Making ‘the right to accessibility’ a meaningful reality

Dr. Ajith C. S. Perera

Today is World Disability Day, under the theme: Together for a Better World for All focusing on Social Inclusion and Accessibility for All

As fully fledged citizens, facilities essential in day-to-day life built by man at new public buildings and places, must be accessible and usable with safety and with dignity for all. Regardless of degree of ability, it is an inherent right of everyone and this is mandatory by law.

Making it happen is an imperative prerequisite for Sri Lanka as an undisputed catalyst for building understanding and fostering our social, cultural and human rights values as well as promoting an untapped lucrative money earner for our country.

It is a long felt vital necessity of national importance; not a luxury nor unwanted expenditure but an indispensable low cost economic investment for sustainable development as the involvement of people with restricted ability creates opportunities for everyone - with or without ‘a dis-Ability'.

Different thinking

With the emergence of the social model of disability based on human rights issues requiring adequate opportunity equally for all, world views on what it means to be ‘dis-Abled’, that were earlier based on a now outdated medical model of disability, have changed rapidly - and for the better - to enhance the quality of life of all people.

Modern views recognise that all of us, irrespective of our positions and possessions, is only temporary able-bodied with limitations in ability, physical, sensory and intellectual, to varying degrees.

Ability could change with a blink of an eye. Every one of us, for different reasons, is certain to spend some of our time living with restricted abilities, in getting around (moving, seeing, coordination, dexterity).

The term ‘Accessibility’ encompasses approachability, accessibility and usability with safety and with dignity for all people - regardless of degree of mobility, sight, hearing or age - to public facilities built by man.

It encompasses publicly and privately owned buildings and places but it's not merely making here and there a ramp or a room and an accessible toilet!

Rather: “All key parts of buildings for public use in day-to-day life”, toilets and wash facilities in particular, should be constructed in accordance with ‘design requirements and standards’ that are already specified in the gazetted regulations.

We often see increasing number of people becoming unexpectedly and unwontedly prisoners in their own ‘sweet homes'.

For some it is the on-set of old age. For others - still young and active - it is the debilitating situations that come and (may or may not) go with accidents and medical conditions. Some may even be worsened by medications or loss of opportunities and/or stress.

Everyone needs buildings and facilities that are age-friendly and a joy rather than a trial to use. None of us likes to have the bitter experiences of being incapacitated or marginalised yet by ‘others’ still continue to design environments that ‘we’ have to live in.

Open your eyes

Sri Lanka has the fastest ageing population in our region and soon almost 17 percent will be over 65.

An estimated 20 percent of Sri Lanka's voting population - i.e. 4 million - has diverse ability often with restricted eye sight and mobility.

Here we talk of a wide range of people inclusive of the elderly and, those traveling with children in prams, convalescing, living with numerous debilitating medical conditions (that often go unnoticed), using wheelchairs, sticks and frames and often even the pregnant.

In day-to-day life, still, tens of thousands of people with restricted abilities often face considerable physical hazards in the man-made environment and are forced to fight an uphill battle reaching and using essential facilities, tragically, even at new public buildings.

These include toilet and wash room facilities even at five star hotels, entrances, doorways, steps and stairs at restaurants, cinemas, Police stations, (university) lecture halls, pharmacies in the community and private sector hospitals, local councils, ministries, departments, markets and shops and other business establishments as well as tourist sites, walkways, parks, etc.

“The way a country treats its ‘dis-Abled’, or rather, its population with ‘restricted ability and the true extent to which they are respected as fully-fledged citizens is a realistic, internationally recognized, measure of a country's good governance and a far more telling indicator of society's development than GDP”.

Yet, sadly, the then inept leadership managed very little over the past 15 long years. The ‘dis-Abled’ were often made overwhelmingly voiceless in matters that affect them and society and, thereby aggravating social and economic issues to plague the country unwantedly in untold proportions.

Charity and social services beyond a minimum, creates unwanted dependants. We are readier to offer sympathy and a helping hand, than empathy for Enabling and Empowering.

Safe access to toilets and wash facilities is still scarce, even in our five-star hotels. Hence, inaccessibility has become a very significant lost opportunity in Sri Lanka's emerging industry of tourism, travel and hospitality.

These facts were recognised and accepted by the Supreme Court in the larger national interest when issuing orders on April 28, 2011 under SC (FR) 221 / 2009 making compliance with specified design standards mandatory in constructing ALL parts of NEW public buildings and facilities.

Amazingly, no politician has pledged to uplift the quality of life of such a huge voting base in actively promoting the implementation of this Court order of national importance!

Rich dividends

Accessibility and safe use are paramount for EVERYONE. Easier and safer modes of access make participation more comfortable, more independent and hence more productive equally to everyone.

It accommodates a wide range of people with choice for which the building and facilities were designed and meant to be used, enhances opportunities, encourages innate human potential and alleviates poverty. Everyone gets a better tomorrow and a ‘suba anagathayak'.

Inaccessibility - further disobeying of this Court Order - removes these dividends, devastates resources, dispirits a vast human potential and depletes national development.

Establishing facilities accessible for all is a highly responsible task involving money, time and effort. Often the professionals in the construction industry lack the essential practical knowledge and adequate understanding of its intricacies.

As each site is unique in its problems and solutions. Never copy professional advice for one location, even for a ramp, at another - each site must be assessed and evaluated separately. As such, owners and authorities undertaking constructions need very much expert guidance as to how best to do this and thereby prevent waste of precious resources.

(The writer, Hony. Secretary-General of ‘IDIRIYA’ ([email protected]), is a known competent advisor on accessibility. He appeared in person on a wheelchair last April at the Supreme Court, successfully to pursue single-handedly a public interest litigation fundamental rights application to require unhindered access to all new public buildings and facilities)