Abidah Desai (2025)
Introduction
StopGap Foundation is a grassroots organization that aims to make Canada more accessible one brightly painted ramp at a time. Co-founded by Luke Anderson, a wheelchair user himself, the organization started as a small initiative but has since grown into a national movement focused on eliminating physical barriers through inclusive design, community engagement, and social awareness.
The following case study explores how StopGap’s approach to access and inclusion can be understood through five core frameworks: Vision, Functionality, Brand, Environment, and Health & Wellness.
1. Vision: A World Where Everyone Can Access Every Space
At its core, StopGap’s vision is simple yet powerful: "To create a world where everyone can access every space." This vision has remained consistent since the organization’s founding and is supported by a clear purpose to provide support for individuals and communities working to remove barriers to access in public spaces.
Rather than relying on formal mission and vision statements, StopGap grounds its work in a purpose-driven approach, reflecting a deeper social commitment to justice and equity. Luke emphasized the importance of recognizing that disability is often socially and architecturally constructed, arising from the way we design our environments rather than from individual impairments.
2. Functionality: Ramps as Educational Tools
Although ramps are the most visible output of StopGap, their true function is disruptive and educational. Painted in bold colors and marked with StopGap’s website, each ramp draws public attention to the issue of inaccessible infrastructure, particularly single-step storefronts that pose challenges for wheelchair users and others with mobility limitations.
By giving away free ramps to small businesses, StopGap uses them as conversation starters temporary fixes that invite long-term systemic thinking. This educational focus extends into broader community programming and partnerships with architects and developers, encouraging design solutions that go beyond minimum building code standards to truly barrier-free environments.
3. Brand: Bright, Bold, and Recognizable
StopGap's ramps are instantly recognizable, not just because of their functionality, but because of their visual identity. Brightly painted in vibrant hues, the ramps embody the organization’s core values of fun, empathy, and community. The paint also serves a practical function by enhancing visual contrast for those with low vision.
Interestingly, the branding evolved organically: the now-iconic stencil was originally a cardboard cutout made out of necessity during the first project. Today, it has become a symbol of inclusion, visibility, and grassroots innovation.
StopGap also emphasizes the use of empowering and inclusive language, moving away from ableist terminology and advocating for phrasing like “wheelchair user.”
4. Environment: Toward Sustainable Inclusion
StopGap’s approach to sustainability is twofold. First, the organization intentionally avoids becoming a long-term manufacturer of ramps. Instead, their goal is to spark awareness and eventually phase out ramp-building as communities invest in permanent, accessible infrastructure.
Second, StopGap integrates sustainability into its operations by sourcing materials locally, using low-VOC paints, minimizing waste, and repurposing leftover materials. This balance between reusable design, local craftsmanship, and eco-conscious practices reflects a holistic commitment to both environmental and social sustainability.
Furthermore, Luke noted the intersection between climate change and disability, explaining how rising temperatures disproportionately affect those who use mobility aids and have difficulty regulating body temperature. Another reason why equitable design is urgent.
5. Health & Wellness: Connection Through Access
StopGap’s work fosters community connection, a key factor in promoting health and wellness. By increasing access to spaces—be it coffee shops, retail stores, or sidewalks—StopGap helps reduce isolation and encourages social inclusion for people who have historically been excluded from public life.
Luke reflected on the daily impact of StopGap’s work, both on himself and others, describing how small design changes like a single ramp can meaningfully alter someone’s experience and emotional well-being. Testimonials from business owners, families, and wheelchair users are frequently shared via video and social media, underscoring how accessible design benefits everyone, not just those with disabilities.
Conclusion
StopGap Foundation exemplifies how design, community, and purpose can intersect to create meaningful social change. What began as a single ramp has evolved into a movement one that empowers volunteers, challenges systemic ableism, and reimagines what inclusive design looks like in Canada.
Through its playful branding, commitment to education, and refusal to settle for the bare minimum, StopGap is more than a ramp-building organization it's a blueprint for building equity into everyday spaces.
