Law needed for building ramps for wheelchair users: SHC

Karachi
The Sindh High Court directed the provincial government on Tuesday to introduce a law so that ramps could be built on footpaths and the entry and exit points of other public places for disabled, sick and elderly people.
The directives came on a petition filed by Rah-e-Rast Trust chairman Agha Syed Ataullah Shah, who had sought ramps on footpaths and other public places for wheelchair users.
He submitted that disabled, sick or elderly people who used wheelchairs could not move freely as there were no ramps on footpaths.
Besides, he added, they could not access markets, shopping centres, places of worship and educational institution because of the same reason.
He submitted that the authorities had failed to ensure that footpaths were constructed with a slope or ramp on each side, and their height was below the established international standard, making it impossible for people using pushchairs, wheelchairs and push prams to move about independently.
The dearth of the facility had deprived these people of education, vocational training, counselling, and employment and the freedom to avail medical treatment on their own, increasing their dependency on others and halting the process of their social integration.
The petitioner submitted that these people were equal citizens, but could not avail civic facilities they were entitled to in the absence of ramps.
The petitioner requested the court to direct civic agencies to build ramps on the sides of footpaths, at entry and exit points of other public places and alongside the stairs of every commercial and government building in the province.
The Karachi Metropolitan Corporation told the court that it would be ensured that in the future, the construction of ramps was incorporated while preparing the plans to build footpaths and other public places.
An SHC division bench, headed by Justice Irfan Saadat Khan, observed that proper legislation was imperative to facilitate wheelchairs users.
It directed the chief secretary to prepare a summary and refer the matter to chief minister for so that a law could be prepared. The bench observed that it expected the chief minister to have the law prepared within three months.
The court also directed the KMC and the Sindh Building Control Authority to instruct their departments concerned to ensure the provision of ramps.