We need to advocate as and when the need arise. I just would like to share what I did last week.
It was early in the semester. New students and busy lecturers. During these times people tend to “break the rules”. Now, I am not saying I am a saint, in fact, I could accept if someone says “I am a bit of a bully.” But that’s because I want to exert my rights or another way of saying this is, “I don’t want to be bullied!” Yes, that’s what I have been fighting for all these years, in a way…
So, I took photos of cars parked on the accessible car parking bay. The license plates must be clearly seen. I wrote an email to the staff members of my faculty and it just so happened that on that fine Friday, a member of the staff parked his car at one of the lots. So in a nutshell, he was livid with my action, but knowing him knowing me, we knew that I had my call and I played it. So, no one actually reacted, apart from a quite disabled colleague of mine, who said to me to be patient.
Of course, I knew this reaction would happen, but I wanted to set the record straight. Here is a text of what I wrote:
To all those concerned
Please be reasonable if you are not pregnant or not have a physical impairment, temporary or otherwise, not to park your car at the accessible car park lots for disabled drivers at the Faculty of the Built Environment.
Although there is technically one physically disabled person who uses one of the lots there, if you park your car in one of the other lot, students and others will copy what you do. In the end, there will be no spot for people like me (registered disabled with JKM . No pendaftaran PH 064220) who really need this facility.
I have decided to take photos of cars parked in these lots starting Friday (20/07/07) (photos enclosed) during working hours, and will send them off to the Security Office (Pejabat Keselamatan) at the end of the month on a regular basis. Based on previous occasions, they will not act on this (unless on the spot offense by clamping), but at least, in my opinion, the unreasonable acts will be on the records.
If you think my action is unreasonable, please suggest a more reasonable one. One that will certainly prevent more of such unreasonable acts.
Thank you.
Yours reasonably,
Guy Davies 4:33 pm on August 21, 2007 Permalink |
Hi Nazy,
I enjoy reading your blog. I experience many of the same issues as you do, here in South Africa. I am an Access Consultant, having trained with the Centre for Accessible Environments in London, and am about to complete my MSc in Accessibility & Inclusive Design at the University of Salford (also in the UK).
I took to taking photographs of people abusing accessible parking bays, and putting them up on my blog, in an effort to raise awareness. I have had a couple of mentions on local radio shows, and had some good resposes from different people.
On a more genral note, I think we probably share other frustrations too. Having trained in the UK, and then operating in a country with no specific Disability Discrimination legislation, and a complete ignorance of Universal Design. We are working with the rail authorities in an effort to introduce inclusive design best practice into their future designs & alterations. But we will remain with an inaccessible public transport system, until we are able to convince (legislate will be the only sensible option) the mini bus taxi industry to provide a fully accessible service.
Great blog! Very stimulating.
Guy