Design for inclusion, not exclusion

By Sumaiya Rizvi.


“The accident that alters your life happens to you at the most unexpected moment in your life”.
The realization that a simple activity like walking can become a luxury that no currency can buy. Disabled people, differently able people and now respectfully referred to as persons with mobility difficulty (PMD) can be people suffering from permanent (paralysis, arthritis etc) or temporary (fracture, muscle pull) mobility difficulty. PMD’s and their 21st century battle for independence is to achieve equal access to buildings and places.
“The soldiers of the armed forces told me that they don’t need sympathy, they only need opportunity” Dr. Ajith Perera an activist for persons with mobility difficulty said. The sympathetic image the electronic media is showcasing on persons with disability is not helping; instead they need to focus on their abilities in providing them with higher quality of life Dr. Perera also a member of the national council for the disable people added.
The criterion for disability is widespread in relation to the thinking of persons’ with mobility difficulty’ without limiting it to physical impairment. Over 30% of the total population of Sri Lanka has some sort of ailment limiting their mobility Dr. Perera said. Physical and mental impairment can also be triggered by an accident, aging or war situation resulting in an instant disability. “Sri Lanka is faced with an aged population” and the people with mobility difficulty is growing stressed Dr. Perera.
In the case of Mohammed Mussaddiq who suffered injuries to his spinal cord and is on a wheel chair for the rest of his life had to over come mental and physical difficulty that altered his life’s path forever. The mental crossover from being an able bodied person and now having to accept your permanent physical difficulties such as not being able to walk and drastic change in life style is a stiff challenge faced by an individual.
The morale of a PMD is further shattered when they are forced to live in an unfriendly physical environment being denied access to banks, post office, provincial secretary’s office, super markets, cinema halls, restaurants, public toilets etc. The physical environment in relation to the saying ‘can make or break their lives’ is the deciding factor for persons with mobility difficulty. The buildings and places that are accessible to an able person is an obstacle for persons with mobility difficulty. “I can’t go to the ATM and withdraw money, I have to get someone to do it” Mohamed Musaddiq a businessman, on a wheelchair due to a road accident said.
An able person believes he has a considerable understanding as to the difficulties in the life of a disabled person but “In reality they cannot begin to imagine the difference in walking, sleeping, eating, travelling etc” Deepa Palliyaguru a person with a permanent disability on her leg said. The simple activities in an able persons life, is tedious for persons with mobility difficulty she added.
“Our environs are disabled” depriving access to persons with mobility difficulty Viji Jegarajasingham the secretary of the ministry of social services said. The environment we live in is an obstruction for persons with mobility difficulty to independently carry out their day to day chores as paying bills, going to the bank, grocery shopping and going to the cinema etc.
The important factor of ‘equal access to all’ was overlooked by most property developers at the time of construction. In the concept of ‘universal design’ accessibility is given priority when developing a property. In accordance to ‘universal design’ the use of a ramp accompanied by hand bars is constructed in place of a fleet of stairs.
The ramp is further colour coded (eg; ramp in green and hand bar in yellow is painted) for the betterment of the partially blind people. And also wheel chairs need wider doors, fire proof lifts, elevated toilet facilities etc.
Blind people need elevators with voice recordings informing door movements and the floor number or a lift operator. This concept that needs to be incorporated when developing buildings and places will provide “access to physical environments, facilities and services” achieving to enable everyone equally Dr. Perera explained.
“The lack of knowledge to design for inclusion” is one of the main drawbacks when designing buildings suitable for PMD’s Dr. Perera said. The downfall of many organizations which proclaim that they have facilities for the PMD is that they fall short to satisfy the concerns of a person with mobility difficulty Dr. Perera said.
“Most of the Cargills outlets have ramps suitable for good trolleys, not for wheelchair users” he added. The architects don’t have the required knowledge and when they do they forget to consult a PMD to make necessary adjustments to suit their requirements.
The ministry of social services has termed year 2007 as the “year of accessibility” paving the way for a model project of the Dehiwala and Mt. Lavinia municipal council and the public library. These are the first public institutions providing facilities to persons with mobility difficulty.
The Taj Samudra, Hilton, Galadari, HSBC branches in Negombo and flower road, Colombo and Mt. Lavinia post office are some of the buildings with design specifications for persons with mobility difficulty.
Two years ago Taj Samudra specially designed a room for persons with disability. A lowered card holder and peep hole, wider entrance doors and sliding bathroom doors also inclusive of a resident attendant are some of the unique facilities provided Srikanth Wakhakar Resident Manager of the Taj Samudra said.
“Disability is not decrease in ability” Dr. Perera said. Persons with mobility difficulty (PMD) can be people suffering from permanent (paralysis, arthritis, amputation, deaf, dumb, blind or partially colour blind, diabetes, spinal cord problems, polio patients, malaria patients) or temporary (fracture, muscle pull, back aches) mobility difficulty.
“We also pay tax and the government is responsible to provide accessible facilities for us, at least in government buildings” Deepa Palliyaguru a person with a disability to her leg said. The key factor in development and growth is to have a majority of people in a country actively contributing to the national grid or income. Independence is the foundation towards realizing this key factor.
The era in which socially deemed disable children are no more hidden from society, it took Sri Lanka a long time to come to understanding them and accepting them as part of society. For all the PMD’s sake let us make a conscious effort to help and show that it doesn’t take that long to make the changes and adjustments in buildings, keeping in mind the concept “Designing for inclusion”.