In Nepal, there are a lot of barriers if you are a wheelchair user. The most frustrating one is the fact that there is no one single new building in the Kathmandu Valley that is fully accessible
The 1st of March was celebrated as International Wheelchair Day. It does not really matter that this special day has not been recognised by the United Nations yet. What it matters is that this is a truly, genuinely bottom-up initiative that deserves society's full attention, in Nepal and also elsewhere.
It matters as the day should be seen and considered as international accessibility day because our economy and society make life very difficult for wheelchair users. It should not be this way because these citizens have inalienable rights. The problem is that such rights like their right to accessibility is almost always infringed and broken especially in low income and developing nations.
That's why Steve Wilkinson, the person behind the idea of organising International Wheelchair Day, is the hero, and he merits, from all of us, a symbolic standing ovation. He started this global campaign to create awareness on the rights of persons with disabilities who are using a wheelchair back in 2008.
A British citizen born in 1953, at age of two, he was diagnosed with Spina Bifida.
Throughout his life, he had been using a wheelchair on and off, but in 2012, after a prolonged illness, he realised that he would have to use the wheelchair "full time". This story is recounted in a book Wilkinson wrote about the history of International Wheelchair Day, a book that is freely accessible on the appositely created web site of the celebration.
Nepal has been playing a key role in the promotion of this celebration and this thanks to the Spinal Injury Rehabilitation Centre for Nepal (SIRC), a literally a life saver for hundreds of injured citizens. Interestingly enough, the book has been dedicated to Nepal and to the inspiring work of SIRC.
Readers of this column might tend to believe that accessibility is not a big deal. Maybe not many of you are on a wheelchair. Yet, there are certain life situations where you end up with fully understanding that accessibility matters. It is when someone breaks a leg or when someone's parents are getting elderly, then, accessibility becomes a paramount issue for all of us. So, accessibility is a universal issue, and it is not just a "niche" problem, a burden only affecting those citizens living with a disability that is forcing them to a wheelchair.
In Nepal, there are a lot of barriers if you are a wheelchair user. The most obvious, most maddening and frustrating one is the fact that there is no one single new building in the Kathmandu Valley that is fully accessible. Maybe we saw some ramps here and there, but we know that these are just the rare exceptions to a very worrisome norm that consistently and prevalently disrespects and insults all those who use a wheelchair.
If you are a developer or a client building her own house, it is very tempting to save some bucks by digging less of the underground space and then come up with some steps on the front door. Think about it when you walk around, and you will notice this cost-saving trend that elevates all the main entrances to at least one meter above the ground. But, of course, no one cares to think about the accessibility aspect of these new constructions.
So, we have two problems here. First, if there is a way to cut a corner, humans are keen to take that path. The second one is even more upsetting and, admittingly, harder to tackle. It is so because we are talking about the enabling factor that allows the first problem to manifest, the fact that real estate developers do utterly disregard the most basic aspects of accessibility while designing and building a new space.
And it's all on the governments. I use the plural because it should not only be the responsibility of the federal government but also that of the local elected bodies to ensure that our urban spaces are fully accessible.
Should we forget what are the principles of Universal Design that Wikipedia describes as "design of buildings, products or environments to make them accessible to people, regardless of age, disability or other factors."? In Nepal we are still very far from having a legislation on Universal Design. Any existing provision on accessible building is already mandatory but, in reality, is not.
The National Building Code 2015 has a full section on accessibility that is entirely focused on the needs and rights of persons who use a wheelchair. It is clear enough that the code is not enough! Does Nepal need a new, groundbreaking legislation that would elevate the nation to the highest standards of physical inclusion and accessibility? The so-called Act Relating to Rights of Persons with Disabilities that became law in 2017 is there, but its implementation is weak and patchy at best.
Either with a new whole legislation or by fully implementing the Act, the whole disability community, in partnership with other sections of the society, must work together to elevate the accessibility issue.
Even from the tourist point of view, my friend Pankaj Pradhananga with Four Season Travel & Tours has been pushing, together with stakeholders from the disability community, about promoting Nepal as an accessible touristic destination. Indeed, some important steps in this direction has been taken with the opening of several accessible treks, but the way ahead is still too bumpy.
In all fairness, there have been some other positive developments, but we can't be satisfied. The new sidewalks being erected throughout Kathmandu are accessible for visual impaired citizens though their height is way too dangerous as you literally have to climb them. That's why, because the picture is gloomy, celebrating every year International Wheelchair Day is paramount.
Thanks to Steve Wilkinson and SIRC for reminding us why accessibility is an indispensable precondition for real social inclusion.
The author is co-founder of ENGAGE and of The Good Leadership
