The view from here

As a short person, I’ve always been aware of my surroundings and how things are not made for me: office chairs never fit, cupboards are always too high; items I want at the supermarket or the library always seem to be on the shelf I am just inches shy of reaching.

Perhaps because I come from a highly wheelchair-accessible city, or because I have many friends with limited mobility, when I travel I’m often conscious of a city’s lack of accessibility. For instance, last spring in Montreal I was deeply disappointed by how wheelchair unfriendly the city is; only becoming aware of it whilst hauling some cumbersome luggage from the train to the metro.

But Kevin Connolly’s recent photo project has me reflecting on some things I don’t regularly think about. Connolly, a 22-year-old Montana artist and athlete was born without legs, uses a skateboard as his main mode of transport. His perspective from his close-to-the ground camera lens, documenting how people look at him, is a reminder of what we often don’t consider:

"Aside from the enjoyment of working on a challenging photo project, I also got the chance to skateboard some pretty crazy locales. Tokyo and Zurich were probably my favorites due to the immaculate sidewalks. However, most of Europe posed a problem that I hadn't considered upon leaving: cobblestones. Those evil little buggers…tore my skateboard apart and created a terrible racket anytime I would go anywhere… I've never seen such nasty cobblestones as those in Romania."

(Image: Kevin Connolly)