My name is Mariana Aragón and I’m 22 years old, I’m from Mexico and I have this condition call Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI).
In this article I’m going to talk about how accessible my country is for people that are wheelchair users like myself. Although I haven’t traveled the whole country it’s pretty clear to me that we are far behind on that subject.
On a more positive note there are many buildings and public transportation that are accessible for wheelchairs; however provision of wheelchair ramps and elevators is uneven. Existing elevators in many buildings are very small and may not be the right size for wheelchairs; many restaurants do not have accessible restrooms.
Even though a building may be accessible, it’s most likely that nearby sidewalk surfaces may be uneven. There may be other barriers on sidewalks, trees blocking access, potholes and even cars parked on sidewalks, blocking access for people in wheelchairs.
Also, accessibility details are often not made available on a website, so it’s advisable to call before when visiting an office, tourist attraction, shop or restaurant. However, many tourist attractions are likely to be accessible to some degree. Many businesses or organizations offer special services for people with special needs.
Now, on a more political note there is not really a law that forces companies to have accessible facilities. They are not obligated to accommodate their buildings or parking lots.
In terms of the streets well things get worse. The ramps they build don’t have special requirements so they’re hardly ever well put to be use.
Going back to the laws there are laws when it comes to cars parking in designated spots and blocking ramps on the streets but nobody cares. The police don't apply the right punishment which is a fine. Part of that problem is people are not aware of what they are doing or how it affects others.
Though not everything is lost there are organizations doing their best to improve in these aspects everyday more and more associations raising awareness for different types of disabilities. A place that I really enjoy and is accessible is a beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It is an amazing place and it’s perfect for the summer. It is outfitted with specialized personnel and equipment that allows disabled beachgoers the ability to relax, have fun and access the beach.
Speaking in a more personal level I’ve encountered many obstacles but I can be handled very easily because I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) most commonly known as brittle bone disease. I’m around 2ft (61 cm) tall. So the lack on accessible places has never been a huge deal in my life because my mom is with me most of the time I go out. If it’s not her it is someone that easily hold me and carry me around in case it’s necessary. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think this country needs a lot of improvement when it comes to this subject. I have plenty of friends that aren’t as lucky and all this problem does is isolate them making them invisible for society.
To finish this up as I always say this world is not ready for us sadly, I really wish and hope that this changes in a near future.
En este artículo voy a hablar acerca de cuán accesible es mi país para personas que usan una silla de ruedas como yo, aunque no he viajado por todo el país, es muy claro para mí que estamos muy atrás en ese tema.
En una nota más positiva, hay muchos edificios y transporte público que son accesibles para sillas de ruedas; sin embargo, la provisión de rampas y ascensores para sillas de ruedas es desigual. Los ascensores existentes en muchos edificios son muy pequeños y pueden no ser del tamaño adecuado para sillas de ruedas; muchos restaurantes no tienen baños accesibles.
In this article I’m going to talk about how accessible my country is for people that are wheelchair users like myself. Although I haven’t traveled the whole country it’s pretty clear to me that we are far behind on that subject.
On a more positive note there are many buildings and public transportation that are accessible for wheelchairs; however provision of wheelchair ramps and elevators is uneven. Existing elevators in many buildings are very small and may not be the right size for wheelchairs; many restaurants do not have accessible restrooms.
Even though a building may be accessible, it’s most likely that nearby sidewalk surfaces may be uneven. There may be other barriers on sidewalks, trees blocking access, potholes and even cars parked on sidewalks, blocking access for people in wheelchairs.
Also, accessibility details are often not made available on a website, so it’s advisable to call before when visiting an office, tourist attraction, shop or restaurant. However, many tourist attractions are likely to be accessible to some degree. Many businesses or organizations offer special services for people with special needs.
Now, on a more political note there is not really a law that forces companies to have accessible facilities. They are not obligated to accommodate their buildings or parking lots.
In terms of the streets well things get worse. The ramps they build don’t have special requirements so they’re hardly ever well put to be use.
Going back to the laws there are laws when it comes to cars parking in designated spots and blocking ramps on the streets but nobody cares. The police don't apply the right punishment which is a fine. Part of that problem is people are not aware of what they are doing or how it affects others.
Though not everything is lost there are organizations doing their best to improve in these aspects everyday more and more associations raising awareness for different types of disabilities. A place that I really enjoy and is accessible is a beach in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. It is an amazing place and it’s perfect for the summer. It is outfitted with specialized personnel and equipment that allows disabled beachgoers the ability to relax, have fun and access the beach.
Speaking in a more personal level I’ve encountered many obstacles but I can be handled very easily because I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI) most commonly known as brittle bone disease. I’m around 2ft (61 cm) tall. So the lack on accessible places has never been a huge deal in my life because my mom is with me most of the time I go out. If it’s not her it is someone that easily hold me and carry me around in case it’s necessary. But that doesn’t mean I don’t think this country needs a lot of improvement when it comes to this subject. I have plenty of friends that aren’t as lucky and all this problem does is isolate them making them invisible for society.
To finish this up as I always say this world is not ready for us sadly, I really wish and hope that this changes in a near future.
Accesibilidad en México
Mi nombre es Mariana Aragón y tengo 22 años, soy de México y tengo esta condición llamada Osteogénesis Imperfecta (OI).En este artículo voy a hablar acerca de cuán accesible es mi país para personas que usan una silla de ruedas como yo, aunque no he viajado por todo el país, es muy claro para mí que estamos muy atrás en ese tema.
En una nota más positiva, hay muchos edificios y transporte público que son accesibles para sillas de ruedas; sin embargo, la provisión de rampas y ascensores para sillas de ruedas es desigual. Los ascensores existentes en muchos edificios son muy pequeños y pueden no ser del tamaño adecuado para sillas de ruedas; muchos restaurantes no tienen baños accesibles.
Aunque un edificio puede ser accesible, lo más probable es que las superficies de las aceras sean desiguales, puede haber otras barreras en las aceras, árboles bloqueando el acceso, baches e incluso autos estacionados en las aceras, bloqueando el acceso para personas en sillas de ruedas.
Además, los lugares con accesibilidad a menudo no están disponibles en un sitio web, por lo que es aconsejable llamar antes al visitar una oficina, atracción turística, tienda o restaurante. Sin embargo, es probable que muchas atracciones turísticas sean accesibles hasta cierto punto. Muchas empresas y organizaciones ofrecen servicios especiales para personas con necesidades especiales.
Ahora, en una nota más política, no existe realmente una ley que obligue a las empresas a tener instalaciones accesibles, no están obligadas a acomodar sus edificios o estacionamientos.
En cuanto a las calles, las cosas empeoran porque las rampas que construyen no tienen requisitos especiales, por lo que casi nunca están bien construidas para poder ser usadas.
Volviendo a las leyes, hay leyes que prohíben estacionarse en lugares designados y bloqueo de rampas en las calles, pero a nadie le importa incluso la policía no aplica el castigo correcto, que es una multa, parte de este problema, es la gente no esta consiente en cuanto afecta esto a otras personas.
Aunque no todo está perdido, hay organizaciones que hacen todo lo posible para mejorar estos aspectos, cada vez más asociaciones que crean conciencia sobre diferentes tipos de discapacidades.
Un lugar que realmente disfruto y es accesible es una playa en Playa del Carmen, Mex. es un lugar increíble y es perfecto para el verano, está equipado con personal especializado y equipo que les permite a los bañistas discapacitados la capacidad de relajarse, divertirse y acceder a la playa.
Hablando en un nivel más personal, he encontrado muchos obstáculos, pero dado que puedo manejarlo muy fácilmente porque tengo Osteogénesis Imperfecta (OI) más comúnmente conocida como huesos de cristal, mido alrededor de 90cm de altura, por lo que la falta de lugares accesibles nunca ha sido un gran problema en mi vida porque mi mamá, que es la que está conmigo la mayoría de las veces que salgo, si no es ella, es alguien que fácilmente me carga y me lleva en caso de que sea necesario, pero eso no significa que no crea que este país necesita muchas mejoras en cuanto a este tema. Tengo muchos amigos que no son tan afortunados y todo lo que hace la falta infraestructura es aislarlos haciéndolos invisibles para la sociedad.
Para terminar, como siempre he dicho que este mundo no está listo para nosotros tristemente, realmente deseo y espero que esto cambie en un futuro cercano.
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