Why Wheelchair access is a human and civil right

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As a wheelchair user, going out can be one of the biggest nightmares. I know that must sound so depressing, but its outside forces that make this feeling a reality for wheelchair uses everywhere.

Limited access to certain buildings is the biggest factor of this. There’s nothing more disheartening than going out and having to change plans because the destination or venue wasn’t accessible. Then you have to deal with the way people treat you, which is equally off-putting. But there are other factors at play that add up and eventually take its toll.

Adequate parking availability is a big one. I know that there is regulation about that sort of thing but some of my experiences make me wonder about that. I’ve never been to a shopping centre or mall where disability parking spots aren’t available. But sometimes they’re so scarce that they get filled really quickly, and other times their location almost makes them redundant.

Some are placed on hills that are quite steep, others are narrower than they’re supposed to be and others have no curb to get the wheelchair onto the footpath – this is the most dangerous of the three possibilities.

Sometimes it can feel quite strange and trivial to argue that something as simple as parking can put you off going to a particular place, but able-bodied people who can park anywhere have the same mentality. I know a lot of Aucklanders who wouldn’t even bother driving into the CBD because parking is a nightmare, not to mention, unreasonably costly. Imagine that being the case for around 50% of places. This halves the amount of places you can even think about going to, which is a huge number.

Improving the availability and quality of disability parking spots hurts absolutely no one, and benefits absolutely everyone.

3 COMMENTS

  1. A cousin of mine is wheelchair-bound after a drunk driver knocked her from her bike. It does open up your eyes a bit to these issues like limited disability carparking and building access . Once you’re in this situation it brings a whole new perspective to how peeps with disabilities are treated in a world geared toward able-bodied .

  2. Agreed, Laifa.

    It’s also amazing how many motel rooms are supposedly wheelchair friendly – only to have mirrors at able-bodied person height; lightswitches high up; inaccessible shower cublicles; etc.

    I’ve suggested to more than one motel proprietor that they could consult with someone actually in a wheelchair before installing fittings.

    And some ramps on footpaths have such a steep gradient that anyone in a wheelchair would tip forward if they tried using it without assistance.

    There is no reason why such things cannot be addressed more rationally than they are now…

  3. As a paraplegic parking is the least of my worries. Useable bathrooms are bigger hassle. Can it hurt to have a shelf and a rubbish bin?

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