World Disability Day today :

Accessibility for all

Essential need for National development :

Dr Tilak S Fernando

Human beings are only temporary ‘able-bodied’. Irrespective of positions and possessions, our abilities to stand up, move, see and hear are sure to be taken away at some stage in life. No one can escape from these inevitable happenings. Only difference is for some it happens sooner and for others, later.

The Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons, the first United Nations Human Rights Treaty, signed by 147 nations, including Sri Lanka and ratified by 95 nations, made it explicit that States must create a national mechanism to promote, facilitate, monitor and implement to ensure the full realisation of all human rights and fundamental freedoms to disabled individuals without discrimination of any kind on the basis of their disability.

Attitude barriers

An individual may be impaired by a condition that requires daily living adaptations, but the bulk of his problem - his disability - can be found in the attitudinal and physical barriers erected by society. Therefore, in the first instance, people with disabilities need to be identified as individuals and human beings by removing any social model or attitude barriers. ‘Accessibility’ is an Inherent Right, on which several other privileges heavily depend upon. With the right of access to public buildings, facilities and technology being denied to a possibly wide range of disabled people, several other important human rights just become theoretical with no real meaning and value.

Today how many of the newly constructed buildings are equipped with facilities to cater for the disabled? In a National development program it falls into the ‘top priority’ category to reverse this adverse trend and make everyone equally productive and an active partner.

‘Designing for all’ for the able and the disabled, is a highly responsible task involving money and time and the authorities undertaking such edifice unquestionably require expert guidance from end-users with proven competence and practical knowledge. Often even our reputed professionals in building construction appear to lack the vital practical knowledge and enough experience to have a good understanding of its intricacies.

Theory without practice will be obscured and will only promote safety hazards to even able people. It is in this perspective that the competence of professionals should be utilized to ensure their potential and ability within ‘disability’ not to go waste, which tantamount to a national crime.

Accessibility Advisor

Dr Ajith C S Perera, an academic, intellectual, paraplegic, who is battling to surmount odds, has emerged from adversity as an Accessibility Advisor, Speaker, Writer and an Activist, on the subject. It would be imprudent not to utilise the potential, ability and day-to-day experiences of professionals of Dr Ajith C S Perera’s calibre within dis-ability framework.

Last year Dr Perera took the bold initiative to appear in person on his wheel-chair and pursued a public interest litigation fundamental rights application under reference SCFR 221/2009 seeking redress for physically disabled persons accessing new public buildings.

Opening the mind

Supreme Court of Sri Lanka issued a landmark order on October 14, 2009 to have the disability access laws and regulations already enacted many years ago, fully enforced and implemented. Today essential buildings such as shops, markets, banks, ATM machines, hotels, libraries, cinema halls, auditoriums, art galleries, schools, workplaces, religious places of worship, parks and gardens, tourist places of interest, Police stations, communication centres and restaurants have failed to a greater extent in accommodating people in marginalising a section of the (handicapped) society which is seen as downright discrimination.

This kind of naivety is causing colossal losses to the country in wasting people’s productive potential while increasing unwanted dependents. It is an essential investment, not an expenditure that brings an array of rich dividends to the country on a wide range of people including pregnant mothers and elders carrying small children, fat people and those restricted temporarily with their abilities. When the country is focusing on sustainable national economy, can Sri Lanka further afford to waste precious productive human potential, allow unwanted dependants, increase in poverty through loss of gainful employment opportunities, denial of access to Technology and Information, etc?

It would be an enzyme to promote the Human Rights Image of the country when this adverse trend is reversed and make everyone equal, productive and active partners in national development.

The cost of implementation with new buildings is nominal, often believed to be less one percent of total cost.

Golden advice

World population is ageing fast. Sri Lanka is continuing to miss seniors and wheel-chair travellers which form two huge yet untapped, rapidly increasing lucrative business opportunities.

These are rich people with money and have the desire to travel worldwide even outside the seasons with impediments.

In this regard Tourist Board needs to enforce as a mandatory need, specified number of minimum rooms, washing facilities and toilets, to comply fully with Accessibility Standards.

In an informal pow-pow with Dr Perera the following recommendations as a kick start were identified and highlighted;

(a) The Airport authority to give its urgent attention to provide the necessary facilities to receive senior travellers, the disabled and wheel- chair travellers to Sri Lanka.

(b) The Tourist Board to enforce an identified number of rooms equipped with all facilities to, disabled or wheel-chair travellers as a mandatory obligation.

(c) Tour operators and the CGR to provide such facilities to enable easy travel.

(d) Seek advice and utilize the services of our valiant disabled members of our Security Forces some of whom are already in wheel-chairs.

‘Legislation alone will not ensure that persons with disabilities can enjoy their human rights.

States will need to formulate effective policies and programs that will transform the provisions of the Convention into practices that will have a real impact on the lives of persons with disabilities’.

It is an act of social justice (not charity) moral duty and legal obligation of everyone! [email protected]