Electric wheelchair image

A visually impaired person challenged contractors, and business people to make public and private buildings accessible to people with disabilities.

Yona Sabri – who is the captain of the blind football team in South Sudan – said persons with disabilities face difficulties accessing buildings because most are constructed without slops.

He pointed out that public facilities and business centres among others should consider those who use wheelchairs to access the places.

Sabri said many of those with physical disability are finding it hard to enter such places because they only have stairs.

“My message to the general public, business people and engineers is that when you are constructing your building, more especially the public places, you need to consider people with disabilities also have the right to access them,” said Sabri.

“Any person has a right to get whatever he or she wants, but with those buildings that we have, many of them only have stairs, they don’t have slops,” he said.

“Our brothers and sisters who are living with physical impairment, those who are using wheelchairs, will not be able to access whatever they want, simply because the buildings have stairs, no slops whereby they can use the wheelchair, including the shops, even if small shops.

“My message is going to you the retailers you need to construct those slops in front of your shop.”