Financial Times

Rebuilding Sri Lanka with equality
By Ajith C.S. Perera
The present situation due to the tsunami is a golden opportunity that mother nature has gifted us through 'forced reconstruction work' backed by massive foreign aid, to rectify all critical shortcomings of our built physical environments that have produced 'social prisoners'.

It is neither practical nor healthy to prolong charity based social welfare work beyond the required minimal period. We thus must soon provide the individualised support, encouragement and morale boost each would require, to get back on their feet again.

It's equally important we provide the essential facilities at all key physical environments so that we also afford equal opportunities to make people as much as possible independent and productive citizens and thereby improve their quality of life than before. For these to happen, there should no more be 'society-created barriers' for access at built physical environments and also to facilities they offer. Such 'man-made' fencings deprive social integration, cause divisions, deny opportunities and restrict independence to daily activities.

Crucial facts
We mustn't forget the fact that we are a rapidly ageing population. By 2010, we will have 3 million senior citizens. About 15% of our own brothers and sisters are now with restricted mobility and diminished vision to varying degrees that keeps deteriorating further. Such tragic happenings are inevitable due to natural and man-made disasters that includes escalating number of road accidents, falling trees even in Colombo and protracted fratricidal war, and increase in debilitating illnesses and ageing.

Disability is only a grave social problem and NOT a 'Medical Problem', resulting from the absence of the essential basic facilities in environments we live. Hence it is a social responsibility the government and the business community both have, to make sure that in designing and constructing new physical environments, these are established. It will then make every possible person as much as possible independent in attending to his or her essential daily needs, such as marketing and shopping, banking, recreation, gainful employment, travel, etc.

Many of them, not born with any physical or sensory impairment, still remain productive and even mobile, using wheelchairs. To make the best use of such vast yet untapped talent, its essential the government and the business community, prevent man, from constructing further barriers.

A key objective in designing all new constructions must be to ensure equality of treatment to all groups of people to live as much as possible independently with dignity, enjoying the essential basic human rights, even on a wheelchair. Here are some suggestions that addresses these issues:

1) Make mandatory that all planned physical environments and facilities should be architecturally accessible, even by those with restricted vision and/or mobility, especially wheelchair users. These should include upcoming condominiums, hotels (their washrooms and toilets in particular), markets, shops, banks, sports stadiums, recreational centres and places of religious worship.

2) Sri Lanka cannot afford any 'margin for error' in identifying, designing and re-building facilities. Experienced architects and builders should be humble enough to accept guidance from a competent end-user (such as a wheelchair traveller) and ensure quality standards are maintained.

3) Establish and enforce stringent measures to prevent misappropriation of funds and material.

We urgently need 'Bridge Builders' to rapidly implement these measures. As social responsible organizations every single business leader representing all segments of the business community should help us at this crucial moments. Many organisations like Sri Lanka Cricket, have already agreed to build 'housing villages'. PLEASE remember, along with the government, its' their great responsibility to make certain that all reconstructions and redevelopment programmes are truly meaningful and equally beneficial to every sector of the society especially the disabled and senior citizens.

Benefits
Monetary and other benefits such companies. For example, wheelchair travellers form a very lucrative yet untapped business for the tourism industry. Hence essential facilities must be made mandatory at all hotels and places of tourist interest, to welcome even independent wheelchair travellers. As Colombo based star-hotels are lackadaisical in making available these facilities, those who soon make them available, will enjoy better business and be a respected name.

Responsible TV
To boost morale and move forward with enthusiasm and courage, all TV stations have a profound duty to project positive images visualising all affected lives and towns rising from the ashes; provide opportunities to the public to hear more songs written with truly inspirational lyrics and sung with devotion; highlight the need for all citizens alike to preserve the rights of all human beings, including senior citizens and the disabled in new environments we build; project the positive image of the disabled so that our society develops the correct attitudes and begins to recognise this significant force as productive, employable and full fledged citizens.

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