THE paraplegics’ association has chained a wheelchair to a pole with Christmas decorations in central Nicosia, which they say is obstructing their movement on the public pavement.
“The chains on the chair symbolise how this mentality keeps people trapped in their homes and isolates them socially,” said association chairman Demetris Lambrianides. “We have done this to show the indifference of local authorities.”
The pole supports Christmas decorations on Nicosia’s main shopping street, Makarios Avenue.
Lambrianides said the association did not notify the Nicosia municipality of the problem as it was their job to make sure their action would not create a problem.
“We cannot be everywhere. The people who decide to do something should ensure it does not create problems for anyone before they do it,” he said.
He said the wheelchair would remain there until the pole was removed.
“If they remove the wheelchair we will place another one,” Lambrianides said. “We hope they get the message.”
Nicosia Mayor Eleni Mavrou who was not aware of the matter assured that the problem would be corrected.
She said efforts are always made to avoid such problems by installing the poles on the same line as the street lamps.
But in this case there was a tree in the spot where the pole should have been placed.
“We are at their disposal if they locate anything else that needs to be corrected,” Mavrou said.
Though public infrastructure has been improved in some places in recent years, a lot more needs to be done by state and local authorities to provide unhindered access to people with disabilities.
There is also the problem of parking on pavements, which is so bad at times that it not only obstructs the disabled and mothers with prams but even people without disabilities.
Yesterday’s protest coincided with the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which the confederation of organisations for the disabled marked with a news conference to protest the state’s refusal to satisfy their demands citing the economic crisis.
“People with special needs are the most vulnerable group and it is the first group of people hurt the most by the crisis due to the additional costs of their disabilities,” said confederation chairman Mikis Flourentzos.
Flourentzos said it would be impossible for disabled people to get out of the crisis, “poverty and social exclusion with such a state social policy, which restricts their progress through the rejection or indefinite suspension of their rights.”
He said Cyprus would soon have to ratify the UN Convention for Persons with Disabilities, which would be impossible to implement considering the current policy.
The convention calls for the creation of new institutions, structures, legislation and practices on behalf of the state, which would mean the allocation of funds and an organised social policy.
Among other things, the confederation demands a housing plan, free health care, upgrade of the wheelchair scheme, an increase in the travel allowance for the blind and other people with disabilities, and improvement of the state subsidy for the purchase of a car.
