WHEELCHAIR users have been complaining for years now about the lack of facilities that would help them move around easily without any help. The lack of ramps at many buildings or access point on pavements is probably the most frequent complaint, as it greatly restricts their ability to move unaided.
The issue was taken up by the youth wing of the Green Party, which carried out a survey of 32 public buildings to establish how easy it was for people with disabilities or in wheelchairs to get around. The findings of the survey were not very encouraging, even though some efforts had been made by the authorities to improve things. Yet, as with most things, there did not seem to be a single set of standard guidelines that planners should comply with in designing new buildings or renovating old ones.
This was evident in the findings of the investigation. Half the buildings did not provide parking places for the disabled and did not have access for wheelchairs. Thirty per cent featured obstacles inside, making it difficult for wheelchair users to negotiate their way, while 70 per cent did not have toilets for the disabled. But even in cases in which planners had tried to provide facilities for the disabled, they had got things wrong because of the absence of standardised guidelines.
For instance, the renovated parliament building had toilets for the disabled but these were too small. Then there is the case of ramps being unusable because they are 80 centimetres steeper than they should have been. There is no point in having facilities when they are of no use. Nor is there any point of providing parking spaces for the disabled when inconsiderate non-disabled people park their cars on them.
The survey carried out by the young greens highlighted one thing – the slapdash way in which the whole matter has been approached by officialdom. There are no policy or guidelines. For instance, it is unacceptable that new public buildings do not have facilities and access for the disabled; these should have been standard requirements for every new public building. And a government service should have provided specific guidelines and measurements for access ramps, toilets, parking spaces and building interiors that would be easy for wheelchairs to navigate.
It might be too costly to make these changes at old buildings, but there is no excuse for not having all necessary facilities in new public buildings. And it would help if they were usable as well. As regards, leaving parking spaces designated for the disabled empty for disabled drivers to use, that could prove a bit more difficult. It requires a radical change of mentality and attitude by people who currently seem to have no consideration for anyone else, let alone for their disabled countrymen.
As the leader of the Greens, George Perdikis, poignantly pointed out: “Often it is not the disability that prevents disabled people moving from A to B. It is non-disabled people’s lack of sensitivity and consideration that is the problem.” Unfortunately, it is difficult to change people’s attitudes with legislation.
