Design disability disaster: Thailand’s online critique on wheelchair walkway accessibility

[webfact]

 

The online community in Thailand is buzzing with criticism, following the sharing of a photo depicting a poorly designed walkway for people with disabilities. The image shows a sign for a wheelchair-accessible route set in the middle of a narrow, uneven pavement, blocked by an electricity pole. Frustratingly, the location has not been named.

 

Online users are urging local authorities to inspect the site and address the issue, as the path is clearly unsuitable for its intended users.

 

The image showcases a sign for a walkway for people with disabilities, installed on a footpath. However, the sign is set in the middle of a narrow and uneven pavement, obstructed by an electricity pole. This picture reignited discussions on social media platforms about the significant obstacles that people with disabilities, especially those using wheelchairs or those with visual impairments, have to face in their daily lives.

The Twitter page @RedSkullxxx posted the image along with a caption that roughly translates to “…I want to see the face of the person who put up this sign.” This sarcastic remark highlights the irony of the situation, where a pathway meant to aid people with disabilities ends up being a hindrance due to the poor planning and execution of its design.

 

by Nattapong Westwood 

Photo courtesy of @RedSkullxxx (Twitter/X)

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-09-22

 

- Cigna offers a range of visa-compliant plans that meet the minimum requirement of medical treatment, including COVID-19, up to THB 3m. For more information on all expat health insurance plans click here.

 

Get our Daily Newsletter - Click HERE to subscribe

[Geoffggi]

10 minutes ago, webfact said:

The image shows a sign for a wheelchair-accessible route set in the middle of a narrow, uneven pavement, blocked by an electricity pole. Frustratingly, the location has not been named.

All too common, for a supposedly Family destination ???? there is a distinct lack of sidewalks, here in Pattaya most streets are dangerous to walk as there are no sidewalks

[keith101]

TIT what a joke

 

[hotchilli]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The image showcases a sign for a walkway for people with disabilities, installed on a footpath. However, the sign is set in the middle of a narrow and uneven pavement, obstructed by an electricity pole.

They have absolutely no idea.

[dinsdale]

wheelchair walkway

Says it all really.

 

[SingAPorn]

Just look at the Paya Thai airport rail link stop.

 

It's really not obvious to find just an elevator or escalator to go down at street level, loaded with your luggage.

 

So when it comes to disabled, I dare not even dream on their woes in Bangkok or other popular beach areas.

[kingstonkid]

6 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

All too common, for a supposedly Family destination ???? there is a distinct lack of sidewalks, here in Pattaya most streets are dangerous to walk as there are no sidewalks

In Pats the walk ways that are there are junk anyway and need to be rebuilt

 

As to the opic where is the pedestrian walk way for a non handicap person lol

[Bangkok Barry]

7 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

All too common, for a supposedly Family destination ???? there is a distinct lack of sidewalks, here in Pattaya most streets are dangerous to walk as there are no sidewalks

Same in Bangkok. A friend of mine in a wheelchair has travelled the world and told me that Bangkok is by far the worst place he has been for the disabled. I've read many Thais believe that anyone disabled is being punished for being evil in a previous life, so they deserve nothing.

[retarius]

Let's face it, sidewalks in Thailand are deplorable and not at all suitable for wheelchair access. God help anyone disabled in Thailand. 

[tomazbodner]

3 hours ago, dinsdale said:

wheelchair walkway

Says it all really.

 

Actually even for pedestrians, sidewalks/pavements are often blocked and require stepping on the road to get around the power poles, traffic signs, trees, potholes, overbridge stairs, etc. Maybe all this is designed by people who never had to step out of their 4 wheeled status displays...

[dinsdale]

30 minutes ago, tomazbodner said:

Actually even for pedestrians, sidewalks/pavements are often blocked and require stepping on the road to get around the power poles, traffic signs, trees, potholes, overbridge stairs, etc. Maybe all this is designed by people who never had to step out of their 4 wheeled status displays...

You seemed to have missed my point. Genuine wheelchair bound people cannot walk. Hence "wheelchair walkway" is rather ironic. As for sidewalks/pavements/footpaths they are exactly what you would expect in a developing/third world country.

[josephbloggs]

3 hours ago, SingAPorn said:

Just look at the Paya Thai airport rail link stop.

 

It's really not obvious to find just an elevator or escalator to go down at street level, loaded with your luggage.

Come on, it really isn't that hard.

[PETERTHEEATER]

The disabled access at the Hua Hin Immigration Office west of town is a good example. Two purpose built wheelchair ramps to access the top floor but they forgot to install a rack and pinion system.

[Captor]

11 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Same in Bangkok. A friend of mine in a wheelchair has travelled the world and told me that Bangkok is by far the worst place he has been for the disabled. I've read many Thais believe that anyone disabled is being punished for being evil in a previous life, so they deserve nothing.

Not only bad for disabled also for others.

[herfiehandbag]

11 hours ago, tomazbodner said:

Actually even for pedestrians, sidewalks/pavements are often blocked and require stepping on the road to get around the power poles, traffic signs, trees, potholes, overbridge stairs, etc. Maybe all this is designed by people who never had to step out of their 4 wheeled status displays...

There is no design, or planning.

They don't walk, don't use a wheelchair, don't care.

 

I need a stick to walk now, following an accident and surgery. I was on crutches for months.  That was/is difficult enough. God knows what it must be like in a wheelchair!

[scorecard]

10 hours ago, josephbloggs said:

Come on, it really isn't that hard.

Yes it is hard, especially for disabled people. And it's not only the difficulty of getting down to ground level with suitcases / luggage etc.

 

Years back a friend lived in a condo less than 1 km from this station. When it first open he decided to ty to use it bacauseso close to hm condo / home.

 

After being helped by other passengers down to ground level he got the next shock; taxi drivers (making their own rules) insisting there was a minimum fee of 500Baht for taxi from this station and 100Baht extra to transport each bag, but carry it yourself.

 

He called a neighbor at his condo who quickly came with a tuk tuk and picked him up. Tuk tuk driver getting harrrassed / threatened by the taxi drivers. 

[jacko45k]

20 hours ago, Geoffggi said:

All too common, for a supposedly Family destination ???? there is a distinct lack of sidewalks, here in Pattaya most streets are dangerous to walk as there are no sidewalks

And even if there are, they have been laid claim to by the nearby building owners, and are frequently not passable on foot, never mind in a wheelchair. 

[ChipButty]

In a world class tourist destination like Phuket there is hardly any pavements/sidewalks, 

Sorry for people in wheelchairs even families with buggies which we experienced recently when my grand daughter was here,