Everyone should have the same opportunity to pursue their needs. It doesn't mean giving someone more because they have special needs, but making sure that it's just as easy for them as it is for everyone else.

An example: Ten people are sitting at a table and each is given a plate of soup. Now five of them are given a spoon, but the other five are given a fork. Technically, from an ic point of view, everyone has something to eat – but only the people with a spoon will be satisfied. That would not be inclusion or equality. However, if everyone is given a spoon, then we are talking about equality.

If one of the ten has no arms, they should be given an aid, such as a straw, so that they too can eat. That is inclusion: removing barriers so that every person can participate independently, regardless of their abilities.

Finally, what are your hopes for the future in terms of accessibility in general?

What do I hope for in the future when it comes to accessibility? Exactly what the word itself promises: no more barriers. As I mentioned above, it is important to me to be able to live my life as autonomously and independently as possible. Of course, this is not always easy when you are dependent on support in everyday life. But beyond that, I want to be able to decide for myself when I do what.

I want to be free to choose whether I go to a restaurant tonight or to the cinema tomorrow. Whether I withdraw my money from the bank or use an ATM. Whether I go to the polling station in person or simply vote by post.

Self-determination is important for everyone — and that applies just as much to people with disabilities. We don't have "special" needs. We have the same needs as everyone else — it's just that it's often more difficult for us to meet them.

What we hope is that it will become easier in the future: that barriers will disappear and we will be able to live our lives just like everyone else.

Thank you very much for this short conversation.