Even ten percent of BiH residents have mobility difficulties

The biggest obstacles that people with disabilities encounter while moving through the streets of BiH cities are architectural and traffic barriers in the form of too narrow sidewalks without access ramps and carelessly parked vehicles, concluded the workshop "Sit in my chair" which ended yesterday at the International University of Sarajevo.

The workshop was conducted by students from the International University in cooperation with the University Clinical Center Sarajevo and the Association of Paraplegics and Children's Paralysis Patients of Sarajevo Canton.

At the end of the workshop, it was also concluded that slopes with improper gradients at the entrances to buildings or their complete absence, signage for blind and visually impaired people, as well as the lack of public toilets for people with disabilities, also create obstacles for people with mobility difficulties on the streets.

Tufek-Memišević: People with reduced mobility in our country are discriminated against at every level

Tijana Tufek-Memišević, organizer and leader of the workshop "Sit in my chair", and a lecturer in the Architecture program at IUS, told the Patria News Agency that people with reduced mobility in our country are discriminated against on social, economic, traffic, and every other level.

- According to official statistics, as many as ten percent of residents in BiH have mobility difficulties. However, we believe that this number is much higher. And all these people face difficulties moving around the city every day. This must change – said Tufek-Memišević.

During the workshop, which began on May 19, IUS students moved with blindfolds, crutches, and wheelchairs, recording all the obstacles that people with special needs encounter while walking the city streets.

- We wanted to achieve that architecture students, who will design the living environment tomorrow, start incorporating people with special needs into their work habits already – said Tufek-Memišević.