Office for physically challenged sans disabled-friendly toilet
Pokhara, August 5
The government office that advocates for the rights of the physically challenged in Kaski lacks a disabled-friendly toilet.
The Women and Children’s Office in Kaski has been assigned with the responsibilities of rendering services to the elderly and differently-abled people. Physically challenged Shobhakhar Dhakal is the deputy accountant at the office. Surprisingly, his office does not have a disabled friendly latrine.
Dhakal has been working at the office for the past four years. He is not the only one facing the hardship. Physically challenged service seekers visiting the office have to cope with the difficulty in using latrines.
Over a dozen differently-abled people visit the office to get their identity cards. These people have to go to other government offices to use the latrine. “The ground floor is disabled-friendly. Identity cards are made from a room on the ground floor. But, they face a hard time using the toilet,” said women development officer Laxmi GC. “We feel embarrassed as the office that advocates for the rights of physically challenged people does not have a disabled friendly latrine.”
GC said that her office had written to the Department of Women and Children to allocate budget for the construction of a disabled-friendly toilet. “But, our pleas have gone unheeded,” GC lamented.
The office building was constructed seven years ago. “Some physically challenged are led to the toilet by their aides, while others go to the toilet at the District Treasury Controller’s Office located 500 metres away,” GC said.
The differently-abled, who come to the headquarters to attend seminars or have to wait to get their work done, have a difficult time. There are around 10,000 differently-abled people in Kaski.