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The International Symbol of Accessibility, or ISA, is often known as the wheelchair symbol. The pictogram originally showed just a very simple wheelchair in profile. A circle represents the large wheel. A zig-zag line goes from left to right to represent the handles for pushing, down for the back, out to the right for the arms, down and to the right again for the seat, and down and then out again to the right for the leg rest and foot rest.
When the symbol was first adopted, someone added a smaller circle at the top to represent the head of a person sitting in a wheelchair. Now, most people think of the symbol as representing a person in a wheelchair, rather than just a wheelchair by itself.
Although many people with disabilities do not use wheelchairs, the symbol is supposed to represent the general concept of disability, and the use of the symbol at an entrance to a building or a restroom is supposed to indicate that there is disabled access.
Unfortunately, this often misleads people into thinking that, if they provide wheelchair access, they have done all that is necessary. They completely forget access for the many people who have disabilities such as blindness, deafness, or cognitive disabilities.
Although the ISA is often shown as a blue symbol on a white background, the federal government and most states do not require that color to be used. In California, white on blue is required, although the person in charge of granting permits can allow a different color as long as the symbol is still easy to see.
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