Most spaces exclude by default. Disney's Zootopia project shows what happens when you let disabled voices lead

Accessibility for all has always been preached, but never practised. However, when designing the world of the iconic 2025 film Zootopia 2, Disney approached the disabled community, and it left online users stunned. Explaining the nuances the media conglomerate brought into the making of the film that made it inclusive to all, Instagram content creator Molly Burke (@mollyburkofficial) broke down scenes from the film in her December 19 post, and it is as mind-blowing as the film itself.

Molly, who is a visually challenged content creator, has often spoken at length about inclusivity for the differently abled community. Speaking of Zootopia 2, Burke outlined that Disney had reached out to the disabled community to take a different approach that welcomes individuals from all walks of life. "When you design something where everyone matters, you build something everyone can use. And Zootopia is completely the epitome of this concept," Burke remarked. She noted that while disabled people face challenges in everyday life due to a lack of accessibility in daily spaces, Zootopia changes the narrative. "It doesn't matter how big or small the animals are, what climate they need, or what food they need to eat; they are accommodated fully," she added. Burke said that this allows every character to contribute equally, without getting isolated due to their inability to access certain spaces.

Citing examples, Burke noted that the first thing that caught her attention was the scene where the train taking Judy Hopps to Zootopia had doors of all sizes. "The animals didn't have to battle for doors that were too small for them, or steps that were too big for them," she noted. Burke also highlighted the temperature control areas that served different climates for different animals, which also had different dietary needs in mind. Noting the incredible level of workplace accommodation, Burke mentioned the scene where a tiny gerbil was trying to serve food to a really tall giraffe. Here, they showcased a system where the food is elevated to the height of the giraffe, allowing it to easily access its food. "Another thing that was really cool was that all the cars were of different sizes, because not everybody's going to fit the same size vehicle, and they have special lanes depending on what kind of car you need to be in," Burke said.

She noted that people often fail to understand the importance of accessibility, but when it is cartoonified, as seen in Zootopia, it makes one thing clear: that is how the world should be. She concluded by saying, "Think of a world where ramps and automatic door buttons were everywhere, where every single elevator talked, and every single crosswalk had an audible signal, where every single restaurant we walked into had Braille and large print menus in different languages so that everybody was able to access the spaces they needed to." A 2025 report by Inclusion London revealed that only 3% of new homes granted planning approval in London in 2023 and 2024 are suitable for older or disabled people, while just 0.8% are designed for wheelchair users. The report warns that inaccessible housing seriously harms the physical and mental health of disabled people. 

As outlined by Burke in her video, accessibility must be normalized in the real world, just as seen in Zootopia. Soon after the video went viral, many users expressed their thoughts on Burke's observations. @jennavieve.carver wrote, "WhaaaaaAAAAT?!?!?! This is probably the most obvious thing I've ever heard, and yet, I did not catch on when I watched the movie lol So cool!!" @ktutrow commented, "This is SO cool! I actually noticed while watching the movie that it was a great metaphor for/example of accessibility, but didn’t realize that was intentional." @isabellam1999 wrote, "OMG! I just finished watching ZOOTOPIA 2 in a theater, here in Peru there are special spot in the rooms for us wheelchair users people to comfortably watch the movie. I LOVE THE MOVIE, I find it interesting how accommodating world it shows is and now I know why."

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