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| Wednesday, 30 July 2003 |
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Wheelchair friendly environment I read with interest Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera's article (14 July) titled 'A ray of hope for the disabled'. I am delighted to hear that the Sethpawana Society of Ratmalana is lobbying for "user-friendly, barrier-free physical environments" in public buildings for the benefit of wheelchair users and others with difficulties of mobility. I didn't know that we have as many as two million persons with disabilities in Sri Lanka, many of them confined to wheelchairs some times at a very young age. Owing to my post polio condition, I have been using a wheelchair for about a decade when going outside, and now require it even when moving inside the house. I have experienced first-hand what Dr. Perera describes in his article: there are very few public places that have given any thought to the needs of wheelchair users. This includes schools, universities, hotels, art galleries, restaurants, government offices and places of religious worship. I have been waging a battle on my own, urging the proprietors, managers or custodians of these public places to introduce relatively simple arrangements like wheelchair ramps. Whenever I have the ear, I have also been telling architects and town planners to ensure all new buildings and city structures are wheelchair friendly. The tragedy is that while everybody readily agrees with this crying need in private conversations, nobody seems to do anything about it when it comes to their own establishments. The supreme irony is that some government and private sector institutions serving the needs of disabled soldiers are totally inaccessible to anyone on a wheelchair! Perhaps we should ask all new architects - such as those trained at the University of Moratuwa - to spend an entire day on a wheelchair, going about with their daily business. That will surely make them realise what a struggle that wheelchair users face everyday! For many years, I have simply refused to attend any cultural or social event that is sponsored by tobacco companies. I am now also very reluctant to patronise any function held at a venue that has no support for wheelchair users. SIR ARTHUR C CLARKE, The voluntary efforts of Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera exposing the critical problems the disabled population in Sri Lanka continue to face, is highly commendable. The news of the mission on which 'Sethpawana Society' has embarked on headed by Preethi Colonne towards barrier-free wheelchair friendly living environments in our society, is very much encouraging. My father (57 years) with robust health and an active life, was knocked down by a reckless motorist at a yellow crossing five years ago. As a direct result of this and with aging, since a year ago he has fallen so unexpectedly onto a wheel chair due to severe mobility problems. It is only now, he and we family members have realised the true nature of the world that has been opened for us, as identified by this knowledgeable writer. My father hardly missed witnessing any international sporting event here since the time I could remember. But, to his great disappointment we found that on a wheelchair he is no more able to visit and enjoy freely witnessing the last Asian athletic event held at Sugathadasa Stadium. He is very much disturbed in knowing that he is unable to join hereafter his fellow mates to witness our sporting heroes, Susanthika, Darsha, Murali and Sanath in action at the venues, as we found conditions remain the same even at the SSC international stadium. On his retirement, he always enjoyed going to his bank each month to collect his pension and thereafter do the shopping to buy the goodies of his own choice. Oh what a disaster its now? He can no more do these things independently as he had been always doing even after his accident until becoming a wheelchair user. However, much we try to satisfy him in going and buying things for him of his choice, he misses something precious. His bank no sooner their valued and long standing customer became a wheelchair user, fails to care, even to provide him easy access to their premises. The family get-to-gethers and social activities he used to attend, are all now out of the question as the posh housing apartments where his dearest brother, his only sister and close friends reside, cannot accommodate anyone on a wheelchair. This alone hurts him and us very much. Not only the quality of life of our father but that of ours too in seeing him being left out by the environments' physical barriers, are very much shattered. We are indeed made the silent sufferers of humanity. Why cannot the Ministers responsible for Finance (at Banks), Commerce (at shops and markets), Sports (at Stadia) and Tourism (at Hotels), at least wake up to this appeal to act fast enough in providing this essential basic human need and allow people with disabilities on wheelchairs to enjoy life like all others with user friendly environments? BEATRAM GOONETHILEKA, Several articles had been published in the past pertaining to the advantages of being a vegetarian. However, I regret to note that we vegetarians are discriminated when meals are served at hotels (buffet) or even at private parties. I give below the following: 1. Inadequate vegetable items are served (Non-vegetarians could consume both vegetarian and non-vegetarian foods. Whereas vegetarians could enjoy only vegetarian items.) 2. Separate serving counters are not maintained. Since all items are served together even the smell of non-vegetarian items makes vegetarians uncomfortable. 3. Information pertaining to items are not properly displayed (There are cases, where vegetarians have to return soups and food items after being served) 4. Items like soup, polsambol, curries and seeni sambol etc-contain non-vegetarian items. (Maldivefish) 5. Desserts mostly contain cakes, puddings etc. (eggs) 6. In several cases, I observed that non-vegetarians take items, which are reserved for vegetarians only, whilst they wait in the queue for their turn. Very often vegetable short eats are finished early because of consumption by non-vegetarians. You will appreciate that my intention is not to insult Sri Lankans but wish to ensure that everybody enjoy their meals without discrimination. I suggest the following: 1. Vegetarian items have to be defined properly. i.e. it should be free of maldivefish, eggs etc. (In some foreign countries like France there are vegetarians who do not consume milk, cheese etc. 2. In the case of hotels separate meal tickets be sold. It is better to give discounts to vegetarian meals, which will make the offer attractive. 3. Separate Food Serving Centres be arranged. 4. Separate plates be used (For example aluminium plates or plates covered with plantain leaves could be used) 5. Waiters issue the plates to guests on submission of tickets. (I have seen this practice in the hotels) 6. Proper display of the description is arranged. This will also help the guests to select items, which are suitable to their health. 7. Adequate waiters are kept who could monitor the required procedure. This will ensure that the non-vegetarians do not serve vegetable items from the vegetarian's counter and vice versa as well. Hotels can announce in advance about the arrangement made ensuring the smooth working. Some people may argue that this practice may keep them in embarrassing situations when mistakes are done innocently. But we should remember that we Sri Lankans who gained freedom about 55 years before follow dress code, table manners etc. So following this extra step will not cause much difficulty. It should be advisable for the hotels to introduce new vegetarian recipes. I remember in India where most of them are vegetarians, hotels from time to time introduce new recipes to ensure maximum customer satisfaction. The press also can help by publishing new vegetarian recipes. I sincerely appeal to Sri Lankans to ensure that more vegetables are served when you are giving private parties. (It may be difficult for Christians and Muslims who consume more non-vegetarian items in general but it is easy for Buddhists and Hindus. I presume that the suggestions made by me are acceptable to the public at large and look forward to having receptions/hotel parties etc. made more enjoyable to all. S. R. BALACHANDRAN, There is huge cry calling for death penalty to stop/curtail the violence. But will this lead to a drop in the violence? Some people commit murder on the spur of the moment not being able to control their emotions. Some plan to perfection before committing crimes and the death penalty is the last thing in their minds. Most of the crimes are committed with the belief that they are caught by the law. So the death penalty is not the solution to end violence. By the death penalty, you can destroy a criminal but cannot prevent a person from becoming a criminal. You might instill the fear in the minds of the people by bringing the death penalty but most of the crimes are committed with the belief that they can escape punishment. So the best way to stop violence is educating the people instilling kindness, compassion and tolerance in their minds. This has to come from the top echelons of the society and spread to all sections of the society. H.F.L. WICKRAMASINGHE, It was only the other day that a friend inquired from me as to the difference between 'on line' and 'off line' as the terms are used in Internet and computer parlance. Significantly, the same poser was put to me by another friend quite independently of the first friend some time ago. To put it in simplest terms, on line in Internet parlance means that you are connected to your telephone line. So as long as you are on line, your telephone is occupied which means it costs you in rupees and cents. The moment you go off line, the telephone is disengaged and you are relieved of the cost burden. Internet and e-mail go hand in hand as is well known. E-mail is a mode of sending a written message, pictures, photographs, animations, graphics, video and audio presentations, etc. to any part of the globe almost instantly at the cost of a normal telephone call. At present, these facilities are widely available in our country, too. There are a few dozen Internet Service Providers (ISP) in Sri Lanka now and they provide Internet and e-mail facilities. Here all the type setting/writing can be done off line, which means no telephone cost is involved. But this is different from 'chatting' where you converse with another person or a group of persons from any other part of the world through Internet because chatting has to be invariably on line. It is a commonly held misconception that in order to enjoy Internet and e-mail facilities, one must essentially possess a Personal Computer. Today, in almost all big cities and even small townships all over the world including Colombo, Kandy, Galle, Matara, Badulla etc. there are wayside 'cyber cafes' where these utilities can be made use of at a very nominal cost. If you consider yourself a beginner student of Information Technology, whether you are young or old, then try in the meantime to distinguish between 'leased line' or 'dedicated' and 'dial up' connections as another step towards a further study. DHARMAPALA SENARATNE, |
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