Campaign to aid disabled parking
LIFE-sized cardboard cut-outs of people in wheelchairs have been placed at three disabled parking spaces in the capital, in the hope of driving home mobility and access problems faced by the handicapped.
The campaign by Lefkoşa Turkish Municipality (LTB) and the Cyprus Turkish Orthopaedic Disabled People’s Association aims to raise awareness of the obstacles hindering the daily lives of 6,000 people, some 1,300 of whom have physical handicaps.
It follows calls for action after complaints that some “selfish” drivers were occupying disabled parking spaces even when able-bodied spaces were available.
The joint Respect for Our Rights scheme was devised by special educational needs teachers and members of the LTB’s Youth Without Obstacles unit.
Speaking to Cyprus Today Münür Öztürk, head of the unit, said a pilot project had seen the cutouts placed at reserved parking spaces in front of the post office, İktisat Bank and Sönmezliler Ocağı.
“[We wanted] to introduce awareness among people about the rights of disabled people, [which] we thought was more important than introducing heavier penalties.
“We believe this might make drivers think twice . . . Some have been totally disrespecting the rights of disabled people, and some try to justify their action, saying they are only parking there for few munites.
“[Now] they can have symbolic eye-contact with disabled people . . . and it might stop them parking there.”
Mr Öztürk said the campaign had been welcomed on social media and they were getting “positive” feedback.
However the municipality had launched an inquiry into one “unpleasant incident” in which the cut-out at the post office had been damaged.
“There was no security camera so we’ve failed to find out who did it and why it happened, but it looks like it was kicked by someone,” said Mr Öztürk, adding that they would report the matter to police.
Günay Kibrit, head of the Cyprus Turkish Orthopaedic Disabled People’s Association, said the project would soon be extended to council car parking spaces, and added: “We have had requests from some other municipalities who expressed the intention to do something similar in their areas.”