Trust wants Wheelchair Day celebrated
We Care Trust will lobby government to have International Wheelchair Day celebrated in Botswana. The day is commemorated internationally on March 1, to mark the positive impact wheelchairs have on users.
Among others, the Trust donates wheelchairs to children born with disabilities and the old. Its Chairman Modiri Lucas told The Midweek Sun that they have never heard about the commemoration of the day in Botswana. Lucas said this day has not been celebrated in Botswana because there has always been a gap between those using wheelchairs and the society, and as a Trust they encourage people to appreciate people who use wheelchairs.
“This is a day that assures people with disabilities that they are important and fully recognised internationally. It shows they are part of the larger society,” Lucas said. The Trust has so far donated 27 wheelchairs across the country. Its mandate is to meet government halfway to help those in need of wheelchairs.
Amuchilani Makhaula, 30, was diagnosed with a bone condition called Oestoegenesis Imperfecta earlier in her life and has been using a wheelchair for 12 years now. She said International Wheelchair Day is the day that reminds her how impactful this tool has been in her life and the confidence that it has restored back to her. “As a wheelchair user, there are many challenges that I encounter daily. Firstly, my mobility is limited, for me to move from one place to another the ground has to be wheelchair friendly,” she said. She observes that in Botswana most wheelchair users use the manual riders, and often need assistance especially where the ground is uneven or sandy. “Transport is another challenge, every time I need to go somewhere the kind of transport I use matters, it must cater for a wheelchair in terms of space,” said Makhaula. She added that entrances to buildings including shops, government offices and facilities, homes and even the sidewalks do no cater for wheelchair users. “I urge shop owners to kindly create a reasonable space between the aisles so that wheelchair users too can have the freedom of doing shopping without struggle,” said Makhaula. She highlighted that from her own experience, society also still has to do more to improve the way they treat wheelchair users. Makhaula said whenever she goes out, people stare, something that makes her feel uncomfortable. “I do not like the way people react when they see me in public events sometimes. Respecting
anyone regardless of how they look or their condition is key because I do not believe that using a wheelchair or having any condition makes one less human,” said Makhaula.