WATCH YOUR STEP! Quido, Pas Op! etc. No matter the language, the old English adage, “forewarned is forearmed” is the same when it comes to mobility and negotiating impediments or barriers. Bonaire’s disabled need all the help we can get! What I wish to do is to call your attention to the newly remodeled TELBO building. It is beautiful and looks to be quite functional even though from what I am given to understand, it is still a work in progress. But, as the saying goes, “beauty is only skin deep”. The fact that they no longer have convenient parking aside; it is a long trek from the parking lot to the entrance even for the able bodied. There are no designated ‘disabled parking’ spots close by so if you are unlucky you have to park and walk up to an additional 100 meters from the access ramp. The actual danger begins once inside the building. The reception desk with security is directly in from of you and in order to access the ‘business area’ one must take a right and traverse a sloping ramp. The floor and walls are a stark white and it is difficult to see where the slop begins and ends. My first encounter was to be catapulted half way down the ramp after becoming disoriented and losing my balance. I instinctively reached out my left hand to grasp the hand rail…which was not there. I use a walker and for short distances, a cane. In this case the walker would have been a disaster since there was no way to tell the difference between the walls and the ramp/floor! In any case I conducted my business and asked for the e mail address of TELBO management so that I could make them aware of that potential danger. Predictably I received a letter from management assuring me they were aware of the problem and the entrance is temporary and would be addressed shortly and I would be kept informed! That was almost two months ago and to date, nothing has been done to improve the problem. A follow-up letter resulted in HR offering to make an appointment with TELBO’s architect to discuss what MIVABO would like to see done. (Still waiting for a confirmations time/date for the appointment) MIVABO will no longer accept status-quo and will speak out when we deem it an issue of discrimination against a huge portion of the Bonaire population comes too light. We may be small in numbers but we speak for many and remind those who are looking to represent the people. there are more than 1000 votes we can influence. So, forewarned is forearmed: WATCH YOUR STEP! (Story by: Michael Gaynor)
Posted on: Wed, 30 Jul 2014 14:02:57 +0000
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