How Hogwarts Could Be More Accessible
Ah, Hogwarts – for many young wizarding folks, it’s like a second home. Unfortunately, a magical medieval castle with trap steps, flying staircases, and rules based on rigid gender roles is perhaps not as welcoming as one might first think. Here are some ways we think that Hogwarts could be more accessible for all magic-kind.
Floating Platforms
There are 142 staircases at Hogwarts – and no mention of a single ramp, sliding secret passages aside. We propose the installation of marble floating platforms that could transport people from point A to Z. Now, we know that getting lost and stuck in the wrong place is a quintessential part of the Hogwarts experience, so these platforms would obviously be given a mind of their own. As such, they could stop at the wrong floor, only work if you use the correct password, or simply stop midway if you are being rude. I mean, you wouldn’t want it to be too easy – where’s the fun in that?
Seeing-Eye Crups
As demonstrated by Harry’s iconic glasses, magic does not mean that everybody suddenly has great vision. We can therefore deduce that blind people still exist in the wizarding world. In fact, you can even meet such a character in Hogwarts Legacy. Walking around an ever-shifting castle can’t be the easiest thing in the world for these folks. For this very reason, we would love to see Hagrid breed a pack of seeing-eye Crups, those lovable, fork-tailed, magic dogs. We imagine a Crup could easily help students and staff orient themselves around the halls, hopefully avoiding Peeves as much as possible.
Hands of Thesauri
We’ve spoken of visually impaired people, but what of those who don’t hear? The deaf community has already designed a fantastic way to communicate through sign language, but we have a hard time imagining Snape learning a new language to communicate with a handful of students. Perhaps there’s a magical item that could be used in these instances? We’ve got the hand of glory, so why not get the hands of thesauri? These enchanted hands could serve as their own translator into sign language, following the student around the castle and activating when needed.
Calming Draught
As the wizarding world progresses into the 21st century, we believe it is high time for them to start talking about neurodivergence. Autism and ADHD are not easy to live with in a neurotypical world. Add to that anxiety or depression, and your time spent at Hogwarts might not be as pleasant as once thought. Madam Pomfrey might do well to get a psychiatrist colleague to join the staff. There are also plenty of potions that could be prescribed for mental disorders. Is there really a difference between a Calming Draught and Xanax?
All in all, Hogwarts is due for some changes. Don’t even get us started on the absence of gender-neutral bathrooms! Are there any other ways we could make the wizarding school more accessible? Let us know, and we will send an owl to Professor McGonagall right away.
